DAINA 2: funding opportunity for Polish-Lithuanian research projects

DAINA 2 is a funding opportunity for joint Polish-Lithuanian research teams to be launched by the Research Council of Lithuania (Lietuvos mokslo taryba, LMT) and the National Science Centre (NCN). The programme aims to support research projects in all fields of science.

Within the DAINA 2 scheme, the NCN and LMT fund only projects involving basic research.

Call announcement: 15 June 2020

Call deadline at the NCN: 15 September 2020

Call deadline at the RCL:  22 September 2020

Results: April 2021

Start of joint research projects: mid – 2021

ELIGIBILITY:

• All projects must focus on substantive research and feature an integrated work programme. Scientific infrastructure or networking activities can only be funded within projects with a substantive research focus. As stand-alone projects, infrastructure or networking projects will not be eligible.
• Joint proposals, including all budget items, must conform to the national rules relevant for each applicant. Applicants must note that the NCN and RCL retain the right to reject proposals which fail to comply with the procedures set out in the respective guidelines. If a proposal is deemed ineligible by one national agency, the complete project will be rejected by both agencies. No changes will be accepted after the deadline for submission.
• Grants that are considered state aid will not be offered.

• If an application has been submitted to any other call or funding line of the NCN, RCL or any other funding agency, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Please also check the respective national agency’s rules regarding submission of a project to more than one scheme.
• A PI may submit only one proposal under the same call.
• Joint proposals (consisting of Joint Project Description and CVs of the Principal Investigators together with publication lists) must be written in English (except for sections specified explicitly in the call documentation^[1]).
• Joint Polish-Lithuanian research projects may be funded for a period of either 24 or 36 months.
• Eligible Host institutions in Poland: NCN proposals may be submitted by the entities specified in Article 27 (1) (1) – (2), (1) (4) – (5) and (1) (7) of the  Act on the National Science Centre of 30 April 2010 (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 1384).
• Eligible implementing institutions in Lithuania: Lithuanian research and higher education institutions included in the Register of Education and Research institutions (to be found at https://www.aikos.smm.lt/en/Pages/Default.aspx  under “Registers” and the section ”Education providers” category).

• The budget of the Polish part of the project must be at least 150 000 PLN;
• The budget of the Lithuanian part of the project must not exceed 80 000 EUR (in the case of a 24 month project) or 120 000 EUR (in the case of a 36 month project);
• The Polish Principal Investigator (PI) must have at least a PhD degree when submitting a proposal. The Lithuanian PI must be a scientist.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The joint proposals (consisting of the Joint Project Descriptions and the CVs together with publication lists) must be submitted online to both agencies’ respective submission systems, together with all necessary documents conforming to the formal requirements of the respective funding organisation set out in the call documentation:

1. first, by the Polish applicant to NCN via ZSUN/OSF system, by 15 September 2020, 16:00 CEST. The PDF version of the complete DAINA 2 proposal shall be generated in the ZSUN/OSF system after the completion of the submission process in ZSUN/OSF system.
2. second, by the Lithuanian applicant to RCL via JUNKIS system, by 22 September 2020, 16:00 EEST. The Lithuanian applicant must submit the above-mentioned PDF version of the complete DAINA 2 proposal generated in the ZSUN/OSF system into the JUNKIS system.

PROPOSAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCEDURE:

1. The applicants’ and projects’ eligibility will be checked by both the NCN and RCL for the Polish and Lithuanian sides, respectively. The merit-based evaluation is open only to proposals approved as eligible by both agencies
2. All proposals will be reviewed by NCN and RCL separately.
3. At NCN, each eligible proposal will be evaluated by expert panels as well as by at least two external referees. The panels will consist of recognised researchers from the relevant disciplines who are familiar with the NCN decision-making procedures.
4. At RCL, each eligible proposal will be evaluated by two or three independent experts, followed by the consensus report with the scores of the panel assessment on the basis of which the ranking list is drafted.
5. Funding will be granted to those proposals where both NCN and RCL recommend funding.

All project proposals will be assessed against three sets of criteria:

1. qualification of Principal Investigators (PIs),
2. academic merits of the research project,
3. feasibility of the project and budget.

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS

Funds for Polish research teams within the joint project are allocated on the basis of the decisions issued by the Director of the NCN. Funds for Lithuanian research teams within the joint project are allocated on the basis of decisions issued by the Chairman of the LMT.

CONTACT

POLAND, NCN:

Dr Eng. Ewelina Szymańska-Skolimowska, e-mail: ewelina.szymanska-skolimowska@ncn.gov.pl, tel.: +48 12 341 9155

Magdalena Dobrzańska-Bzowska, email: Magdalena.Dobrzanska-Bzowska@ncn.gov.pl , tel.: +48 12 341 9094

Dr Magdalena Godowska, e-mail: Magdalena.Godowska@ncn.gov.pl, tel.: +48 12 341 9016

LITHUANIA, LMT:

Asta Aleksandraviciene, e-mail: asta.aleksandraviciene@lmt.lt, tel.: +370 676 18 297