UT Aspasia fund for female faculty research enhancement

What can the UT Aspasia Fund do, and for whom?

The UT Aspasia Fund is a small fund financed by NWO’s Aspasia Fund; its aim is to help female faculty achieve their research ambitions.

There are grants for specific circumstances which can be of benefit to three groups:

1.	Female applicants to Veni, Vidi, Vici, ERC or other research projects, who passed the first round but who did not receive a grant

2.	Female faculty on maternity / parental leave who want to keep their research profile current, minimise the research gap and achieve a fast come back afterwards – through their Head of Subject Group (Vakgroepvoorzitter). \

3.	UT employees who organize a scientific congress with a female keynote speaker in their program.

If you belong to one of these three categories the UT Aspasia Fund may be able to make an award to support you.

The total budget of the UT Aspasia Fund for 2013 is € 100,000.

Who can apply to the UT Aspasia fund?

1.	Female postdocs, assistant and associate professors who applied for a NWO, ERC or other grant in 2011 and/or 2012, passed the first selection round, but were not awarded a grant or NWO-Aspasia premium.

2.	Heads of Subject Group in respect of one of their female faculty members who will be, or is, on maternity or parental leave.

3.	UT employees who organize a congress with a female keynote speaker in their program.

What is required?

I. For grants to `’non-granted’ research fund applicants :

·	A short application which states how this grant will support your career and indicates how you are planning to spend it.

·	A copy of the ranking or report/verdict on your research grant application as evaluated by the jury. Please include this as an appendix / attachment.

·	Your CV and evidence of your motivation and ambition to gain promotion.

·	A letter from your manager about your career path possibilities, including commitment to awarding you a fixed position or tenure track appointment.

Please note that

·	The amount awarded depends on the number of applicants and the contents of your application.

·	Applicants for Vidi, Vici and ERC grants have priority.

Spending possibilities

As stated above, the UT Aspasia fund is intended to support your career. So it is important that you state clearly how the proposed activities will help you to develop and/or accelerate your career.

Examples:

·	Hiring expertise to rewrite your application for submission to the same or perhaps another fund

·	Creating more time for yourself to dedicate to your own research, for instance by hiring a student-assistant or other person to support you with your non-research / teaching duties.

II. For a Grant of € 10,500 to the Head of Subject Group (Vakgroepvoorzitter) of a woman on maternity or parental leave:

Maternity and parental leave can create a gap in a woman’s research CV. In order to close this gap fast the UT Aspasia fund offers €10,500 to the Subject Group to contract someone in for the period of 4 months at 0.5 fte, in order to enable the female faculty member (assistant or associate professor) to concentrate on research tasks after she is back from her maternity or parental leave.

This subsidy can be granted subject to the following conditions:

-	After maternity/parental leave the female faculty member is able to dedicate her time for 4 months exclusively to research activities - to result in a publication or research proposal.

The Subject Group (vakgroep) proves that someone is/has been appointed for a period of 11 months to replace the woman on leave. The group is entitled to money to replace someone who is on maternity or paternity leave, but this is not always done due to the short period involved; with the extra €10,500 for 0.5 fte for 4 months it should be worthwhile to appoint someone for 11 months.

The application should include the following:

·	CV of the beneficiary

·	Letter from the supervisor indicating career perspectives at the UT and what are the gaps in the CV in order to be promoted. (Where should the beneficiary focus on)

·	Specified budget

III. For a subsidy for a female keynote speaker at a scientific congress organized by employees of the UT in the Netherlands

This subsidy covers the travel and accommodation costs for one or two female keynote speakers with a maximum of € 6.000,-

·	Present a description of the congress and the invited speakers

·	Present a detailed budget of the travel and accommodation costs of the female keynote speaker

Procedure

1.	Inform your HR advisor of your application.

2.	Before April 19, 2013 applications should be received by Prof. S. Hulscher, Chair of the Ambassadors Network, c/o Annemarie Ridder.

3.	The Ambassadors Network advises the UT Executive Board about the applications.