Frequently Asked Questions
General questions
Q: Can I add any documents to support my application?
A: The application should not be overloaded with documents. However, certain additional support documents may be important for the reviewers to judge your application according to the selection criteria. Letters of support or recommendation by other scientists or potentially interested collaborators in Luxembourg for your project may be considered useful.
Q: Are PhD students and postdoc students allowed to teach?
A: In an effort for PhD students to acquire multiple skills, the FNR strongly encourages AFR beneficiaries to do some teaching. It strengthens communication skills and gives them some experience in the contact with students. However, AFR beneficiaries should not be used as low-cost teaching staff. The task of teaching must not constitute an impediment on their research activity and the subject taught should be directly related to the research field. Teaching missions should not exceed 90 hrs per year. Under the AFR scheme, no supplements are paid for teaching activity.
Q: If my research project is part of a greater multiannual project, can I use the overall project description as my own project description in the application form?
A: Not really. The description of your own research project must always be individualized, with its own proper objectives, hypotheses, workplan, etc. You should however always indicate whether your project is part of a multiannual project, what the overall project is about and how your individual project contributes to the overall research project.
Q: Despite being mainly based abroad for my research, can I conclude my work contract with a collaborating Luxembourg research institution?
A: The work contract has to be concluded with the official host institution. By law, the host institution is defined as the institution where the researcher carries out the major part of his/her research. In case the researcher works predominantly abroad and has a collaboration with a Luxembourg research institution, the institution abroad is considered as the host institution. If this host institution cannot conclude a work contract or the conclusion of a work contract leads to a material disadvantage for the researcher (net salary is less than ¾ of the AFR fellowship, i.e. < 1.125 EUR/month), it is not possible to conclude a contract with the collaborating Luxembourg research institution instead. Instead of a work contract, the researcher will be offered an AFR fellowship (1.500 EUR/month) and the possibility of refund for the conclusion of a health and accident insurance.
Q: In case the Host Institution is not offering work contracts, is it possible to receive a work contract by FNR?
A: No (see above).
Q: After a positive funding decision, when can the research grant start?
A: After the results of the evaluation panel have been formally approved by the FNR, the official funding decision is communicated to the AFR applicants. If the proposal has been accepted for funding, a contract, elaborated by the FNR, has to be signed between the AFR beneficiary, the host institution and the FNR. This contract relates to the terms and conditions set by the FNR and specifies the rights and duties of the different signing partners (e.g. the reporting frequency, the supervision requirements, etc.). It also fixes the exact starting date of the research project/grant payments and the duration of the grant attribution. It is possible to foresee retroactive payments.
No funding can be attributed until all implicated parties have signed this contract and an originally signed exemplar has been received by the FNR. In addition, for AFR beneficiaries with a work contract, a copy of the work contract has to be submitted to the FNR before the start of the grant.
The period between the communication of the funding decision and the completion of all formalities may take up to 2 month.
Research projects should start at the starting dates indicated in the contract. In case of a delay, the FNR has to be informed immediately. In case projects haven’t started within 3 month after the indicated starting date, the FNR may reconsider its funding decision.
Postdocs
Q: Can I apply for postdoctoral funding, even though I don’t have my PhD diploma yet?
A: For researchers who are about to finalize their PhD and wish to continue with a postdoc, they should only submit their application for postdoctoral funding, when the date of their PhD exam is known. Applicants must join a statement by their PhD supervisor who pledges the quality of the thesis and his/her confidence in the successful completion of the PhD. The payment of postdoctoral funding can only start when the certificate for the successful completion of the PhD has been provided to the FNR. Retroactive payments are possible to a certain extent.
BFR – AFR transition
Q: Can I apply simultaneously for a BFR-AFR transition and for a 4th year extension?
A: BFR beneficiaries, whose 4th year extension would be due to start within 2-3 month after the BFR-AFR transition, are recommended to submit both application forms together (transition form + 4th year prolongation form). This applies in particular to the BFR beneficiaries, whose 3rd year is coming to a close during the BFR-AFR transition period (1st November 2008 until 31st March 2009). When submitting both applications together, you don't have to provide a detailed project description twice; include the project description in one of the forms and refer to it in the other.
Q: Can ex-BFR beneficiaries apply for a 4th year of AFR funding?
A: Ex-BFR beneficiaries who have completed their BFR funding period without actually having finished their PhD yet, may apply for a 4th year of funding to finish the PhD. They complete the application form for a 4th year extension, indicating the reasons for not finishing within 3 years and providing jointly with their PhD supervisor a realistic plan of how to finalize the PhD in the course of the 4th year. Applicants, whose BFR funding period has come to a close before 2007, however, have to fill in the full AFR-PhD application form to submit their request for the 4th year funding.
Reporting
Q: If I work part-time, do I also have to submit my intermediary reports at the same intervals than full-time beneficiaries ?
A: Yes, indeed, the FNR requests a first progress report after 10 months and then at least once per year, independent if the grant is for a full-time or part-time contract.