Application Guidance
& Call Timeline
– SMART 4.0 programme will offer 16 Fellowships across 2 calls for proposals –
To aid proposal preparation, a dedicated Guide for Applicants has been prepared – it may be viewed here.
Call 2 will be published on 01-July-2020 and will remain open for 3 months as for Call 1 (deadline: 30-September-2020). The evaluation and selection process will last approx. 3 months, end-to-end. SMART 4.0 programme management aims to inform applicants of the ESR process evaluation outcome at different stages in the process (see ESR Process & Key Steps), with successful applicants receiving a Fellowship offer for Call 2 in December 2020. Applicants have 1 week to accept or reject the Fellowship offer.
Call 2 Fellows are expected to be in situ in their respective hosting organisations from April-2021; Call 2 Fellowships will then conclude in March-2023. A reserve 3rd call will be issued in the unlikely event that the 16 fellowships have not been offered by January-2021.
The SMART 4.0 proposal must describe a 24-month project, to be implemented at one of the 6 academic partner institutions within CONFIRM Centre, including a 3‐month (min.) secondment to a non‐academic partner.
As per the ‘individually‐driven research’ principle, the applicants have free choice of topics, provided that it falls within the research remit of CONFIRM Centre:
Data Analytics – AI – Predictive Modelling – Decision Analytics – Product & Process Control – Enterprise Modelling & Simulation – Software systems – HCI – Security & Integration – Networked Systems & IoT – Sensors – Robotics & Control – Materials Processing
Applicants may submit only one proposal per call; if unsuccessful, resubmission to any subsequent calls is very much encouraged. All applications must be in English and must be prepared by the applicant, with the guidance of their proposed academic supervisor(s).
All submissions must be made through the dedicated SMART 4.0 online proposal submission system, before or on the deadline. Exceptions may be made for applicants with refugee status on a case by case basis.
Applicants must have the skills to implement the project (credibility of the project), yet the proposed project must enhance their research and innovation related skills in order to augment career prospects.
