Twinning Program with Poland 2002-2003

The Office for Central Europe and Eurasia of the National Research Council (NRC), operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, is accepting proposals for two-year collaborative research projects that link individual U.S. scientists with their counterparts in Poland. As funding for the Twinning Program is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), only proposals in fields normally supported by NSF will be considered. No proposals involving agricultural production; drug testing or development; research on the diagnosis, etiology or treatment of physical or mental diseases or disorders; or the use of animal models of human diseases or conditions will be considered. Strong priority will be given to new partnerships involving researchers who have not previously engaged in significant collaborative work. U.S. researchers who have previously received NRC or NSF funding to support collaboration with Poland are not eligible to apply. Employees of private companies and U.S. Government personnel generally are not supported under the program. Scientists and engineers who hold a current NSF grant and are eligible for an NSF international supplement should not apply to this program. NSF's Central and Eastern Europe Program staff (703-292-8703) can advise regarding applications for NSF international supplements.

The grants awarded under this round of the Twinning Program will begin in January 2002 and run through December 2003. Subject to the availability of funding, support will be provided for travel and living expenses for research visits by American grantees and colleagues from the same institution to Poland and for visits by their Polish counterparts to the U.S. Applicants may also request modest funding for scientific supplies, telecommunications fees, and publication costs.

Applications will be accepted only from United States citizens or permanent residents (green card holders). All applicants must hold a Ph.D. or provide evidence of equivalent research experience, be affiliated with an educational or research institution in the United States, and have identified prospective research partners in Poland.

Although the Twinning Program is open to qualified U.S. specialists of any age and level of experience, those who have received their doctoral degrees within the past ten years or who are entering into an international collaboration for the first time are strongly encouraged to apply. The program allocates at least 25% of its grants to researchers in this category, and their projects are reviewed in a separate pool, competing only against other beginning investigators. NRC also welcomes the inclusion of junior U.S. postdoctoral researchers and graduate students as participants in proposals submitted by more senior applicants.

Grants will generally be in the $13,000-$15,000 range (requests for higher amounts will be considered on a case-by-case basis). Actual numbers and durations of trips may vary, but projects must include travel in both directions (to and from the U.S.). Grant funds may not be used to cover salaries or indirect (overhead) costs. A sample budget is shown below.

U.S. partner's travel to Europe, $1,500 x 2 visits	$ 3,000
One-month living expenses for U.S. partner in Europe, $1,500 x 2 visits	3,000
European partner's travel to U.S., $1,500 x 2 visits	3,000
One-month living expenses for European partner in U.S., $2,000 x 2 visits	4,000
Scientific supplies/computer fees, $250 x 4 visits	1,000
TOTAL	$ 14,000

APPLICATION (Note: there are no forms - simply submit the items listed below)

Each U.S. applicant must submit SIX collated sets of the following items in the order listed:

3-4 page description and justification of the proposed research, including a brief descriptive title (this proposal statement should describe the immediate and long-term research objectives, present an outline of all proposed visits, and explain the reasons why the proposed international collaboration would benefit both sides);
budget, using basic format provided in example on the front of this announcement (cash or in-kind cost-sharing by the foreign partner's institution is encouraged but not required);
curriculum vitae of U.S. applicant, including a list of 5-10 recent relevant publications (abbreviated CVs are preferable -- it is not necessary to list all publications or professional activities);
curriculum vitae of foreign counterpart(s), including a list of 5-10 recent relevant publications;
letter from the Dean, department chair, or other senior official(s) of the U.S. applicants institution stating support for the project and certifying that no indirect charges will be assessed against he grant;
correspondence with prospective foreign Twinning partner and his/her institution providing evidence of willingness to participate in long-term collaboration and outlining benefits of the collaboration for the foreign partner and his/her institution (fax or e-mail copies are acceptable);
list of names, affiliations, addresses, and telephone numbers of several individuals (in the U.S. or Canada) competent in your field of research who might be qualified to serve as scientific reviewers of this application. (Please do not list individuals at your institution, research collaborators, former advisors or students, or persons who would otherwise have a conflict of interest.)

The application must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2001. Please address materials to:
Office for Central Europe and Eurasia (FO 2060), National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418. Inquiries may be directed to the above address, phone 202-334-2644, fax 202-334-2614, or e-mail < ocee@nas.edu >. Information on grants funded in recent cycles of the Twinning Program may be found on our website at
< http://www.nationalacademies.org/oia >.

Applications will be evaluated by at least two outside peer reviewers, with final selection to be made by the NRC. Selection criteria will emphasize professional accomplishments and qualifications of the U.S. applicant(s) and foreign partner(s), the scientific merit and feasibility of the proposed research, its potential benefits to the U.S. and foreign partners and their institutions, and potential for the development of follow-on proposals to NSF for longer-term cooperation. Applications will also be prescreened for adherence to eligibility guidelines by NRC staff, and proposals not meeting these guidelines will be returned without further review. It is anticipated that all applicants will be notified of the outcome of their proposals in early January 2002.

Grantees will be required to submit an interim report at the end of the first year of the Twinning partnership and a final report at the end of the second year detailing and evaluating the success of their collaborative research. These grants are subject to the provisions of the Fly America Act, which requires that all international travel be by U.S. air carrier to the extent that such service is available. Grantees will be required to provide proof that all travel charged to their grants was in accordance with this requirement.