Call clarification
This page contains questions and answers regarding the Health & Technology Call for Flagship Programs. We will add questions and answers regularly. If your questions are not answered, feel free to use the form on the bottom of this page.
Budget template
Q: In the budget template, under Payroll in the Function column, there are no research positions such as postdoc, PhD student, technician. However, non-research staff positions like dean, vice dean etc. How should research personnel be processed?
A: Indeed these need to be added. A new budget version 2.0 template is available here. Instructions are added to provide guidance
Q: Is there an example of how to fill out the budget template?
A: The updated budget template contain basic instructions
Q: Based on the budget template, is my interpretation correct that the consortium is budgeting for 2x the requested funding? In other words, a project budget consists of the total costs that will be paid from the requested funding + matching?
A: Yes, project budget is about the total budget. For sallaries it calculates gross salary plus costs for social security contributions, holiday pay, end-year bonus etc. which can be calculates as gross salary plus 50%
About matching and budget
We received several questions regarding the requirements for matching in the flagship call. The main idea is that the projects will be matched with external money, in such a way that the direct funding is at least doubled with external funds.
Because the flagships are intended to cover a five year (in the first period), it will be difficult to accurately predict the exact nature, size and timing of the matching funds during the entire period. That is why different ways to indicate the matching funds are allowed at this stage, e.g. using letters of commitment from partners, letters of intent from partners, or intended future grant proposals. Of course, the more credible and tangible the projected matching funds are, the better.
Given the duration of the project and that (some of) the matching still needs to be secured and may take different forms, it is acknowledged that providing a full and detailed budgeting scheme at this stage may be difficult. In the evaluation process, the budgets will therefore mainly be used as an indication for the envisaged activities within the flagship project and its viability.
After the selection process, the leads of the selected flagships will be invited to make a more detailed budget plan together with the controllers. The midterm evaluation of the project will be used to update that budget based on the activities and achievements (including external grants) at that moment in time. If during midterm evaluations, changes to the budget and contributions need to be made, this will be discussed with the leads, taking into consideration ongoing commitments like employment contracts. This facilitates a full deployment of the contributions to the flagship in line with the proposals in the first phase.
Letters of intent / Letters of commitment
Q: How important is to get signed letters from stakeholders given the short time frame?
A: The letters of intent are important to show how external collaborations will benefit the growth of your Flagship. It is up to the evaluators to judge this.
Q: Do you have a template for a letter of commitment / letter of intent?
A: Yes, it is available as a download on the Flagship Call text page
Q: Who is qualified to sign a letter of intent and letter of commitment? The dean? Head of department?
A: External funders need to sign
Q: In the template for letter of intent, one should specify the amount of money that will be contributed to the flagship. We have several partners in health care and in municipalities who will not contribute cash, but in-kind. Is there a template that can be used for these kind of partnerships?
A: The budget template has in kind contributions
Q: It is unclear who the external partners are for whom a letter of commitment is requested. Are these external institutions that we would want funding from? Or are these the partners in our own consortium?
A: Yes, they are external partners. For example funding partners
Human resources
Q: It says that the funding is mostly (or preferable) for new post-docs and tenure-trackers. How can we hire tenure-trackers when the rule in many departments is to offer those based on structural funding?
A: Indeed tenure trackers is a decision within the department only\
Q: Can we include “part-time” PhDs meaning that will only contribute to the flagship for a dedicated task and time (which will result in 1-2 chapter of their thesis rather than a full thesis).
A: yes
Q: Can we use (part of) the funding to cover the salary costs of current tenure-trackers and post-docs?
A: No, tenure trackers already have covered their salary. Post docs, only if they have an extension of their contract in the Flagship projects
Q: Do we need to add overhead costs for new (PhD) personnel, or is that not allowed/needed?
A: Not allowed
Q: Should we indicate %fte or indicate costs (euro) for matching when personnel on external funds is concerned?
A: Both is needed. %fte converts to euro
Q: Are there any recommendations on what positions we can apply for (post-docs, PhDs and UDs), and 2) Do these recommendations change if we are able to get co-financing from the university (e.g. commitment to finance half of the UD position or continue to finance after the 5 years)?
A: See call text
Q: We understand there is no minimum FTE requirement for the consortium members or the leads from the 3 institutions. But is this part of the budget, or is this time from the consortium members given in kind? i.e. if a tenured person is in for 0.1FTE for 5 years, do we need to cost for this, or is it assumed that our own costs are unpaid?
A: Own costs are unpaid, since you already get a salary
Q: Is it preferred to use the funding mainly to fund postdocs and tenure track positions, not really PhD positions? Or would PhD positions also be of interest due to the education value?
A: PhD positions too
Q: Is a Work Package “Management” allowed? Can we add Tasks on “Dissemination” under such a Work Package or should it be separate? If not allowed, how do we calculate the Coordination effort? Do we add a fixed percentage to every WP? Do we add such a task in each WP?
A: Yes it’s allowed
Intellectual propoperty
Q: Can you use IP as in-kind matching?
A: No, IP cannot be used as in-kind matching
Q: Can you bring IP into a flagship proposal? How to deal with that?
A: There is a guidance document on IP-regulation. We will add the link to this document to this answer soon
Miscellanious
Q: Will the organising committee initiate a ‘group flagship’ discussion with stakeholders that may be relevant for multiple flagships, so they will not be asked by several people independently?
A: yes
Q: There is a desire to connect the flagships with our education programs. If this is indeed part of the project, can postdocs hired on the project deliver this educational component? Or will this be in the workload of the existing faculty?
A: Yes that is possible
Q: Is there a maximum number of leads allowed?
A: Three leads. There is a maximum of three leads allowed, with 1 Main Lead.
Q: Is there a maximum number of members who can join the consortium?
A: No
Q: If the project requires the purchase of special equipment (approximately 150KEuro) what are the rules?
A: Put these items also it in the budget
Q: Can the number of hours of access to a specific equipment be considered as in-kind contribution?
A: no
