Introduction

Introduction

The development of knowledge and technology in the country requires investment in research and its infrastructure, especially the human infrastructure of research. The National Research and Technology Fund, in line with its missions and to help develop research infrastructure in the country, has defined a program to support postdoctoral research projects for fundamental and applied researchers with the aim of helping to advance the frontiers of knowledge and solve the country's fundamental issues, in order to, while utilizing the existing research potentials in universities to conduct leading, priority-based, and demand-oriented research, help develop the human infrastructure of research in the country through these programs.

Goals of Granting Postdoctoral Support Framework

  1. Helping to make the research activities of universities and research centers in the country demand-oriented
  2. Helping to develop the human infrastructure of research in the country
  3. Helping to increase the capabilities and research skills among researchers with a specialized doctoral degree before joining the faculty of a university or research institute
  4. Utilizing the existing research capacities in universities / research centers to meet the research needs of the country
  5. Helping to develop scientific knowledge and creativity and specialized skills and reaching new frontiers of knowledge
  6. Creating a vibrant scientific environment

Types of Postdoctoral Support Framework

  1. Independent Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that covers the top graduates of universities / research centers in the country for research activities in universities and research centers.
  2. Special Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that covers very distinguished graduates of universities / research centers in the country who potentially have the possibility of being recruited as faculty members (with the approval of the project implementation site in the form of a memorandum of understanding with the fund).
  3. Technological Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that covers the top graduates of universities / research centers in the country with the ability to collaborate with industry or knowledge-based companies for knowledge-based research activities related to industry (with a TRL above 5).
  4. Elite Foundation Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that is carried out in order to synergize and utilize common capacities in supporting the elite community.
  5. Memorandum of Understanding Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that covers the top graduates of universities / research centers in the country in order to provide balanced support and based on the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with the top universities / research centers in the country.
  6. Chair Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that is introduced by the chair holders in the fund.
  7. (Chair holders in the fund are prominent scientists and researchers in the country with the rank of professor who have scientific authority, scientific face, and credible research records at the national and international level.)
  8. Special Call Postdoctoral Program: A postdoctoral program that is announced through the fund's website based on the research needs of the country and specific time periods. These calls cover the research of researchers on specific topics.

Conditions for Registration of Applicants for the Postdoctoral Projects Support Framework:

  1. Be in line with the fund's priorities, which are derived from the country's research priorities.
  2. The postdoctoral project executor has a consistent record and program that is in accordance with the general and specific goals of the program (as stated in Article 2).
  3. The postdoctoral project manager has a consistent and defined research record and program.
  4. The educational and professional background of the manager and postdoctoral researcher is related to the presented project.
  5. The goals defined in the project are prominent and achievable within the specified time frame.
  6. The project should be directional and purposeful.

Conditions for the Postdoctoral Project Manager:

  1. Be a full-time faculty member of a university / research center affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; a university / research center affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, or other research centers in the country.
  2. Hold a scientific rank of at least associate professor in a field that is in accordance with the submitted proposal.
  3. Have a consistent research record and program based on strategic direction and in line with the fund's priorities.
  4. Not be the supervisor of another postdoctoral project at the same time or have an unfinished postdoctoral project.
  5. In the field of humanities and arts, have at least 5 scientific and research articles indexed in ISC, and in other scientific fields, have at least 5 scientific and research articles indexed in Scopos and Web Of Science in the last 3 years in reputable scientific journals of the relevant specialty, or be the executor of two completed research projects with the participation of industry or executive agencies.

(Providing any foreign patent registration is equivalent to 2 JCR articles, as determined by the working group.)

  1. The postdoctoral project manager should preferably not be the doctoral dissertation advisor of the researcher, and the project implementation site should preferably not be the university where the researcher graduated.

Conditions for the Postdoctoral Researcher:

  1. Hold a doctoral degree in a related field of study approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology or the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, and a maximum of 3 years should have passed since their graduation at the time of application.
  2. In the field of humanities and arts, have at least three scientific and research articles indexed in ISC, and in other scientific fields, have at least 3 scientific and research articles indexed in JCR or Scopos and Web Of Science with an impact factor of more than 1 in the three years leading up to the application.
  3. Have the legal possibility of full-time employment in research activities during the project implementation period.
  4. Have general qualifications and no legal impediment to entering into a research contract.
  5. Have a project acceptance letter from one of the universities / research centers affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; universities / research centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, or other top universities and research centers in the country.
  6. The postdoctoral researcher should not be employed.
  7. The submitted proposal should not have been previously implemented as a research project.

Commitment to Full-Time Employment:

The postdoctoral researcher, if the project is approved, must commit to being available full-time to the university, research center, company, or industrial unit where the project is implemented during the contract period.

Required Documents for Applicants to Register for the Postdoctoral Support Framework

  1. The following documents are completed or uploaded electronically in the fund's system.
  2. Creating and completing a researcher profile by the manager and postdoctoral researcher in the fund's system (To create and complete the profile, first register in the Kaiper system.)
  3. Uploading a resume by the researcher in the system
  4. Uploading the faculty member's order in the system
  5. Downloading the project details form, completing and uploading it in the system
  6. Project confirmation letter from the Research Deputy of the implementation site

Time for Accepting Proposals from Applicants to Receive Support Framework

The duration of the postdoctoral program is a maximum of one year and can be extended for another year with the approval of the relevant working group and the approval of the fund's specialized committee. The extension of the program depends on the approval of the project progress report and the satisfactory performance of the postdoctoral researcher and the achievement of the relevant goals, based on the obligations of the approved project. Obviously, the financial provision for the second year of the postdoctoral memorandum of understanding depends on the approval of the fund.

Allocation of Resources to Applicants to Receive the Postdoctoral Support Framework

For ordinary postdoctoral researchers, within the framework of the approved project, a monthly amount equivalent to a maximum of 80% of the salary of a first-year assistant professor (according to the rulings of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology) in Tehran (based on the rulings of the University of Tehran) will be considered and will be paid in the form of assistance to the implementation of the project.

In addition to the above amounts, a fixed amount for one year for the project supervisor and a fixed amount per year for equipment costs can be paid to projects that, in the opinion of the working group, require equipment. These amounts are determined each year by the specialized committee.

How to Submit Applications from Applicants to Receive Support

Applicants must refer to the Kaiper Research Management System and participate in the calls according to the announced schedule. It should be noted that only applications that have been submitted through the Kaiper system and based on the announced schedule will be considered.

Review and Approval of Submitted Proposals to Receive Support

The fund's working group meetings are held after the end of each call. In the above meetings, the submitted proposals will be reviewed and judged. The submitted proposal, if approved by the members of the working group, will be sent to the specialized committee meetings for final review and approval.

All processes, including review, announcement of deficiencies, screening, judging, approval, approval, or rejection of the proposal, are communicated to the applicants to receive support through the secretaries of the working groups. Also, applicants can refer to the Kaiper system to be informed of the process of reviewing the submitted proposal.