A career for junior scientists in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences at NTNU set up the FINS initiative in 2014 to identify and support excellent junior scientists from outside Norway to pursue an academic research career. Specifically, the initiative provides a framework for the applicant and the academic host to submit applications for Marie Sklodowska Curie Action (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships. The FINS initiative is based on the premise that the NV supervisors recruit the candidates who participate (e.g., by mobilizing their networks).

The FINS-initiative in 2024 will primarily involve two components

FINS fellows-supervisors-seminar

Friday 19th of April. The meeting will be held digitally.  Schedule details will be published closer to the date.

Target groups: NV-supervisors and MSCA-PF applicants
Fellows and hosts will have the opportunity to meet and discuss possible joint projects in more detail. The EU advisors will also be available for consultations and/or working meetings with the fellows and supervisors. These discussions will be complemented with plenum sessions on how to write Marie Curie applications and learn about NTNU as an academic institution and employer.

Support for proposal development until the submission deadline

During the proposal development phase, the NV academic staff and fellows will be supported in their proposal development by experienced reviewers and EU advisors.

MSCA-24-PF submission deadline: 11th of September 2024

Registration deadline for candidate participation in the FINS 2024 seminar:
Friday 12th of April

Register participation by email to Senior research and EU adviser Eugen G. Sørmo, NTNU, Faculty of Naturals Sciences: eugen.g.sormo@ntnu.no

It is possible to apply for travel support to visit the NTNU supervisor for the seminar or during a different time during the application phase.

All reasonable travel and accommodation expenses for the fellows regarding a fellows-supervisor visit will be covered by the initiative.

Registration to the FINS initiative in general is possible at any time.

What we offer to those submitting an MSCA fellowship application

The NV faculty appreciates that applications for MSCA fellowships are highly competitive and sometimes even an outstanding candidate may not be successful. Therefore, the faculty has decided to support the FINS initiative with a postdoctoral position fully funded for two years. This position will be awarded to the applicant with the highest score for the MSCA application submitted, which is not funded by the European Commission. Only candidates that are not employed by NTNU are eligible for this position.

Formal eligibility requirements for MSCA-applications

(as of February 2024)

• Supported fellows must be postdoctoral researchers at the date of the call deadline, i.e., in a possession of a doctoral degree. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered as postdoctoral researchers and will be considered eligible to apply.
• At the call deadline, supported researchers must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date of award of the doctoral degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.
• You can only apply if you have NOT resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc) in Norway for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the application deadline in fall 2024.
• Resubmission restrictions apply for applications that received a score below 70% the previous year.