INF-ACT Early Career Awards

The INF-ACT Early Career Award (ECA) aims at supporting the best ideas emerging from early career scientists operating within the INF-ACT consorium. - The available budget for this call is of EUR 300'000.00, initially divided as follows:

• EUR 150'000.00 to activate 10 grants (EUR 15'000.00 each) for young researchers working in Southern Italy
• EUR 150'000.00 to activate 10 grants (EUR 15'000.00 each) for young researchers working in Nothern-Central Italy

Calls will be open to researchers operating within the INF-ACT consortium:

• with at least 375 person/hours correctly reported on INF-ACT project activities;
• with no more than 7 years from the first PhD/Medical specialization;
• with at least two original publications as first/co-first, last/co-last, corresponding/co-corresponding author;
• with excellent results emerging from their research within the INF-ACT program, or in any case focusing on emerging infectious diseases;
• with an excellent project idea suitable to apply to this call.

The complete call text (in Italian) can be downloaded at this link.

Collection of applications started at 12:00 PM on Apr 15, 2024 and closed a 12:00 PM on May 20, 2024
Evaluations are currently in progress

Progress can be monitored on the Foundation’s Albo Online

• All allocated funds must be spent by the end of October 2025. Should MUR allow time extensions to the NRRP/PNRR INF-ACT project, extensions might be also provided to awarded researchers;
• Awarded researchers will comply to NRRP/PNRR reporting rules as per the indications that will be made by INF-ACT Spoke and INF-ACT Foundation;
• Funding should be acknowledged in all publications emanating from the research carried out during the award period together with NRRP/PNRR funds using the following statements: "This research has been supported by EU funding within the NextGenerationEU-MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (Project no. PE00000007, INF-ACT). [BENEFICIARY NAME] was recipient of a INF-ACT Foundation Early-Career Award (INF-ACT/ECA/2024)";

Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following evaluation criteria:

• Researchers's Profile (max 70 points)
• Research Project (max 30 points)

Proposals will be considered admissible for financing if they obtain at least 70 out of 100 points. Evaluation will be carried out by a panel of international and highly-qualified experts, who are not directly involved in the INF-ACT Research Program, and with direct support from the INF-ACT Foundation. Reviewers will sign a declaration to exclude possible conflicts of interest before accessing the scientific proposals to be evaluated.