TOPMed10

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions

COFUND Programme

Call: H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2014

TOPMed10 - Summary

TOPMed10 is a fellowship programme for 10 postdocs in the area ofPersonalised Medicine in a broad sense including basic, translational,clinical as well as experimental and computational research

TOPMed10 is open to all UCD researchers from Systems Biology Ireland,Charles Institute, Clinical Research Centres and the Conway Institute andassociated Schools

TOPMed10 main intention is to promote collaborations across theConway, Charles, SBI, UCD CRC and the Schools, and to form the nucleusof an interdisciplinary research centre for personalized medicine in UCD.

TOPMed10 is a Cofund Programme, i.e. the EU funds 42% and the PIneeds to contribute 58% of the funds. This contribution can come fromevery type of funding that does not have a EU component, e.g. SFI, HRB,Wellcome Trust, Industry, Philanthropy etc. We already have secured theEU funding, i.e. the competition is only internal.

Introduction to TOPMed10

Accessing Fellowships

Introduction to TOPMed10

Accessing Fellowships

TOPMed10

Programme Goal: To implement a Postdoctoral fellowshipprogramme supporting career development and interdisciplinarytraining in omics driven Personalised Medicine for 10 high calibreexperienced researchers undertaking transnational ‘incoming’mobility to Ireland

Motivation for applying: Cross-institutional strategic initiative toleverage and enhance interdisciplinary research strengths, promotecooperation and cohesion, and to build translational researchcapacity within personalized medicine across the Conway, Charles,SBI, UCD CRC and the Schools.

TOPMed10 Thematic

These application areas can be flexible

TOPMed10 Budget

Total Programme budget 2,111,160 (100%) Total EU Contribution 885,000 (42%) Total Match Funding 1,226,160 (58%)

Budget BreakdownLiving Allowance 1,271,160Mobility Allowance 180,000Research Costs (e.g. consumables, training, publications) 397,500Management Costs 187,500Family Allowance 75,000Total 2,111,160

To be sourced through non-EU funded initiatives e.g. SFI (e.g. IvP Programme), HRB, HEA, Charity, Philanthropy, Private, Industry Funding

Funding has been sourced to cover Management

TOPMed10 Overview

Number Fellowships: 10

Level & duration:• Level I (PD1 Pt4 2011 Scale): Experienced researchers (per MSCA definition) with 0-3

years additional research experience → 3 year fellowship duration• Level II (PD2 Pt4 2011 Scale): Experienced researchers (per MSCA definition) with 3+

years additional research experience → 2 year fellowship duration

Fellowship Host: SBI, UCD Charles, UCD Conway Institute and UCD CRC

Secondment Host (optional 3-9 mth): Partner Organisations including University of Groningen, The Beatson Institute, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Biomedicine OncoMark Ltd, ICON plc, Mosaiques Diagnostics GmbH or any research performing organisation in any country deemed to be appropriate in terms of meeting the needs of the fellows’ research, training and professional career development requirements

Eligibility Notes: • Experienced researchers, by definition under MSCA, are those in possession of a doctoral degree (or at least 4 years of research

experience (full-time equivalent)) at the time of the deadline for the submission of their fellowship proposal• Open to candidates of any nationality who, at the time of the deadline for submission, shall not have resided or carried out their

main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Ireland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission date

Number of Calls: 2

TOPMed10 Timeline

Important Dates• TOPMed 10 start date: 1st July 15• Official Launch: September 15• Opening of Call 1: 1st October 15• Deadline for applications: Early Jan 16• Offers issued: Early May 16• Start fellowships: Before 31st Jul 16

Important Dates• Opening of Call 2: 1st April 16• Deadline for applications: 30th June 16• Offers issued: End Oct/start Nov 16• Start of fellowships: Before 31st Jan 17

Introduction to TOPMed10

Accessing Fellowships

How to access a fellowship through TOPMed10

• Identify match funding (non-EU) towards fellowship within existing or upcoming grants

Level of Appointment Cofund amount Required Period for which funding required

Level I (PD1) Fellow3 Year Duration

Total: Salary €81,468 and consumables €47,700 Annual: Salary €27,156 and consumables €15,900

Call 1: June/July 2016 – June/July 2019Call 2: Jan 2017 – Jan 2020

Level II (PD2) Fellow2 Year Duration

Total: Salary €66,264 and consumables €31,800 Annual: Salary €33,132 and consumables €15,900

Call 1: June/July 2016 – June/July 2018Call 2: Jan 2017 – Jan 2019

• Provide PI profile and broad description of research areas under the umbrella of personalised medicine for inclusion on call website (template will be provided)

• Interested applicants will contact PI relevant to their area of research/expertise. Working together, the applicant and PI develop application (includ. research proposal, career and training objectives, ethics table self assessment, curriculum vitae, secondment period (if applicable) etc.)

• Applicants will submit the completed application via an online system

• If application is successful, PI will provide R-code account for contribution towards costs as outlined above

TOPMed10 Selection Process

Phases Description

Phase One Eligibility checks of applications including assessment of ethical concerns

Phase Two External international peer review by 3 independent assessors.Note: Panel to be decided by the TOPMed10 Management Committee. Proposals allocated to assessors, taking into consideration fields of expertise and avoiding conflicts of interest.Applicants scoring ≥70% (max of 3 per position) will be brought forward to Phase Three.

Phase Three Interviews by Interview Selection Board (2 members of Peer Review Panel, representative from the UCD Research Institutes and representative from UCD HR).Applicants assigned individual score from 0-100 for the interview.

Offering of Fellowship Applications will be ranked in order of final score (comprised of score for written proposal and interview with 50% weighting for each). Fellowships will be offered to those scoring on or above the 70% threshold. Note: Fellowships will be offered to the highest ranking fellows in the first instance. Those scoring above 70% threshold but not in line for a fellowship offer are placed on a reserve list.

Benefit to PI of participating in TOPMed10

• Leveraging of existing funds e.g. 3 year PD1 position on an existing SFI IvPProgramme equates to 1.8 TOPMed10 → saving of circa. 44% on salary costs

• Introduction of high calibre international Marie Curie Fellow into group

• Access to existing TOPMed10 consortium/network

• Opportunity to participate in initiative of strategic importance in the personalised medicine space

• Aims to become the nucleus for a collaborative, bottom-up driven research centre in personalized medicine

Thanks for your attention.

For questions please contact

William Fitzmaurice (TOPMED10 Programme Manager) william.fitzmaurice@ucd.ie

Eadaoin McKiernan (SBI Centre Manager) Eadaoin.mckiernan@ucd.ie

Walter Kolch (TOPMED10 Coordinator) walter.kolch@ucd.ie