Programme Objective
The aim of the programme is to support the implementation of projects submitted under the Horizon Europe programme within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF) scheme that have received the Seal of Excellence certificate during the evaluation process.
The programme serves as an instrument of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) to support:
- excellent research,
- talented postdoctoral researchers,
- the international competitiveness of SAS workplaces,
- the recruitment and retention of promising researchers.
Financial Conditions
- the maximum funding is €36,000 per year per project,
- funding is granted for a maximum period of 24 months,
- the use of the grant is governed by the SAS Financial Rules for awarding grants for international research projects,
- the number of supported projects depends on the available financial resources of SAS,
- the programme is funded exclusively from resources allocated to support excellent research,
- funding decisions are made by the SAS Presidium.
Eligible Applicants
The programme is open to researchers from all scientific disciplines.
Applicants eligible for support must:
- have obtained the Seal of Excellence certificate in the MSCA PF scheme,
- be or become employees of an SAS organisation before the start of funding,
- submit:
- a completed application form,
- a copy of the Seal of Excellence certificate,
- a work plan with defined outputs.
The programme is based on supporting individual excellence, not the place where the project was submitted.
This means that the following may be supported:
Type A – Projects submitted from SAS
- the researcher submitted an MSCA PF project with SAS affiliation,
- continues the implementation of the research at SAS.
Type B – Projects submitted from a foreign institution
- the researcher submitted the project from another foreign organisation,
- obtained the Seal of Excellence,
- subsequently carries out the research at SAS, where they may receive Seal of Excellence support.
A condition is that the project is feasible under the conditions of SAS.
Implementation Conditions
The support is not considered a one‑time reward but a tool for carrying out high-quality research.
Supported researchers are expected to:
- implement or adapt the original project to SAS conditions,
- follow a work plan with defined outputs,
- make efforts to resubmit the project to MSCA PF or other European schemes,
- deliver a final presentation of the project and Seal of Excellence support at SAS.
Application Submission
Proposals for grants are submitted online via the intranet.
It is necessary to log into the SAS intranet and follow:
Intranet rights → Standard rights → Calls of the Department of International Cooperation → Add a New Project Proposal Form → Select Seal of Excellence → choose the year and complete the form.