Grants for Visting Scholars or Consultants to Institutes in Developing Countries

The Visiting Scholar/Consultant Programme provides assistance to Institutes or research groups in a developing country requiring expert advice to enhance existing activities or to initiate a new research programme.

The objective of the programme is to establish a permanent link between an outside expert in a particular field of physics or mathematics and the applying Institute on a long-term basis.

The Visiting Scientist is an established researcher whose visits will provide a clear benefit to the research group of the applicant in particular and to the host institution in general. To ensure a long-term scientific collaboration the visiting scientist will be expected to deliver a series of topical lectures/seminars and to interact closely with the hosting scientists.

The visiting scientist should be the same throughout the project. Only exceptionally, may different scientists carry out the same project and this provided they are from the same scientific group as the visiting scientist.

Conditions on the Visits

The visiting scientist should make a commitment for two or three visits of about one month each over a period of three years. The Assignments will automatically terminate three years after they are granted.

Submission of Applications

The proposal must be submitted by an institute in a developing country (a list of OEA supported countries can be found at O.E.A. supported countries.).

The hosting institute should contact and negotiate the details with the visiting scientist before the application is submitted to the ICTP. The visiting scientist may come from any country around the world (industrialized or developing).

The application form should be completed by the applicant in the developing country and should be accompanied by the curriculum vitae and his/her full list of publications. The application form should be approved and signed by the Head of the hosting institution.

The Visiting Scholar/Consultant biodata form should be forwarded to the visiting scientist for completion and should be returned together with his/her curriculum vitae and full list of publications to the applicant.

The complete application form, the visiting scientist biodata and all enclosures should be submitted by the hosting institution to the OEA Secretariat by 31 May or 30 September.

It is useful to specify the PACS or SC numbers that correspond to your field:
– For Physics the PACS numbers can be found at: http://www.aip.org/pacs. Please note that for our purposes it is enough to specify the digits; it is not necessary to include the sub-items. For example: 42.30 for Imaging and Optical Processing.
– For Mathematics the Subject Classification Numbers can be found at: http://www.ams.org/msc. Please note that for our purposes it is enough to specify the first two digits followed by a letter. Example: 14 Q for computational techniques.

Funding

The ICTP support is provided primarily to cover the travel costs of the visiting scientist to travel to and from the host institution. The amount provided depends on the application, but usually does not exceed Euro 2,500 for each visit. It is assumed that the visitor will retain a salary from his/her home institution.

The host institution is expected to cover all local expenses and make the necessary arrangements for the stay of the visiting scientist. Only in special cases, support may be provided to cover subsistence costs of participating scientists visiting a least developed country (please refer to the list of O.E.A. supported countries.).

Review Process

The ICTP will review applications within this programme provided the applications have backing by the hosting department or research institute. As with other schemes, a substantial contribution is expected from the hosting Institution.

Selection of applications for ICTP support is based on peer review, by a Committee. The decisions of the Committee are announced within four months after the deadline.

Before each visit of the visiting scientist, a detailed plan should be submitted to the ICTP. The ICTP can provide the visiting scientist with a prepaid ticket or reimburse him/her upon receipt of the original used ticket stubs. These procedures are explained in the grant notification letters.

Interim and Final Reports

After each visit, the grantee is required to submit a brief report on the specific activity and results. Within one month of the expiration of the project a final report must be submitted to the OEA, including:

• number and length of the visits;
• financial report;
• results and evaluation of the programme, and suggestions.

The reports should be sent to:

Office of External Activities
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
Via Beirut, 6
­34014 Trieste Italy
Phone: +39-040 2240322 ­ Fax: +39 040 2240443 ­ E-Mail: oea@ictp.it Web site: oea.ictp.it

Application Form

Please read the rules and guidelines for support carefully before completing the form.

It is important that the application forms be completed in all detail. An incomplete application will not be considered. If more space is required attach additional pages. Applications should be clearly typewritten.

The following versions of the application form are currently available:

• Application Form - pdf
• Visiting Scholar/Consultant Biodata Form - pdf
• Application Form - doc
• Visiting Scholar/Consultant Biodata Form - doc

Applications should be submitted to:

Office of External Activities
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
P.O. Box 586 - Via Beirut, 6
I-34014 Trieste
Italy