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Last modified: 03. April 2024

Call for proposals

FLAGSHIP RESEARCH GROUPS PROGRAMME 2024

MATE 2030 strategy focus areas

The main goal of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) is to become one of the leading agricultural universities in the European region. The “MATE 2030” strategy was established in 2024 to achieve this goal. The strategy of the University focuses on the following five priority areas in pursuing these strategic objectives:

Educating agricultural generation of the future,
Innovative knowledge creation in the Carpathian Basin,
Strengthening knowledge-intensive agriculture, increasing national competitiveness,
Making an impact to build a green future,
Unifying the agricultural community, promoting cohesion between rural and urban areas.

Aim of the Flagship Research Groups Programme

Various programmes are implemented to intensify and develop these areas at the University. These include programmes established to enhance research and publishing performance, as well as increase the international visibility of the University. The Flagship Research Groups Programme, developed based on the experiences of the Research Excellence Programme launched as a pilot in 2023, is one of the most important representatives of these programs. Outstanding researchers who conduct internationally high-quality research either individually or in groups already exist at our university.

The Flagship Research Groups Programme aims to support these researchers within research groups by providing financial resources, among other forms of support, to accelerate their further scientific advancement during the three-year funding period.

The aim of the Programme is to establish and operate research groups capable of acquiring international research funding grants (e.g., ERC, Horizon), thereby ensuring greater self-sustainability of our University in terms of research funding. Further goals of the Programme include enhancing the creation of high-quality publications and intellectual property rights, ensuring academic post-graduate education through high-quality and more sustainable research, and increasing the international reputation of the University.

CALL INFORMATION

The aim of the selection process for the Flagship Research Groups is to find internationally competitive Research Groups already active in priority research focus areas of the University.

Important information about the Programme:

Program period: 3 years
Number of groups can be supported under the Programme: maximum 12 Research Groups
Annual funding of the Programme: HUF 20.000.000 gross
Application opening date: 18^th of March 2024
Deadline for submission of the applications: 4^th of April 2024, 23:59
Estimated date of start of the Programme: May 2024

Research topics of the call

Research teams applying for funding under the Programme may submit proposals in pre-defined thematic areas. Our university aims to contribute to promoting sustainable management of scarce natural resources, aligning with efforts to reduce environmental degradation, halt biodiversity decline, and better manage resources through transformative changes in economy and society. Applications of Research Groups are therefore expected along at least one of the following research areas:

Promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, preserving biodiversity, and restoring the functioning of natural ecosystems.
Research and innovative developments in agricultural and natural ecosystems to support adaptation to climate change.
Optimization of food supply systems in livestock and crop production towards healthy and environmentally friendly solutions from farm to fork.
Digitalization for the support of sustainable development and the improvements of efficiency in production and processing technologies, environmental monitoring and the advancement of innovative analytical methods and data-driven decision making.
Research to support innovative development and the liveability of rural and urban areas.
Agricultural engineering research supporting the complex utilization of biomass and research fostering the development of a circular economy, ensuring innovative solutions for the education of the future agricultural generation.
Internationally recognized outstanding fundamental research across different scientific disciplines.

Forms of the support under the programme

Financial support
Community discussion of scientific activity
Professional workshops
Supporting the improvement of scientific visibility
Involvement of Research Group Leaders in Research Strategy and Representation of the University

Application procedure and deadline

The application can be submitted through the MATE Research webpage by completing the Microsoft Forms online application form

The deadline of the application is: 4^th of April 2024, 23:59

When preparing the application, it is required to submit information related to the following main points via the application form, as detailed in the call for proposals:

Composition of the Research Group, professional resumes,
Presentation of the alignment of the proposed project with the key research areas
Research plan,
Milestones,
Financial plan.

The evaluation process of the applications

The application materials and the scientific metric report are evaluated by an international reviewer committee.

The evaluation of the application is based on the previous professional activities, publication and successful grant performance of the Research Group Leader and members, as well as the excellence, ambition, innovativeness, economic sustainability, resource mobilization, international grant potential, and feasibility of the submitted research proposal.

The results of the evaluations will be announced to the Research Group Leaders who submitted the applications via email.

Call for proposals (English version)

Call for proposals (Hungarian version)

Application form

Application form questions in PDF (updated)

Instructions for MTMT link

Evaluation criteria

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