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Approximately 10% of the funding of each scientific discipline is allocated to interdisciplinary studies. Applicants for interdisciplinary projects must state the sustainable development objective of their research project proposal when applying. List of sustainable development objectives defined by the ministry of science:
Short descriptions of the sustainable development objectives and their relevant thematic fields or research fields are published on the Agency's website (Indicators (stat.si)).
Information about the capacity of research fields is published on the
Agency's website. 3.2. Amount of (co-)financing Basic and applied projects will be financed in the approximate annual amount of €100,000. Any project applying for €100,000 may be approved for either €100,000 or €50,000. Calculated in terms of effective project research hours, this equates to approximately 2993 hours annually in Price Class A (1497 for projects valued at €50,000), 2667 hours annually in Price Class B (1334 for projects valued at €50,000), 2344 hours annually in Price Class C (1172 for projects valued at €50,000), 2108 hours annually in Price Class D (1054 for projects valued at €50,000), 1919 hours annually in Price Class E (960 for projects valued at €50,000) or 1761 hours annually in Price Class F (880 for projects valued at €50,000). Basic research projects - AD Programme will be financed in the approximate annual amount of €100,000. Calculated in terms of effective project research hours, this equates to approximately 2993 hours annually in Price Class A, 2667 hours annually in Price Class B, 2344 hours annually in Price Class C, 2108 hours annually in Price Class D, 1919 hours annually in Price Class E or 1761 hours annually in Price Class F. The scope of a post-doctoral project is 1700 effective research hours annually (1 FTE) in Price Category B. Major projects will be financed in the approximate annual amount of €500,000. Calculated in terms of effective project research hours, this equates to approximately 14,966 hours annually in Price Class A, 13,337 hours annually in Price Class B, 11,718 hours annually in Price Class C, 10,542 hours annually in Price Class D, 9595 hours annually in Price Class E or 8804 hours annually in Price Class F. The Agency will finance up to 100% of eligible project costs for basic projects, post-doctoral basic projects, basic research projects - AD Programme and major projects. The Agency will finance up to 75% of eligible project costs for applied projects and post-doctoral applied projects. The co-financing of a post-doctoral applied project by the Agency amounts to 1275 effective research hours annually (0.75 FTE) in Price Category B. The applicant of an applied project or post-doctoral applied project must ensure that at least 25% of eligible project costs are covered by other interested users and submit proof of the project’s co-financing (a co-financing agreement) for the entire period of the project’s implementation in view of the value of the effective research hours at the start of financing. Projects cannot be co-financed by research organisations listed in the register of ROs, with the exception of corporate entities. (Co-)financing can only be in monetary form. A (co-)financer of an applied project may also be a (co-)implementer of the same applied project, not exceeding 10% of the scope of the project financed by the Agency, unless they are the applicant of the same applied project.
In view of the number of effective research hours financed by the budget of the
Republic of Slovenia, the Agency will, in accordance with the provisions of the
Decree on norms and standards used to determine funding for research activities
financed by the budget of the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the
Republic of Slovenia, Nos. 103/11, 56/12, 15/14, 103/15, 27/17, 9/18, 62/19 and
105/20), finance an individual researcher in view of the ratio of employment
options for research, but for no more than 1700 effective research hours per
annum. The minimum annual workload of a researcher per individual project is 17
hours. The participating RO must collaborate for at least 170 hours during the
period of the project’s implementation, whereby the minimum amount of RO
collaboration is 170 hours per annum. During the project’s implementation, the
number of hours rendered annually by the participating RO can be 0.
The Call is open to research organisations registered in the database of research and development activity providers (hereinafter referred to as: the RO records) as well as private researchers registered in the register of private researchers, with both the RO records and the register being kept by the Agency, and that meet the requirements set out in the Research and Development Activity Act and in the Rules on procedures for financing, co-financing, evaluating and monitoring the implementation of research activities (hereinafter referred to as: the Rules). Only research organisations can apply for the basic research projects - AD Programme and major projects. If there are several providers of research activities collaborating on a research activity, the applicant is the parent RO. The parent RO is the RO that submits the application for the research project, is listed first on the application form and employs the leader of the research project upon signing the agreement on implementation and (co-)financing. Research projects which are (co-)financed by the Agency and comply with the framework programme of research and technology development activities of the EU shall be open to research entities from the EU, whereby the said entities finance their own part of research using their own funds. The applicants may register these subjects as participating research groups.
The objective of the Call is to select: 5.1. basic and applied projects and post-doctoral (basic and applied) projects Within each discipline, at least 10% of the funds must be allocated to post-doctoral projects relative to the amount of funding for the selected applications within the discipline. At least 30% of funding for projects in the field of engineering, at least 20% in biotechnology and at least 5% in the social sciences, natural sciences and medicine must be allocated to applied projects and post-doctoral applied projects. At least 20% of the approved funds in the Call must be awarded for projects carried out by young doctors (maximum 10 years after having defended their doctoral dissertation). No more than 10% of projects amounting to €50,000 can be approved for all the disciplines in total (particularly in clinical medicine, mathematics and social sciences). Projects amounting to €50,000 are usually assigned to applications that are at the bottom of the list of approved projects. In the medical sciences, clinical research must demonstrate the participation of healthcare institutions/educational establishments in at least 30% of research hours. For each project application where the applicant chooses to conduct research in the field of clinical medicine, the applicant must specifically justify that it is a clinically oriented project, and that the justification will be verified and confirmed/rejected by an international panel as part of the assessment process. At least 50% of funding in the field of medical sciences must be allocated to clinical research.
As a rule, two top ranked projects in the assessment are selected per research discipline, whereby they cannot belong to the same field within the discipline.
In case a project submitted for consideration for the AD Programme is not
selected, it can be submitted for consideration for basic projects in line with
the rules applicable for the selection of these projects. 5.3. The objective of the Call is also to select:
Major projects are basic interdisciplinary projects including a minimum of two disciplines. The candidates for co-financing will comprise:
Major projects are not to be submitted under the agreement with the Hungarian agency NKFIH and under the WEAVE agreement with the Austrian agency FWF, the Polish agency NCN, the Swiss agency SNSF, the Croatian agency HRZZ, the Flemish agency FWO and the Czech agency GACR.
Terms and conditions for the participation of basic and applied research projects, and post-doctoral basic and applied projects and major projects in the Call are set out in the Research and Development Activity Act, Methodology for the assessment of applications to calls (hereinafter referred to as: the Methodology), in the Rules and in the Rules on criteria for establishing compliance with the conditions for being the leader of a research project (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 53/16; hereinafter referred to as: Rules on the criteria for the project leader). All listed documents are published on the Agency’s website. The requirements for participation in the Call for basic research projects - AD Programme are laid out in the Methodology.
The requirements for participation in the Call must be met on the closing date
of the Call, unless otherwise determined by this Call. 6.1. Requirements for major projects, basic and applied projects and post-doctoral (basic and applied) projects 6.1.1. Basic requirements for applicants and project leaders Major projects, and basic and applied projects are to be carried out by a project group comprising the project leader, researchers, as well as professional and technical associates. The Call applicant must be an eligible applicant in accordance with item 4 of the Call. If the project group comprises several project subgroups at various research organisations, the applicant must have a signed agreement with the other participating research organisations on the regulation of mutual rights and obligations. The requirement in question must be met at the time of conclusion of the agreement on (co-)financing research activities. The participating RO must collaborate for at least 170 hours during the period of the project’s implementation, whereby the minimum amount of RO collaboration is 170 hours per annum. During the project’s implementation, the number of hours rendered annually by the participating RO can be 0. If the project is granted €50,000, the applicant can exclude or reduce the share carried out by the participating research organisations and must state this in the application - item 25 (indication of the share of participating research organisations). The applicant of an applied project and post-doctoral applied project must ensure that at least 25% of the eligible project costs are financed by other interested users, with which they must have a written co-financing agreement. The requirement in question must be met at the time of conclusion of the agreement on (co-)financing research activities. The project leader must have a researcher record number, which means that they must be entered into the database of research and development activity providers kept by the Agency. For a project leader without an assigned researcher record number, the applicant must fill out the ARRS-ZOP-02-2021-1 form and submit an accompanying statement on the intention of employment. Researchers who have received a negative grade on a final report for a project in which they were project leaders in the period of three years prior to the starting year of the Call cannot apply as project leaders on this Call. If a project received a lower number of points in the evaluation in a previous call (carried out in a single phase) than the amount defined as the overall threshold for the sum of all scores, as specified in Articles 99 or 100 of the Rules, the researcher carrying out the role of project leader may not apply as a project leader under this Call. Only researchers who are project leaders for a maximum of one project during the period of one year after the deadline for the submission of the application, including projects with an extended deadline for project conclusion in accordance with Article 104 of the Rules, may apply as project leaders under this Call. Targeted research programmes (TRP) and projects under Articles 139 and 146 of the Rules, as well as new projects and projects under Article 145 of the Rules, for which the co-financed amount is under €50,000 per annum, are excluded from the limitation laid out in the previous sentence. Researchers fulfil the young doctor requirements if on the closing date of the Call no more than ten years have passed since they defended their first doctorate. Researchers who have already carried out a project as young doctors can no longer register their project as young doctors. A post-doctoral project can only be carried out by one researcher - a post-doctoral researcher. Post-doctoral researchers fulfil the post-doctoral project leader requirements if no more than three years have passed since they defended their first doctorate (i.e. the doctorate was defended in the period from 1 January 2019 to the end of this Call). A post-doctoral researcher shall have defended his or her doctoral dissertation by 28 February 2022. If a post-doctoral researcher utilises their parental leave under the parental protection insurance, the time period following the year of doctoral defence is extended beyond the three years for a period of one year per child. The same applies to documented absences due to sick or injury leave, and other types of absence provided for in the regulations on health insurance, and employment outside research exceeding three months. Researchers who have already carried out a post-doctoral project or have received funds from the “Researchers at the start of their career/Raziskovalci na začetku kariere” call may no longer register a post-doctoral project.
A researcher may apply as leader for only one research project within the Call. 6.1.2. Additional requirements for applicants who submit projects under the agreement with the Hungarian agency NKFIH and under the WEAVE agreement with the Austrian agency FWF, the Polish agency NCN, the Swiss agency SNSF, the Flemish agency FWO, the Croatian agency HRZZ and the Czech agency GACR 6.1.2.1. Additional requirements for applicants who submit projects under the agreement with the Hungarian agency NKFIH Under the agreement with the Hungarian agency NKFIH, applicants can submit projects in collaboration with Hungarian researchers (researchers who work in Hungarian research organisations), whereby the agency acts as the “lead agency” and performs the project review. The Hungarian researchers shall submit the application together with the Slovenian researchers, as well as send the application documentation to the NKFIH as required by the said agency. The joint project may only be (co-)financed by the Agency and NKFIH. In the case of co-financing with the NKFIH, the volume of NKFIH funds must be less than the volume of the Slovenian part. Projects submitted under the agreement with the NKIF may only be basic projects as defined in item 2.a of the Call. 6.1.2.2. Additional requirements for applicants who submit projects under the WEAVE agreement with the Austrian agency FWF, the Polish agency NCN, the Swiss agency SNSF, the Flemish agency FWO, the Croatian agency HRZZ and the Czech agency GACR Under the WEAVE agreement with the Austrian agency FWF, the Polish agency NCN, the Swiss agency SNSF, the Flemish agency FWO, the Croatian agency HRZZ and the Czech agency GACR, applicants can submit projects in collaboration with Austrian, Polish, Swiss, Flemish, Croatian or Czech researchers (researchers who work in Austrian, Polish, Swiss, Flemish, Croatian or Czech research organisations), whereby the agency acts as the “lead agency” and performs the project review. Slovenian researchers can submit an application together with:
Slovenian researchers can also submit an application together with researchers from two countries specified in item 6.1.2.2 who simultaneously submit the application documentation to the partner agencies as required by those agencies. Notwithstanding the above, it is not possible to submit an application together with Czech and Croatian researchers (participating agencies GACR and HRZZ) and together with Flemish and Czech researchers (participating agencies FWO and GACR). Projects submitted under an agreement with the specified partner agencies may only be basic projects as defined in item 2.a of the Call. Should the degree of success of public call applications (number of approved projects in relation to the received applications) exceed 20%, then pursuant to the agreement between the partner agencies, the applications ranking lower than applications that are among the 20% of applications (taking into account the percentage of the value of the application evaluation ratio in relation to the highest possible evaluation of an individual application), shall not be included in the selection for co-financing. 6.1.2.3. Common provisions for applicants submitting a project under agreements with partner agencies Submission of a joint project consists of a joint scientific description of the project, which describes the scientific contributions of individual partners. Cost estimates must be provided separately for each national part of the project and must follow the guidelines of the funding partner agency. Should the joint project be approved, the project parts will be financed by the Agency and the partner agency(ies) in accordance with their regulations. Following the completion of the assessment procedure, the Agency informs the partner agency(ies) of the assessment procedure results, and the partner agency in turn, after consideration by its decision-making bodies, provides confirmation of the Agency's decision or a reasoned rejection. Each partner agency shall inform the applicants of its national part of the joint project regarding the outcome of the assessment procedure.
If the entry conditions of one of the participating agencies are not met, the
application will be deemed to have been rejected by all participating agencies. 6.1.3. Available capacities and employment The project leader and members of the project groups must have available capacities as regards effective research hours to carry out the research project (the maximum permitted capacity for full-time employment is 1700 effective research hours annually, or one FTE) and must be employed by the RO that will carry out the project, or have the status of private researcher. Upon signing the contract, the project leader must have at least 170 effective research hours (0.1 FTE) available annually. A project group member (except for young researchers, doctoral students, financed by other sources, retired researchers and PRO heads who may participate in the project with 0 hours) must upon signing the agreement participate with at least 17 effective research hours (0.01 FTE) available annually.
The agreement must be signed no later than three months after the adoption of
the decision on the selection of projects, except in the case of delay of the
start of (co-)financing. The project leader must be employed in at least a 40%
full-time capacity at the RO in the Republic of Slovenia carrying out the
research project. 6.1.4. Research performance of project leaders Research project leaders must hold a doctoral degree and comply with the following conditions, stated with the minimum values for each parameter. Researchers with young doctor status must fulfil the requirements for young doctors where expressly required. Quantitative grades for each evaluation factor (A1 and CI) and for each scientific discipline defined in the Methodology are obtained and calculated by the Agency. To calculate the quantitative grade, the Agency will use the data entered into the SICRIS (COBISS) databases and the Agency’s records on the closing date of the Call (A1) or on the day of the last data capture in the SICRIS (COBISS) database prior to the closure of the Call (CI).
For the purpose of evaluating bibliographic indicators of a researcher's
research performance (calculation of quantitative assessments), researchers
themselves must, through an authorised library, timely enter the researcher's
record number from the database on research and development activity providers
that is maintained by the agency, into the normative record for the author in
the CONOR.SI normative database. 6.1.4.1. Requirements for leaders of basic and applied projects are:
Basic requirements for project leaders candidates are: A1 ≥ A1 minimum, CI ≥ CI minimum and A3 ≥ A3 minimum. Requirements for A1 minimum, CI minimum and A3 minimum for each discipline and field are listed in the table below. The field is listed if it is considered an exception and therefore has different requirements than the discipline. For fields that are not listed, the requirements for the discipline are applicable.
For project leaders, A3 minimum equals 0. 6.1.4.2. Requirements for post-doctoral project leaders are:
6.1.4.3. Requirements for leaders of major projects are:
6.2. Requirements for basic research programmes - AD Programme
Applications for the Call are made by completing the ARRS-RPROJ-JR-Prijava/2021 form, which is available on the Agency's web portal DigitalForms. The portal may be used by researchers listed in the Agency register, administrators of the DigitalForms portal at an RO, RO representatives, RO authorised representatives and additional users. The DigitalForms web portal can be accessed using a user name and password (researchers can obtain a password themselves by going to the DigitalForms website), whereas other users are given a password by the DigitalForms administrator at the RO or by the Agency). The application form must be filled out in Slovenian and English - it must be completed in both languages. The applicant must state in the application form whether the content of the research project proposal should be treated as a trade secret. On the basis of Article 39 of the Companies Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 65/09 - official consolidated text, 33/11, 91/11, 100/11 - Constitutional Court decision, 32/12, 57/12, 44/13 - Constitutional Court decision, 82/13, 55/15, 15/17 in 22/19 - ZPosS) any information that meets the requirements for business secrets in accordance with the law governing business secrets shall be deemed a business secret. The assembly of a project group is an integral part of the application. The project group as listed on the application form cannot be changed until the end of the year in which the implementation of the research project begins, except in the case of employment termination, retirement, death of a project group member or other reasons substantiated in writing. The applicants who, at the time of submitting the application, are not yet able to foresee which researchers will be involved in the project’s implementation (especially foreign post-doctoral researchers who do not yet have relevant contracts), shall list those researchers in the project content. The applicants proposing projects in which a corporate entity will be registered as project implementer, co-implementer or co-financer, will, pursuant to the Rules on state aid for research activities, No. 007-7/2015-11, published on 8 April 2016, entering into force on 9 April 2016, also have to submit a completed, signed and stamped application form for state aid ARRS-RPROJ-JR-Prijava/2021-DP.
The evaluation requirements, criteria and indicators for evaluating the project proposals are set out in the Rules and the Rules on the criteria for qualification for project leaders, and the evaluation method is set out in the Methodology. Criteria and indicators for research project assessment are specified in Articles 99 and 100 of the Rules and are as follows:
Basic research projects - AD Programme are evaluated according to the criteria and indicators for evaluating basic projects, as set out in Article 99 of the Rules. The applicants proposing major projects must state in the leader's CV the organisational skills of the leader to lead major projects and their previous experience in leading such projects.
The application evaluation procedure is carried out in a single phase. Applications are evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Rules applicable to the evaluation of applications in the second phase. Applications for major projects, basic and applied projects, post-doctoral basic and applied projects and basic research projects - AD Programme are evaluated by two foreign reviewers according to the procedure laid out in Article 93 of the Rules. In case of an unconsolidated report by the reviewers, the temporary expert body assigns a third reviewer.
The anticipated beginning of the (co-)financing of project implementation is 1 September 2022, depending of the funds available in the budget of the Republic of Slovenia and the Agency’s financial plan, as well as other objective circumstances that may affect the implementation of the Call. Any changes of the expected start date of the co-financing of project implementation will be communicated to the applicants while the Call is in progress.
The selected projects are (co-)financed by the Agency for up to three years,
with the exception of post-doctoral research projects, which are (co-)financed
for two years. The selected projects will be allocated an annual amount of
research hours, and this number of effective research hours is applicable for
each year of the project's duration as part of this Call.
Projects with a total or individual grade that is lower than the threshold set in the Rules and Methodology cannot be selected for co-financing. A temporary expert body draws up a draft priority list of projects and submit it to the SCA for discussion. The SCA draws up a draft of the financially evaluated priority list for the selection of projects and sends it to the Managing Director of the Agency for a decision. On the basis of a decision, the Managing Director of the Agency then issues each applicant with a notification on the selection or rejection of their application. Basic research projects - AD Programme are selected according to the following procedure:
Major projects are selected according to the following procedure:
An applicant may appeal the decision on the results of the application selection within 15 days of receiving notification of the selection. The Management Board of the Agency issues a decision on the appeal. A filed appeal does not delay the signing of contracts with selected applicants.
In accordance with the provisions of the National strategy for open access to scientific publications and research data in the Republic of Slovenia 2015-2020*, all reviewed scientific publications arising from the implementation of a research project must be published in open access. A reviewed scientific publication must also include information on the financer or financers and the project number in accordance with Article 105 of the Rules. After the project is approved, the applicant must create a website or subpage on their RO’s website that is dedicated to the project and enables the dissemination of its results. The minimum requirements for the website content are: a description of the project’s content including basic information about financing, composition of the project group with links to data in the SICRIS system, the project phases and descriptions of their implementation, bibliographical references arising directly from the implementation of the project, as well as the Slovenian Research Agency’s logo and logos of other co-financers. Content included in the SICRIS system should be linked and need not be provided twice. The project presentation website must remain active for five years following the conclusion of the project. The implementer reports on the establishment of the website in the interim and final report.
The application to the Call shall be submitted in electronic form with a qualified digital certificate in the electronic application system. The application for the Call may be submitted in the manner specified in item 14.1. (electronic application with a qualified digital signature) or for justified reasons in the manner specified in item 14.2. (in electronic form without a qualified digital signature and printed application).
Applicants are advised not to submit their applications on the final day before
the closure of the Call, as the server may be overloaded. 14.1. Submitting applications using a qualified digital signature The application must be completed and submitted using the application form ARRS-RPROJ-JR-Prijava/2020 available on the Agency's website at DigitalForms. A submitted application is deemed complete if it carries both digital signatures (the applicant’s representative or authorised person and the research project leader). Applications must be submitted by 28 February 2022 by 2 p.m. An application using a digital signature shall be deemed timely if it is filled out and carries both digital signatures at the Agency web portal DigitalForms by 28 February 2022 by 2 p.m.
14.2. Submitting applications without a qualified digital signature If the applicant (representative or authorised person of the applicant) and/or project leader does not have a digital signature, the application can be completed and submitted in electronic form (digitally unsigned) on the Agency's website at DigitalForms (the application form ARRS-RPROJ-JR-Prijava/2021) and in printed form, which must have a handwritten signature of the representative or authorised person of the applicant and project leader, as well as the stamp of the applicant. Both forms of application, electronic without a digital signature and printed application, must be completely identical in content. The printed application must be delivered in a sealed envelope marked “Do not open - application for the Public call for the (co-)financing of research projects in 2022 - application No. ______” and the name and address of the applicant to: Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije, Bleiweisova cesta 30, 1000 Ljubljana. An application without a digital signature shall be deemed timely if it is filled out at the Agency web portal DigitalForms by 28 February 2022 by 2 p.m. and arrives in printed form at the main office of the Public Agency for Research of the Republic of Slovenia by 28 February 2022 by 2 p.m. An application shall also be deemed timely if it is sent by registered mail in Slovenia by 28 February 2022 by 2 p.m. (the postmark will serve as proof).
The committee for opening applications will open all applications that are delivered in time and marked correctly on 3 March 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at the registered office of the Slovenian Research Agency, Bleiweisova cesta 30, 1000 Ljubljana. Untimely and incorrectly marked applications will not be considered by the committee for opening applications and will be returned unopened to the applicant with an accompanying letter (except in the event that the applicant’s details on the envelope are illegible and the application must be opened).
It is foreseen that the applicants will be notified about the project selection
in July 2022.
The Call documents are available on the Agency's website (http://www.arrs.si/sl/razpisi/). Links to public calls with partner agencies:
Information in connection with the Call can be found on the Agency's website at http://www.arrs.si/sl/ or obtained at the Slovenian Research Agency, Bleiweisova cesta 30, 1000 Ljubljana, each working day during office hours. Contact persons: Ms. Vanja Rodič, Ms. Almira Bremec, Ms. Alja Kastelic Primc, Ms. Mateja Gašpirc and Ms. Tina Valenci (e-mails are published at: ARRS - Research projects - Contact points); for projects of which ARRS is the leading agency in connection with a partner agency: Mojca Boc).
Number: 6316-11/2021-5
Slovenian Research Agency Published in the Official Gazette of the RS, No. 202/2021, of 24 December 2021
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