The Rectors’ Council of the Arctic Five is pleased to open the inaugural Call for Arctic Five Chairs. As part of the Arctic Five’s flagship Chairs & Fellows initiative, the Chairs initiative is a new format for collaboration within the Arctic Five network, built from scholars with the will and capacity to form original research and education alliances, or strengthening existing collaborations.
The objective of this initiative is, firstly, to generate collaborations in research and education within the Arctic Five through a bottom-up approach; and secondly, to formulate broader fields of collaboration. The overarching aim is to improve the success of Arctic Five universities in securing external funding, and in this way, help meet our goal in finding research-based solutions to joint problems facing our northern societies.
An Arctic Five Chair is an already established scholar at an Arctic Five university, with either recent or ongoing research and/or educational collaborations with other Arctic Five partner universities, or who plans to establish such partnerships. Becoming an Arctic Five Chair will enable scholars to build these collaborations, whilst receiving financial support for developing joint projects, as well as assistance with applying for larger funding calls.
Applicants from all disciplines or fields of study are welcome to apply.
Each chair defines their field(s) of collaboration by framing their research focus and plans, including potential linkages with education (if applicable). A chair then builds alliances with colleagues at other Arctic Five universities and beyond. In addition, each chair is to participate in relevant Arctic Five events, contribute to the development of interconnected Arctic Five activities, as well as promote the Arctic Five at their own university and beyond.
Successful applicants will work on their projects on a part time basis, with a guaranteed time-allocation of at least 20%, and an annual budget of 10,000 EUR to cover operational costs. Each Chair appointment is for a 2-year period, with the possibility of an additional 1-year extension. See the bottom section of this post for further details on official appointments, award period, and possible extension.
Full details on eligibility, application and evaluation criteria, and the selection process are provided below.
Process Timeline
- Extended Deadline has passed: January 22nd 2022
- Evaluation period: January 24th to February 28th
- Candidates informed of decision: by March 7th
- Public announcement of appointed Chairs: end of March.
Questions
Please direct your questions to:
Dag Avango, Co-Director of the Arctic Five (dag.avango@ltu.se)
Candidate Eligibility & Applications
Arctic Five Chairs is a professional appointment for applicants who are currently employed either on a permanent or fixed-term basis at one of the Arctic Five partner universities.
Prior to completing this form, applicants should read through the application, as well as familiarize themselves with the evaluation criteria. Only fully completed applications from eligible candidates will qualify for evaluation.
Along with this application, candidates are to provide a full Curriculum Vitae with a publications list included (in PDF format).
Application Deadline – Extended
Applications for Chairs are to be submitted electronically by e-mail to the Co-director of the Arctic Five, by the extended deadline of January 22nd 2022 / 23:59 CET. Applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt reply after the deadline has passed.
Confidentiality
All information provided in the application form and support document will be used for the sole purpose of this call, and all personal data contained within will be handled in compliance with data protection regulations under GDPR.
Evaluation Criteria & Section Process
Evaluation Process
Only fully completed applications from eligible candidates qualify for evaluation.
Applications for Arctic Five “Chairs” are assessed by an Evaluation Board comprised of a representative from each of the Arctic Five university partners, and two representatives from a university outside the network. The board will be chaired by the Co-director of the Arctic Five.
In accordance with the established Evaluation Criteria for this call, the Evaluation Board will assess the application of eligible candidates. Should the board require clarification on an application, then the chair of the board may invite the candidate to a brief (online) interview to provide an explanation.
Following the evaluation, the board will submit their final recommendations to the Executive Team of the Arctic Five by February 23rd.
Executive Decision
Prior to the call, each Arctic Five partner institution decided on the maximum number of chairs they intend to support in this round. The Arctic Five’s Executive Team will review the Evaluation Board’s recommendations, and decide on the final list of chairs to be appointed. Following contact with the listed appointees from their respective institutions, each university Rector will confirm their appointments.
Candidates Informed
All candidates will be informed on the final status of their application by March 7th at the latest.
Official launch, Award period and Extension
Official launch
It is anticipated that the appointed Chairs will be announced and presented at an event during the Arctic Science Summit Week / 26 March – 1 April 2022. In which case, appointed Chairs are expected to take part in the official launch event, with the form and format of participation to be determined based on (Covid-19) health and safety restrictions for that time.
Start Date, Engagement & Award
All appointments and awards corresponding to this round are to formally commence on June 1st, 2022.
Prior to starting, each chair and their home institution are to agree on the level of engagement with a guaranteed time-allocation of at least 20%.
During the 2-year term, a chair is expected to participate in relevant Arctic Five events, contribute to the development of interconnected Arctic Five activities (such as the development and launch of the Fellows initiative), as well as promote the Arctic Five at their own university and beyond.
Each chair will be allocated an annual budget of 10,000 EUR to cover operational costs.
Mid-term Assessment
The funding horizon of the Chairs is 2 years, with a possibility to extend for an additional 1 year which is dependent on a mid-term evaluation.
Approximately 18 months into the term, each chair is to submit a mid-term report, upon which an evaluation is to be based. The evaluation will serve to assess the status and progress based on the proposed plan from the chair, upon which a recommendation for a possible 1-year extension will be made by the Executive Team representatives at the partner institution where the chair is located.
Note: The evaluation will also be used to assess the overall chairs initiative and, as needed, guide preparations for a second call anticipated for 2023.
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