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The SCAR Visiting Professor Scheme

The Visiting Professor Scheme is now closed for 2013 applications.

To promote partnerships that advance Antarctic research, SCAR has initiated the Visiting Professor Scheme. The scheme, commencing in 2013, will finance up to four Visiting Professor placements internationally.

The scheme is directed at mid- to late-career scientists and academics whose work contributes to the scientific objectives of SCAR, offering the opportunity for them to undertake a short-term visit (from one to four weeks) to another SCAR member country to provide training and mentoring. Awards will provide an international return flight and some contribution towards living expenses for the visiting period.

Awards are granted to individuals based on competitive criteria and enable successful candidates to contribute their experience towards strengthening the scientific research capacity of nations with smaller or less well-developed Antarctic research programmes. The ultimate goal of the scheme is to promote capacity building in the host institute and to develop long-term scientific links and partnerships leading to advances in Antarctic research.

Components of the Award

The scheme provides individual awards of up to US$2500 and requires some financial commitment from the candidate's home institute (or the candidate themselves) and from the proposed host:

  1. SCAR: up to $2000 to cover international return flights (Economy class) and $500 towards living expenses (excluding accommodation) for the visiting period;
  2. Home Institute (or candidate, if retired): all expenses incurred in the home country (domestic travel, visa costs, etc.);
  3. Host Institute: accommodation, office space and waiving of any bench/visitor fees that they might normally charge.

The number of awards given by SCAR will depend on the quality of the applications and the total budget available. The amount of each individual award will take into account local factors.

Eligibility

The scheme is for mid- to late-career stage scientists and academics (at least 5 years after PhD) whose research contributes to SCAR's objectives, as embodied in the Standing Scientific Groups and Scientific Research Programmes. The host institute must be in or operated by one of the 37 SCAR Member countries and must be a country different from that of (i) the candidate's current position and (ii) the candidate's origin (although the latter may be waived at the discretion of the Selection Committee). Visiting Professorships are awarded purely by competitive selection, the criteria for which are given in the Evaluation section below.

Both the home and host institutes must be willing to take part in the SCAR Visiting Professor Scheme. The scientist or academic must have full support from their home institute and this will be indicated in Cover Note 1, acknowledging the home institute support. In the case of retired professors who remain active in Antarctic research, they will bear their own cost of travel and visa procurement in their home country, and will indicate this in Cover Note 1. The contact at the host institute will acknowledge their support of the visiting professor in Cover Note 2.

Elements of the Application

The complete application package consists of:

  1. Cover Note 1 - to be completed by the home institute contact (the applicant's line manager or any other appropriate contact), or the applicant, if retired (by completing and signing their own cover note, retired professors acknowledge that they will bear all expenses incurred in their own country). The home institute contact may also choose to write a letter of support, which should be combined with the cover note in a single document. The complete Cover Note 1 document (preferably in PDF format) must be uploaded by the applicant during the online application process;
  2. Cover note 2 - to be completed by the host institute contact, who may also choose to write a letter of support, which should be combined with the cover note in a single document. The complete Cover Note 2 document (preferably in PDF format) must be uploaded by the applicant during the online application process;
  3. Online Application Form - to be completed by the applicant. Note: the applicant must have both cover notes ready to upload before starting the application process.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that they have completed the online application process, including uploading both cover notes, by the deadline of 23rd August 2013. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Information about the Online Application

During the application process, candidates will be required to provide a short description of their proposed activities, indicating the expected outcomes, the relevance to SCAR, the time frame of the visit, any existing links that have already been established with the host, and showing what they and the host institute are expected to gain from the work. To prevent the loss of any information, candidates may choose to prepare their responses before beginning the online form. The questions requiring some preparation (Section 6 in the application) are given below. There is a limit of 100 words for each of the four parts:

  1. Training/Mentoring Objectives: What are your proposed activities at the Host Institute?
  2. Rationale: How do these activities contribute toward strengthening the research capacity of your host? Why should it be done now and at this particular institute? Consider to what extent your visit will strengthen a nation with a smaller or less well-developed Antarctic research programme.
  3. Relevance to SCAR: How does the proposed research activity/work 'fit' with SCAR's objectives and enable you and your host to be actively involved with Antarctic research?
  4. Outreach plan: What is the time frame? Are there any existing links established with this host?

Guidance Notes on Section 6 are available for download.

Evaluation of Visiting Professor Applications

The review panel will comprise representatives from the SCAR Capacity Building, Education and Training Committee, the SCAR Executive Committee and one or more of the Officers of the SCAR Standing Scientific Groups or their Alternates. The review panel will evaluate all proposals on the basis of the scientific excellence the visit will provide. This evaluation will also take into consideration factors such as:

Completion of Visiting Professor Scheme

At the end of the Visiting Professorship, the candidate must provide a short report that will be published on the SCAR website. Reports should cover the activities carried out and the accomplishments achieved.

Documents and Forms

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