Call STARS 2021

STARS GRANTS 2021

Through the STARS Grants 2021 call, the University of Padova supports individual research initiatives, which last two years. Funding takes a bottom-up approach, with no predefined priority areas. Participants are invited to present a research project in one of the 27 scientific areas included in the three domains of the ERC, which correspond to the disciplinary groupings established by the University Macro-areas (PE: Physical Sciences and Engineering, LS: Life Sciences, SH: Social Sciences and Humanities).

Objectives of the syllabus

The call is designed to encourage the University's participation in international competitive calls and, in particular, in the calls of the European Research Council. Winners of the 2021 STARS GRANTS will commit to submit a proposal under the ERC during the course of the project or in the immediate aftermath periods. The only criterion for evaluating research projects will be scientific excellence.

Who can participate?

The call is open to Principal Investigators (PIs) of any age and nationality who wish to carry out their activity at a Department of the University and are able to  demonstrate the innovative nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal. 

You can apply to one of the following types of financing:

• STARS Starting Grants (STARS-StG): for PIs who excel in the start-up phase of their team and/or independent research activity;
• STARS Consolidator Grants (STARS-CoG): for excellent PIs, who already carry out research activities at Unipd, in the consolidation phase of their team and/or their independent research activity;
• STARS Wild Card Grants (STARS-WiC): for PIs who have submitted a project to the European Research Council in the 2019 and 2020 calls, indicating the University of Padova as Host Institution, and who despite having obtained the final score "A" in the second evaluation step, thus being eligible for funding, have not been funded due to budget limits.

How and when to apply

The STARS Grants 2021 call is active from 11 January 2021 to 12 April 2021 at 13.00 (Italian time).

The application must be sent through an electronic system to which it is necessary to register: http://pica.cineca.it/.
The procedure for submitting the project, the application forms and the description of the supporting documents that must be attached are available in the annex to the call "Guide for applicants and proposal templates".

Go to the page in English

STARS Grants

International Research Office
Research and Business Relations Area
via Martiri della libertà 8, 35137 Padova
talent.stars@unipd.it