“Pungor Ernő” Doctoral Candidate Researchers’ Fellowship

   

The Varga József Foundation announces a call for applications for the BME VBK “Pungor Ernő” Doctoral Candidate Researchers’ Fellowship. The BME VBK, with the support of the Varga József Foundation, offers this fellowship to former PhD students who have achieved an excellent outcome in the doctoral program of the George Oláh Doctoral School, having completed their doctoral studies but not yet obtained the PhD degree. The purpose of the fellowship is to support promising doctoral candidates who have performed outstandingly in the doctoral school to gain their degree, while also engaging in valuable teaching activities at BME VBK alongside their research work.

Calls for Application are advertised on the Varga József Foundation Applications page.

Doctoral candidates may submit their applications for the spring semester (1st February to 31st August, duration of 7 semesters) or the fall semester (1st September to 31st January, duration of 5 semesters). Doctoral candidates may be awarded the fellowship for a maximum of 12 months. 

Additional conditions for the prospective doctoral scholarship:

• The candidate conducts full-time research (on their doctoral topic or in additional, supplementary scientific areas) at any BME VBK research facility during the scholarship period, and the research results are utilized within BME VBK.
• The candidate does not receive any other research or excellence scholarships for the relevant period.
• The candidate is not employed under any employment or other contractual relationship with BME or an external research group affiliated with BME for the period in question, except: i) Participation in teaching activities beyond those specified in the application, or ii) research activities not related to the PhD research or not included in the work plan, or iii) other non-research tasks as part-time assignments or contracts that do not exceed the time equivalent of half-time employment.
• The candidate may only hold an external employment contract with a time requirement of a maximum of 50% of a full-time employment, which does not jeopardize the fulfilment of research and teaching plans of the „Pungor Ernő” Scholarship.
• If the candidate has both internal (3.c) and external (3.d) work-related obligations, the combined workload must not exceed that of half-time employment.

 

If the applicant holds, during the application period, both internal and/or external employment relationships (items 3.c and d), they must demonstrate in the application how the above conditions are satisfied. If the scholarship holder establishes employment during the scholarship period, a statement must be submitted to the Foundation within 15 days. If the employment jeopardizes the fulfilment of the commitments made in the application, the scholarship may be revoked.

The application must include a summary of research results achieved so far during the PhD course, teaching activities carried out since the start of the PhD course, publications based on the PhD work. The applcation should also include a research plan for the requested fellowship period as well as a list of planned teaching activities.

Applications are evaluated by a committee composed of the Dean’s appointees: the Chair of the HBDT, the head of the Doctoral School, and the Scientific Vice Dean. Based on their evaluation, the Dean will make a recommendation to the Curatorium.

Evaluation Criteria:

• academic performance in the PhD program
• the quality and results of previous research work (publications)
• the assessment of previous teaching activities by the department head
• the justification provided by the department head for the teaching tasks undertaken during the application period.

During evaluation, priority is given to:

• higher quality of prior and planned research work
• meeting the numerical requirements for obtaining the degree
• evidence that the research plan ensures home defense of the doctoral thesis or submission of the dissertation during the scholarship period, and
• the quality and anticipated results of present and planned teaching activities

 

For the purposes of this call, a doctoral candidate is someone who has obtained the absolutorium of the doctoral program in the George Oláh Doctoral School or is expected to obtain it by the start of the scholarship period, and who meets the conditions for submitting a doctoral dissertation according to BME DHSZ §18 (1).

Applications should be submitted electronically via email/OneDrive to the Secretary of the Doctoral School at: bell.evelin@vbk.bme.hu, and in printed form at the Varga József Foundation Office: 1111 Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3. K building, 1st floor, Room 22, VBK Dean’s Office.