Regulations of carrying out research projects

Regulations

of carrying out research projects financed within the framework of the Agreement with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education on co-financing the realization of international co-financed project (ICP Agreement) by the participants of ImPRESS Project PhD studies at the Medical University of Bialystok

The Medical University of Bialystok sets out the following Regulations of carrying out research projects financed within the framework of the Agreement with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education on co-financing the realization of international co-financed project (ICP Agreement) by the participants of ImPRESS Project PhD studies at the Medical University of Bialystok:

§ 1

Definitions

Terms used in the Regulations have the following meaning:

ImPRESS Project – project for conducting PhD studies within the framework of the European Union's framework program for research and innovation ‘Horizon 2020’ under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions COFUND 2016 call (Agreement No 754432-ImPRESS) titled: "International Interdisciplinary PhD studies in Biomedical Research and Biostatistics. Supporting the career and training in omic-based research and biostatistics by inter-national and -sectoral mobility" acronym: ImPRESS,

ICP Agreement – the Agreement between the MUB and the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education on co-financing the realization of international co-financed project (Agreement No: 3773/H2020/COFUND/2017/2)

Regulations - Regulations of carrying out research projects financed within the framework of the ICP Agreement by the participants of ImPRESS Project PhD studies

PhD student – a participant of the PhD studies conducted within the framework of the ImPRESS Project

Principal Investigator – a PhD student, who submitted a Research Project Proposal based on the hereby Regulations and received the acceptance from the Vice Rector for Science and Development and the Head of the PhD Studies for carrying out the project in the current year.

Research Project Proposal – a proposal for funding a research project within the framework of the ICP Agreement – attached as Appendix 1 to the hereby Regulations

Research Project – a research project carried out by a PhD student according to the Research Project Proposal

Report – a report on the implementation of the project within the framework of the ICP Agreement  – attached as Appendix 2 to the hereby Regulations

Relevant bioethics committee – Bioethics Committee of the MUB or the Local Ethical Committee for Animal Experiments in Olsztyn

MUB – Medical University of Bialystok

Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs and Development – Vice Rector for Science and Development of the Medical University of Bialystok

Head of the PhD Studies – Head of the ImPRESS Project PhD studies

Office for Science and International Cooperation – a team of administrative staff members of the MUB Office for Development and Evaluation handling the ImPRESS Project

§ 2

Authorized persons

Persons authorized to carry out the research projects based on the hereby Regulations are the ImPRESS Project PhD students.

§ 3

Principles of submitting research proposals

1. The deadline for submitting Research Project Proposals is set by the Vice Rector for Science and Development but it is not later than 30^th November of the year prior to the year when the funding will be awarded.

1a. In case of the necessity to conduct additional recruitment for PhD studies under the ImPRESS Project, the Vice Rector for Science and Development at the request of the Head of PhD studies may agree to open a new call for submitting Research Project Proposals for newly recruited persons, setting a date for the call deadline.

2. The information about the open call for proposals is sent to the PhD students via email and posted on the MUB website: http://www.umb.edu.pl/en/impress
3. A PhD student submits a Research Project Proposal to the Vice Rector for Science and Development in two printed originals with all mandatory signatures, and sends an electronic version to the email address: wnioski@umb.edu.pl.
4. The Research Project Proposal must be accepted by the PhD student’s supervisor and signed by the Head of the department where the Project Investigator is employed, as well as the Head of the department where the research will be carried out.
5. The Research Project Proposal shall be accompanied by mandatory documents that is the ethics questions form and the approval of the Relevant Bioethics Committees with the provision that the date of submitting the approval of the Relevant Bioethics Committee is the start date of the Research Project. Failure to provide the approval of the Relevant Bioethics Committee holds the funding.
6. PhD students obtain financing for Research Projects on the basis of the submitted applications accepted by the Vice Rector for Science and Development. The second original of the Research Project Proposal, signed by the Vice Rector for Science and Development, will be handed over to the PhD student – Principal Investigator.

§ 4

Project realization

1. The PhD student is allowed to submit only one project per year financed from the funds of the ICP Agreement.
2. The project may be continued in the following year, but not longer than till 30^th September 2022.
3. In each following year of their research activity, the PhD students may submit a proposal for funding a new research project or a proposal for funding a research project continued from the previous year.
4. The budget for one project in the given year may not exceed the amount of 6000 EUR (25500,60 PLN)..
5. The project funds that remained unused in the current year budget may be used in the following year if a proposal for funding a research project continued from the previous year was submitted. In such case, the funds will be added to the annual project budget over the limit of 6000 EUR (25500,60 PLN).
6. If a new research project is commenced in the following year, the project funds that remained unused from the project realized in the previous year may, in justified cases and with acceptance of the Vice Rector for Science and Development, be added to the new project budget.
7. Each project expense is realized based on the current legislation and internal MUB procedures.
8. All purchases of supplies, external services and travel within the framework of the project are processed by the MUB, based on the relevant procedures. Application form for purchasing of supplies, external services or travel from the project funds should be submitted to the Office for Development and Evaluation and should be signed by the Principal Investigator and the Principal Investigator’s Supervisor. Additional approval is required from the Head of the department employing the applicant, when purchasing research equipment or a laptop/computer.
9. Project expenses must be related to the realized project.
10. Project funds must not be used for remuneration of the Principal Investigator or other investigators in the project.
11. The Principal Investigator is responsible for timely and proper expenditure of the project funds.
12. All data and planned project expenses in the research project proposals are verified and approved by the administrative project supervisor from the Office for Development and Evaluation.

§ 5

Final project report and periodic evaluation

1. The Principal Investigator is obliged to submit a final project report to the Vice Rector for Science and Development by 31^st January of the year following the year for which the financing of the project was granted.
2. In 2022, the Project Investigator is obliged to submit to the Vice Rector for Science and Development the report of the project’s implementation no later than on the 30^th of September 2022.
3. The final project report should be submitted electronically in editable format (without mandatory signatures) to the email address provided in the report form and in one printed original (with mandatory signatures) to the Office for Development and Evaluation.
4. The final project reports are evaluated by the Vice Rector for Science and Development and the Head of the PhD Studies. Positive opinion on the final project report is fundamental to receive funding of further research projects.
5. Following the second year of project realization, the projects are submitted for a periodic evaluation. By 31^st January 2021 the PhD student must submit to the Vice Rector for Science and Development an opinion of the Head of the departmentin which the project is implemented, an opinion of his/her supervisor and an opinion of the Head of the PhD studies on the projects he/she realized so far. Positive opinions of the mentioned authorities will be fundamental to receive the approval of the Vice Rector for Science and Development for further funding of research projects on the third and fourth year of the PhD studies.
6. Two negative opinions of the authorities indicated in § 5 pt. 4 of the hereby Regulations result in withheld funding of any further research projects.
7. The supervisor, in cooperation with the Vice Rector for Science and Development and the PhD student, determines a recovery plan concerning the financial settlement and further implementation of projects.
8. The project is considered as concluded if the final project report is accompanied by one of the following documents submitted to the Office for Development and Evaluation and accepted by the Vice Rector for Science and Development:
   1. publication in JCR-listed journal or
   2. manuscript ready for publication in JCR-listed journal or
   3. patent (confirmed by a certificate from the Patent Office) or
   4. agreement for invention implementation (confirmed by intramural Office of Technology Transfer)
9. Failure to conclude the project/s as indicated in pt. 8 of the hereby Regulations will result in return of funds granted for the project/s realization.