H2FUTURE Finland-India researchers’ exchange programme is open

University of Oulu’s H2FUTURE research theme is now launching Finland-India exchange programme to award fundings for research mobility in 2024-2026. H2FUTURE provides funds to cover travel and accommodation costs up to 20 research visits in between Finland and India for professors and postdoctoral researchers to promote research in our scientific themes. This is an open continuous call with no deadline.

About the profilation

Hydrogen future as a climate solution (H2FUTURE) combines the University of Oulu’s research strengths in future H2 production, sustainable metals reduction processes, and hydrogen resistant steel development to a unique, holistic, multidisciplinary research community with ambition in enabling green and sustainable hydrogen transition. H2FUTURE is leveraging research excellence in future energy formation and its applications to mitigate the energy and environmental crisis.

H2FUTURE stands on fundamental research on physics, chemistry, process metallurgy, physical metallurgy and mechanical engineering related to H2FUTURE thematics. Thematics cover but are not limited to energy efficient and climate neutral hydrogen productions, fossil-free metals production and development of steels for hydrogen transition. H2FUTURE forms a part of our national profiling actions supported by the Research Council of Finland and actively interacts with other profile areas of InStreams, Genome of Steel and HiDyn within University of Oulu’s research focuses. By recruiting talented researchers from natural sciences and engineering, H2FUTURE is accumulating knowledge to bolster scientific profiles and moreover creating new research expertise to develop the profile at the University of Oulu.

About H2FUTURE Finland-India researchers’ exchange

We invite postdoctoral scholars or professors from India to spend a research period at the University of Oulu or scholars or professors from University of Oulu to Indian University to take part in the activities of H2FUTURE programme.

This funding can be applied either a) directly by the researcher, or b) by an Oulu-based Principal Investigator (PI) to invite a named external researcher to visit Oulu in order to collaborate on H2FUTURE related research.

The researcher and host unit should commit to University of Oulu visiting researcher guidelines which state that "A visiting researcher means a researcher or professor who conducts short-term (up to 6 months) research or teaching cooperation in Oulu and at the University of Oulu without having an employment contract. He/she typically has an employment relationship with another Finnish or foreign university or research institute." The host unit at the University of Oulu can find the needed information for the process from University of Oulu visiting researcher guidelines (internal link).

The length of the visit can be between two weeks and six months. The funding can cover travel expenses and accommodation costs up to 2 000 euro for short-term and up to 6000 euro for longer visits. Salaries or daily allowances are not covered, nor are trips to conferences. A detailed budget must be included in the application. The funded sum can be refunded on submission of receipts. A support letter from the host unit or institution is required.

How to apply

Please submit your application online by filling in this Webropol form and attaching the required documents.

In the application form, you are requested to fill in the following information:

1. Contact details of the visiting researcher
2. Details of the host unit or institute and hosting investigator
3. Amount of applied funding
4. Annexes (see the list below)

Applications (in English) should also include the following documents:

1. Motivation letter and Brief project description of the planned visit (3 pages max) outlining your motivation for coming to/from Oulu University. What is the added value and expected scientific or other outcomes of the visit to your research and to H2FUTURE programme? How is the planned visit expected to benefit the research and collaboration in the home and host institution? What is your work plan and schedule for the visit? Brief project description of the planned visit including overall objectives, research methods, innovation, and contribution to your field and H2FUTURE research at the University of Oulu.

Please also include a detailed budget of the planned visit, clearly indicating the costs that are planned to be covered by this funding and potential other costs funded by other source(s).

1. Hosting commitment or invitation letter: For incoming visits, we require a commitment of the hosting unit from the hosting PI at the University of Oulu.
2. Curriculum vitae (max. 4 pages) in accordance with the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity
3. List of publications based on the guidelines of the Research Council of Finland

Deadline of the call

No deadline. The call will be open on a continuous basis for research visits planned for 2024-2026 or until the reserved H2FUTURE funding has been used.

Decisions

We will do our best to respond to applications with a decision within one month of submission. The decision will be made by the management group of H2FUTURE.

Please, apply here.

Further information and inquiries

Coordinator of H2FUTURE
Dr. Filipp Temerov
Email: filipp.temerov@oulu.fi,
Tel. +358 50 569 7739