Criteria for the eligibility of the researchers

NANO-HOST supports the initial training of researchers who are still within the first five years, or full-time equivalent, of their careers in research at the time of their appointment. In all cases, the targeted researchers are at least at post-graduate or equivalent level, and the definitions of eligible researchers are based on their professional experience in research and not on their age.

The researcher must fulfil the requirements associated with one of the following categories:

- Early stage researchers (ESR).

- Experienced researchers (ER). The research experience of an experienced researcher recruited for initial training may not exceed 5 years at the time of the appointment.

It should be noted that an individual researcher may not be recruited first as an early-stage researcher and subsequently as an experienced researcher in the network.

To be eligible, each researcher must simultaneously fulfil the following criteria at the time of appointment by the recruiting network participant:

a) Nationality

The researcher may be a national of a Member State of the Community, of an Associated Country or of any other third country.

b) Mobility

The researcher shall not be a national of a State in which the recruiting network team appointing him/her is located.

In the case of a researcher holding more than one nationality, he/she will be able to be hosted by a network team located in the country of his/her nationality in which (s)he has not resided during the previous 5 years.

At the time of appointment, the researcher may not have resided or carried out his/her main activity in the country of the recruiting network team for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her appointment. Short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

As an exception to the general rule, a researcher holding the nationality from a Member State or an Associated Country can carry out his/her initial training activities in his/her country of nationality if s/he can provide evidence testifying that s/he has legally resided and had his/her main activity in a non - Associated third country for at least three of the last four years immediately prior to his/her appointment.