TÜBİTAK announces Special Call on “COVID-19 and Society: Social, Human and Economic Effects of the Epidemic, Problems and Solutions” (Turkey)

Deadline: 4 May 2020

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has announced a Special call titled “COVID-19 and Society: Social, Human and Economic Effects of the Epidemic, Problems and Solutions” under the “1001-Scientific and Technological Research Support Program” .

The purpose of this call; The current and predicted problems and effects of the COVID-19 global epidemic are examined from the perspective of social and humanities, research and development of solutions . The project proposals to be presented are expected to be handled within the following scope:

• Presenting the current situation and trend with evidence-based scientific data,
• Short, medium and long term projection, forecasting, analysis and planning studies,
• In line with these analyzes and forecasts, creating solutions that will contribute to decision makers and practitioners.

In addition, it is important that the project proposals to be presented address the issue with an interdisciplinary approach when necessary, in order to understand the multidimensional effects caused by the outbreak.

Examples

• Social and Human Issues:
  • Crisis management and governance at the global, national, regional and local level; ensuring that individuals adopt and comply with epidemic prevention and practices,
  • Effects of the epidemic on global, national and local politics; freedom-security, democratization, nationalization-globalization, the future of organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, European Union, etc. discussions on issues,
  • Effective and effective health communication; individual and / or social effects and role of traditional and new media in the epidemic process; epidemic and its effect in the context of policies and practices pursued against the epidemic,
  • Online delivery practices of critical public services such as education, health, and judiciary through remote access,
  • Effects of interrupting education in schools and postponing / canceling exams; developing solutions and applications such as developing distance education and alternative measurement / evaluation methods and tools,
  • Individual and family coping strategies and their psychological, sociological, cultural, economic, etc. relationship with variables; changes in psychological resilience, resilience, coping and adaptation over time,
  • The effects of uncertainty, anxiety, fear and stress on children, adults and the elderly and the risks they create and possible factors that reduce / increase their impact (personality, health status, family characteristics, social support, economic income, disability, immigration, etc.),
  • Developing emergency clinical interventions, providing psychological, social, religious, and cultural support to families with health-related losses, healthcare personnel and all groups at risk for coping with mental health problems and trauma; development of web-based protective, audience and interfering programs,
  • The effect of the epidemic on the settlement units, ensuring the quality of urban life in combating the epidemic,
  • Effects of the closure of the places where science, art and sports activities such as cinema, theater, opera, museum, congress halls, sports halls are held and the cancellation of planned activities.
• Economic Issues:
  • Impacts on economy, trade, finance, employment and business models at the macro / micro level at national, regional and global level,
  • Supply-demand situations, supply chains, production capacity, digitalization needs caused by the outbreak in different sectors; access to finance, employment issues and solutions; individual and sectoral effects of economic rescue packages,
  • Changes in global investments, trends of foreign direct investments,
  • The effects of the epidemic in terms of occupational safety, corporate risk management, new human resources practices, new working relationships.
• Process Management and Resource Planning Issues:
  • General and regional forecasting studies on outbreak spread, analysis of different policy approaches,
  • Personnel / material / equipment needs analysis and distribution planning,
  • Planning of tests for disease detection,
  • Follow-up / treatment / quarantine planning at home,
  • Resource planning for effective management of chronic patients who need regular treatment in epidemic conditions.

Special Issues for the Call

The projects to be submitted within the scope of the call are subject to the following special issues:

• The project duration is maximum 6 months.
• Support upper limit is 200.000 TL.
• Within the scope of this call, the “Project Application Form”, which is suitable for the purpose and scope of the call and specific to the call, was re-created by making the necessary adaptations and abbreviations. This shortened and simplified form should be used in the special call.
• The “Project Proposal Evaluation Form” specific to the call was created in accordance with the Application Form.
• There is no Project Incentive Bonus (PTI) and corporate share allowance in the projects to be supported under this call.
• Ethics Committee Approval Certificate, Legal / Special Permit Certificate, Intellectual Property Ownership Protocol and proforma invoices will not be requested at the time of application, but will only be requested at the contract stage for supported projects. If there is a situation that will require a Legal / Special Permit Certificate within the scope of the project, the explanation regarding this issue (where and how to collect data, the state of the data, etc.) should be included.
• Supported projects will be excluded from the duty limits.
• Supported projects will be subject to the Regulations Regarding Programs Conducted by TÜBİTAK Research Support Programs and Administrative and Financial Principles to be Applied in Research Projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• Project Coordinator, Researcher (excluding overseas researcher) and Consultant
  • Project executives;
    • They must have a doctorate / proficiency in art / specialty in medicine.
• Researchers or consultants who will take part in the project team;
  • If they are university staff, they must have a doctorate / proficiency in arts / specialty in medicine. (This condition also includes employees in training and research hospitals.)
  • If they work in public institutions or private institutions, it is sufficient that they have at least four years of university undergraduate education.
  • In projects to be carried out in public or higher education institutions, the executive (excluding retirees) must have permanent staff of the institution / institution in question.
• The project manager and researchers (excluding foreign researchers) need to reside within the boundaries of the Republic of Turkey. (Foreign institution border with Turkey in a person / organization with the mission to condition players in the project / task as a researcher can receive.)
• Individuals with a contribution rate of less than 10% in the project cannot work as researchers, but can be consultants. In order for a project consultant to take place, the project must have specific subjects or subjects that require special expertise and this issue must be justified in the project proposal. The number of consultants to take part in a project is limited to the number of subjects that require special expertise in that project.
• Non-working pensioners In any organization, executive project teams, provided to take PTI, can work as a researcher or consultant.
• International Researcher
  • The conditions for foreign researchers to participate in the project and the rules regarding the payments that can be made to these people are listed below:
    • In supported projects, foreign / Turkish national researchers residing abroad may take part as researchers, with legal obligations belonging to the institution where the project is carried out, provided that they take part in the project for 30 days or longer, including roads during each visit.
    • The overseas researcher who will take part in the project should be able to carry out and direct a part of the project in which the competence of the researchers in country is limited, in the institutions of country with the project team.
    • 50% of the full time monthly gross fees they receive abroad in the same period of time are covered as service procurement, in exchange for the travel expenses and the time they took part in the project. If 50% of the monthly fee paid by the researcher in his country is below the highest monthly fee provided under the “2221-Guest or Academic Leave (Sabbatical) Scientific Support Program” conducted by the Scientific Support Office (BİDEB). The highest monthly fee provided within the scope is based on.
    • Researchers who come in this way can take part in more than one project supported by TÜBİTAK, but they can receive a fee from one project. The number of overseas researchers who will take part in a project is limited to one person.
• Scholarship
  • Higher education institutions in Turkey (For projects submitted from the TRNC TRNC) and postgraduate (Masters and PhD) who continue their education “students” (except for special students and preparing students) or the student “Research Fellow” and Post-doctoral researchers can take part in the project team as a scholarship holder.
  • Those who receive monthly scholarships from BİDEB scholarship or public institutions / organizations can also be paid from the project. However, the total amount of scholarship to be calculated by taking into consideration the monthly scholarship amount received from BİDEB or public institutions / organizations cannot exceed the project monthly scholarship upper limits set by the Board of Directors for that year. they can not.
  • Requirements for undergraduate scholars:
    • Not working in any institution / organization,
    • Being an established higher education 3rd grade and older students in the graduate program of the institutions in Turkey,
    • On the basis of the university’s grading system, the weighted GPA of previous years excluding preparation is 2.5 out of 4, or 65 out of 100, or the first 20% grade in the weighted CGPA of the previous years, excluding the preparatory class.
    • (If the student stays in the class, the scholarship will be canceled. Maximum 4 (four) undergraduate students can take part in a project as a scholarship student at the same time.)
  • Requirements for Post-Doctoral Research Fellows:
    • Having a doctorate and not working in any institution / organization,
    • Not having an associate professor or higher academic title,
    • The period between the date of receiving doctorate / medicine specialization and the deadline for the program is not more than 7 years.
  • Requirements for Foreign Master’s / PhD scholarship students:
    • Master’s scholarship under the age of 30.
    • Doctoral fellows under the age of 35.

Who cannot be a Project Coordinator?

• The highest level managers, deputies and assistants of the public institutions / organizations (Rector, Vice Rector, Chief Physician, Deputy Chief Doctor, Hospital Manager, Minister, Deputy Minister, General Manager, Deputy General Manager, Provincial Director of National Education, etc.); If their duties continue during the application, they cannot work as project executives, but they can work as researchers in 3 projects.
• The members of the Group Executive Board and the Advisory Board, who work in TÜBİTAK; If their duties continue during the application, they cannot work as project executives or consultants , but they can work as researchers in maximum 3 projects.

For more information, visit https://tubitak.gov.tr/tr/destekler/akademik/ulusal-destek-programlari/1001/icerik-covid-19-sobag-cagrisi