Instructions on use of proposal form

Instructions on how to fill in a proposal form

Proposals for NKS-R activities, which are to receive NKS funding in 2022, have to be submitted on a Proposal form, which can be found at the NKS web site. If you have any questions or problems filling in the form please contact the Programme Coordinator, Ari-Pekka Leppänen (e-mail: mailto:ari.leppanen@stuk.fi).

Language

Please note that the preferred language to be used in the proposal form and supplementary description is English.

New or continued activity

There are two different proposal forms, one for application for new activities and one for application for continuation of current activities. Please select and fill in the appropriate one.

Summary information about the proposed activity

Please note that information in this section may be made public if the activity is accepted. Suggest an acronym for your activity (not too long) and please use the same acronym if it is a continuation of an ongoing activity. Fill in the start date and end date of your proposed activity. Duration of an activity should typically not exceed 3 years. A drop-down form field is used to select one of the following categories:

1. Thermal hydraulics

2. Severe accidents

3. Reactor physics

4. Risk analysis

5. Organisation and safety culture

6. Decommissioning and management of reactor waste and spent fuel

7. Plant life management and extension

Please consult the Framework document for NKS-R which can be found on the NKS web site for further information on the individual categories.

Please provide a short summary of the proposed activity. If the proposal is for a continued activity, a short summary is also needed of the results achieved, including information on the current progress on milestones and deliverables stated in the contract for the current activity period (see section on milestones and deliverables below). It is strongly recommended to add more detailed information in a separate file (please refer to the section ‘Supplementary description’ below).

NOTE: Activities planned to extend over more than 1 year should be scheduled and conducted in such a way that distinct and discrete deliverables are produced in each year.

The requested funding for 2022 should be given in thousand DKK, with comma (,) as a separator for decimals. If continuation of the activity is assumed in 2023 or later, please state the expected requested funding in thousand DKK for subsequent years. Generally, an activity will not receive more than 600 kDKK per year from NKS. Please note, NKS will only award funding for 1 year at a time and additional funding for continuation of an activity must be applied for on a separate basis through subsequent NKS-R Call for Proposals.

Relevance of proposed activity to NKS criteria

It must be clearly demonstrated by the applicant why NKS should support the proposed activity in accordance with the NKS-R framework and by addressing the NKS criteria stated in chapter 1.5 in Handbook for NKS applicants and activity leaders.

Co-ordination of activity

One co-ordinator must be responsible for ensuring that the proposed work is carried out as described and on time.

Other organisations involved

Other organisations that are involved in the work must also be listed in the application form.

Assumed distribution of NKS funding amongst participants

‘Participants’ are here defined as organisations that would receive funding from NKS according to the proposal form. Please give the assumed distribution of NKS funding amongst the participants. This can be revised before the contract for the work is finalised. Note; please ensure that the proposal contains a realistic budget for the work proposed. In order to be eligible for funding from NKS, a proposed activity should include participants from a minimum of 2 (preferably 3) Nordic countries. Non-Nordic participation in NKS activities is possible, however, NKS funding for non-Nordic participants is not possible.

Assumed distribution of own contribution funding amongst participants

Please give the assumed distribution of own contribution funding amongst participants. It is important that participants realize that the NKS requires that value of own contributions to the work must be at least equal to the funding received from NKS. Own contribution funding can include both in-kind contributions (e.g. in work time) and other external funding sources.

Milestones, deliverables

It is very important to define clearly what is to be done and when. An activity must define an appropriate number of milestones / deliverables that progress can be measured against at different stages. The NKS-R Programme Coordinator will contact the activity leader during the duration of the activity for updates on progress, and current progress needs to be reported and contextualized in connection with proposals for continuation of the work. The last deliverable is normally the final report, which will be published by the NKS Secretariat as a formal NKS report.

Submission of proposal

The filled out Proposal form must be sent from the official e-mail address of the co-ordinator of the activity (this procedure replaces having to send in a signed form). Please contact the Programme Manager in advance if you have problems with this arrangement. Date of sending the proposal by e-mail will be taken as the date of submission.

Supplementary description

A free format supplementary description of the proposed activity can be sent as a separate document. Please, keep this supplementary description to a maximum of 4 pages. Applicants may provide internet links in their supplementary description to additional sources of information that may support their application, but please bear in mind that evaluators may not have the means or the time to access large quantities of supporting electronic information.

The supplementary description should be used in order to give more details concerning the proposed activity and may for example include some scientific and/or technical background information, a more in depth discussion of the research approach to be employed as well as more detailed aspects of the planned budget and use of funds. If the proposed activity is a continuation of an ongoing funded activity, it is strongly recommended to include a brief description of any results and/or milestones that have been achieved, in order to demonstrate the progress made.