ESL Equity Fund

What is it? 

The ESL Equity Fund offers support to staff with a migration background who are doing or seeking to do PhD research in order to build a scientific career, such as tutors, teaching staff without a PhD and research assistants. It aligns with the vision of EUR and ESL to implement targeted and effective policies for an inclusive learning and working environment.    

It is one of the tools used within ESL to promote an inclusive culture. This fund is necessary because there is a lack of diversity among staff within ESL, also compared to the Erasmus University as a whole. For example, the 2022 Cultural Diversity Barometer shows that 23% of ESL staff have a migrant background from outside Europe, compared to 27% within EUR as a whole. Moreover, this contrasts sharply with the city of Rotterdam, where approximately 40% of the population has a migration background from outside Europe. Moreover, the percentage of staff with a migration background from outside Europe decreases sharply the higher the position; from assistant professor to associate professor and full professor, this group becomes less and less represented. 

For whom? 

This fund is intended for staff with a migration background who are pursuing a PhD within ESL or have the ambition to pursue a PhD track within ESL, such as tutors, lecturers without a PhD and research assistants. These ESL staff members can submit applications to the fund themselves. The following conditions apply, see also the regulations: 

1. Applicants are employed by ESL at the time the application is submitted (including student assistants, tutors, lecturers, PhD students). External PhD candidates are in general not eligible for this fund.
2. The applicant aspires to an academic career (within ESL, actual promotions are subject to open positions and funding possibilities).
3. An application can be submitted by one applicant only (and not by multiple applicants or research groups). 
4. The applicant has the Dutch nationality or a valid residence permit (type II or IV) at the time of submitting the application.
5. The applicant is:
6. Migrant and born in countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean or part of the indigenous populations of North America and Oceania.
7. Child or grandchild of migrants, where at least one of the applicant's parents or grandparents was born in one of the countries listed at 5a.
8. Applicants are encouraged to first explore other possible internal sources of funding available to the applicant (e.g. EGSL, Personal Career Budget, the Erasmus Trust Fund and Erasmus+). For applications, where part of the funding (e.g. 50%) comes from another source, such as the Erasmus Trust Fund, the ESL Equity Fund can also be used for the required co-funding. 

What can you apply for? 

This fund offers short-term scholarships of differing amounts. Applicants can apply for up to €7,000 annually (academic year) and make up to 3 applications (of up to €15,000 total) over a four-year period.  

An annual amount of €25,000 is available. Once this amount is exhausted, applications will no longer be considered; they may be resubmitted in the following academic year, if applicable.  

The use of the fund must serve at least one of the following goals: 

• Be at the service of the PhD project (quality enhancement); and/or
• Contribute to the applicant's personal development (cv-building) and be aimed at a future academic career;
• Contribute to the development of the applicant's social capital (networking) aimed at a future academic career;
• Contribute in other ways to increasing opportunities for a future academic career. 

The applicant must justify why the amount requested is necessary to achieve any of the above academic goals.  

When? 

Applicants may submit applications throughout the academic year on a first-come, first-served basis. Although each application will be reviewed, (full) funding is not guaranteed. In principle, applications must be submitted 3 months before the activity. Retrospective applications will not be considered. 

Who evaluates the application? 

Applications are reviewed by the Equity Fund committee, consisting of a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Platform (who fall outside the scope of application), an HR representative and an EGSL representative. 

How do I submit an application? 

Candidates can apply by submitting the following information in Dutch or English in one document of no more than four pages: 

1. Letter of motivation: Description and justification of support request, linked to academic ambition (maximum one A4).
2. Budget statement (maximum one A4): 
3. Detailed budget of the expected expenses (as outlined under point 1) 
4. An overview of available funding sources that have already been exhausted.
5. (Narrative) curriculum vitae (maximum two A4). 

Applications can be submitted through the following mail address: equityfund@law.eur.nl. Questions about the fund can also be asked through this mail address. 

Upon receipt of the application, the Equity Fund committee will consider the documents. Sensitive personal data, such as nationality, residence status and migration background, will only be used for the evaluation of the application and will not be structurally collected or stored. This data will be processed in accordance with Dutch privacy legislation and will be deleted after completion of the application process. The Equity Fund committee seeks to reach a decision within five weeks of receipt.