Digital Preservation � The Planets Way

CEI/Planets Training Event Bursary: Apply Now

Planets has joined forces with The Central European Initiative (CEI) to award 15 training bursaries to attend the second Planets Training Event at the Arena di Serdica hotel, Sofia, on 16-18 September 2009.

These bursaries with a total value of almost E9000 support CEI’s work in 18 Central and Eastern European member states to promote the use of digital technologies to support economic and social development in Central and Eastern Europe and to preserve the growing digital cultural and scientific heritage. Participants from nine countries will be eligible to apply to the bursary scheme.

Uniquely, this event – the only Planets training event to be held in South-Eastern Europe – will equip staff engaged in, or about to engage in, work to preserve digital collections with the knowledge and practical skills to initiate or advance work in their organisation.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from European experts engaged in the field of digital preservation and the researchers and developers of Planets technology, and will hear how two organisations in the region are tackling long-term management of digital content. Attendees will receive certificates for continuing professional development.

What will the bursaries cover?

The bursaries each worth up to EUR590 will enable staff such as librarians, archivists, curators, IT, project managers and others who create and preserve or have a need to preserve, digital collections in eligible countries to attend the full three-day event or the first day alone.

The bursary will cover:

Delegate fees (three or one days)
Bed and breakfast accommodation (three or one nights)
Social dinner on day one
Contribution to meal on day two up to total allowance per delegate*

*This element of the bursary is subject to confirmation with the CEI.

Who can apply?

Applicants will need to be able to demonstrate that:

Their institution, or the institutions of the people they educate, hold significant digital collections (volume) and/or collections of national cultural / scientific and research importance.
They are or will be responsible for the long-term management of digital collections or that they educate or train staff with these responsibilities.
They are permanent residents in a country eligible to receive the CEI funding: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine.

If the number of eligible candidates exceeds the number of bursaries available, the selection panel will award bursaries to the eligible candidates in the order of the date on which their application was received.

How do I apply?

Please send:

a CV
an outline of your current roles and responsibilities (500 words max)
a separate short supporting email from your senior manager or head of organisation

to bursary administrator, Ellen Geisriegler, by email to: sofia-grants@planets-project.eu.

Please state clearly whether you are applying for a bursary for the first day only or the full three days.

All applications should be made in English. They will be judged solely on how far the candidate meets the selection criteria.

When is the closing date?

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 7 August 2009. You will be notified about the outcome of your application by Wednesday 12 August 2009.

What do I do if I have a question?

If you have any questions about the bursary scheme, eligibility or the application process, please e-mail us at: sofia-grants@planets-project.eu. If you are interested in applying for the bursary but cannot submit your application by the deadline date, please notify us via this address.

Background Information

The CEI was founded in Trieste, Italy, in 1998 as a forum to foster inter-governmental co-operation between its 18 member states and to support integration with the European Union: www.ceinet.org.