My experiences of applying for an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship Rebecca Boucher NIHR Fellowship Event September 2016

About me NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in Biostatistics Department Fellowship from October 2014 to October 2017 Funded on a NIHR Research Methods Fellowship before the DRF

Timeline September 2013 NIHR Fellowship Event November 2013 Application form released January 2014 Application submitted May 2014 Shortlisted for interview June 2014 Interviewed July 2014 Conditionally awarded DRF August 2014 Awarded DRF October 2014 Start of the Doctoral Research Fellowship

What information did my application include? My project ME Relevance of the project What the project entails Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Time scale of the project Experience Ambitions Supervisors Application Institution Training Finances Signatures Collaborators

Who was involved in the application process? ME Research Design Service (RDS) Supervisors Head of Department HoD Application Collaborators Research Support Officer Department’s Finance Team Internal reviewers

? Interview Mock interviews Outcome of shortlisting sent out in May Consist of… Presentation Questions Mock interviews ? Approximately a month to prepare

multi-disciplinary panel Interview panel Large, multi-disciplinary panel

Summary of the application Presentation 5 minute presentation No running over !!! * It is submitted to the NIHR before the day of the interview Summary of the application

Presentation WHY is the project important? (motivation) HOW are you addressing this? (format of the project) WHY is important to the NHS? (Impact in 5 years)

Interview Mock interviews

? Questions

? Questions Person Place Project

Start planning the project September 2013 NIHR Fellowship Event November 2013 Application form released Start planning the project January 2014 Application submitted May 2014 Shortlisted for interview June 2014 Interviewed July 2014 Conditionally awarded DRF August 2014 Awarded DRF October 2014 Start of the Doctoral Research Fellowship