Second year review: planning your career Prof Jon Higgins Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation

Future career: never too soon to start planning

http://ascb.org/where-will-a-biology-phd-take-you/

If you want a career in academia… … goes without saying that you need to be working towards completing your thesis work

Publish First author papers Middle author papers A review/methods paper Most prominent journals possible

Think about your “skills portfolio” Project specific Generic (writing, presentation skills, statistics etc) Teaching/supervision Admin, safety Entrepreneurship Outreach activities The university has a lot on offer

Attend talks and meetings Broaden your horizons Talk to people Make contacts What really interests you? Where do you want to be? Who do you want to work with?

Visit other labs Learn new skills Experience new environment Work with different people Is this a good place to do a postdoc? Take new skills back

Getting that post doc Plan well ahead (now!) Identify the field you want to work in Identify a few (3-5) researchers who you would like to work with Update your CV Contact them (probably about start of your final year) Show specific interest!! Discuss opportunities – fellowships, writing grants for you, funded positions etc. Do not underestimate your appeal Be proactive

How to decide? Build on your PhD, but don’t just do more of the same Change field or model system/approach, perhaps not both Think about what you want from a supervisor Consider future fundability If at all possible, visit the lab and talk to researchers as well as the PI

RCDG - goal: Build a strong research base of early career researchers within the FMS that will go on to become the research leaders of the future Representatives from each Institute who can provide advice http://www.ncl.ac.uk/medicalsciences/research/career-development/

External Fellowship Schemes Most likely award time Duration of Award 3 years 5 years BBSRC David Phillips/ECR Fellowships Anniversary Future Leader Fellowship 3 (+1) years 5 (+5) years Snr Research Fellowship BHF Int Basic Sci Res Fell 4 (+1) years Immediate Postdoc Basic Science Research Fellowship 6 years CRUK Snr Non-Clinical Fell Career Development Fellowship Kay Kendall 3 years Jnr Research Fellowship 4 years Int Res Fellowship 2 years International Incoming/Intra-European 3 years International Outgoing Marie Curie 5 years 3+ years New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG) MRC Snr Non-Clinical Fell 7 years Career Dev Awards 3 years David Sainsbury Fellowship NC3Rs 5 years University Research Fellowship Royal Society 4 years 5 (+3) years 5+ years Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship Sir Henry Dale Fellowship Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 12 11

FMS Fellowship Schemes Most likely award time Award time Open ended contract Senior/NIRG/project grants EXTERNAL SCHEMES Career development/NIRG* Junior 5 year fixed term NURF or NUAcT* PhD Faculty Fellowship 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 11 12 Y3 PhD * Equivalent status – subject to review at 3 yrs before end to assess likely career progression

FMS Faculty Fellowships Evidence that many successful applicants at more senior levels held “junior” fellowships Possible to apply before PhD completion Internal and external Two year funding in order to make external application Mentoring and other support Criteria: excellent publication record during PhD; potential for external fellowship One competition per year, opening now (March 2019)

Upcoming events Applying for Fellowships: 17th April https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/fms/fellowships/ Scientific Writing for Publication: 14th May https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/occurrences/?workshop=24918 Writing for Publication and the Publication Process: 24th May https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/fms/publication/

What if you’re not sure about an academic career? Discuss with your supervisor/colleagues/peers Think about the options – there are many Professional careers advice

Popular alternatives to academia Pharma/Biotech Teaching (HE, secondary) Consulting Entrepreneurship Finance Government Law Public Policy Sales Technology Transfer Venture Capital Writing http://www.nextscientist.com/alternative-careers-for-phd-students/

Same message, be proactive, start making plans now and start making contacts around start of final year

Post Submission Scholarship Scheme A maximum of 3 months additional stipend Enterprise Scholarship Intern Scholarship Academic Development Scholarship https://www.ncl.ac.uk/fms/es/ RH The scholarships are in three categories The enterprise scholarships were originally only for research students to investigate potential commercial enterprise stemming from their research work. However we have been able to broaden that to supporting ideas of how to make an impact with your research. So maybe there is a patient group that you could work with and help based on your work or maybe there is some commercial aspect you could investigate. The RES team or the Careers Enterprise team can help with this, and I would suggest seeking their advice as soon as you think you might put in an application in this area. The Engagement team maybe more appropriate if it is a social enterprise. Internships are a way to see how the skills you have picked up from academic research can be used in a new environment. It really ought to be outside of academic research but pretty much any other opportunity is good. The student will need to arrange this but I have good contacts if you have an area in mind but no contacts. The final strand is new. An opportunity for students to get a little bit of additional time after the submission of the thesis to complete significant research papers. We want Research students to be lead authors but sometimes it is just too much to cram in if you have to find work to keep paying your rent. Hopefully this can provide research groups a legitimate way to help their research students write up their work for papers.

Expectations Three months is not a long time! Scholarships don’t support lab work Supervisors & Research Group must provide structures to support the scholarship Applicants must complete agreed milestones which may include a short report RH There are no funds for consumables, so it seems quite unlikely that the scholarship alone will support further lab or scientific research work. Really the idea is to present the opportunity to do something with your research findings

Timescale Funding will be awarded on thesis submission Staged funding will apply on completion of milestones Applications can be made at any time but more notice is better Notification will be given as quickly as possible RH This will be a rolling process of accepting applications until appropriate applicants are selected for all available scholarships. Then notification will be posted on the graduate school websites that no further applications are to be considered. Applications can be made at any time, we would hope to get at least of months notice before expectation of thesis submission and receiving the award. First scholarship payments will be made on thesis submission but others may be linked to completion of realistic milestones agreed at the interview. Applications can be made at any time. We’ll notify everyone as soon as we can with an outcome and feedback.

Applying Applications can be made by visiting the website at www.ncl.ac.uk/fms/es RH

Alternative Funding Options Applicants may find that other funding options are available and appropriate Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) BBSRC Enterprise Fellowships Research Councils Follow on Fund RH when you submit an application the panel might be able to suggest other routes which might be better (provide more money) that could be applied for first.

What else can you do to build your CV? Scientific Writing/Video Competitions http://bscb.org/competitions-awardsgrants/science-writing- prize/ https://www.biochemistry.org/GetInvolved/ScienceCommunicati onCompetition.aspx https://www.mrc.ac.uk/skills-careers/studentships/for-current- mrc-students/max-perutz-science-writing-award/ https://www.ukicrs.org/ukicrs-got-talent.html

What else can you do to build your CV? {React} the University Science Magazine https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/react/ BRIGHT CLUB: Presenting the funny bits about your research work in the stand-up style.  Next date 7th May https://www.life.org.uk/events/bright-club

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) - Local and national competition for presenting your research in brief. Launch of Newcastle competition is likely in April. https://www.vitae.ac.uk/events/three-minute-thesis-competition Biotechnology YES - young entrepreneurs scheme - presenting a business case for the commercialisation of science. Info event will be mid-April http://www.yescompetitions.co.uk/ Brilliant Club - bringing your research and experience to school children from under-represented backgrounds http://www.thebrilliantclub.org/

All of these things are important… But not at the expense of a timely PhD submission!

Application process and time scale for external fellowships – science RA approaches and talks with PI (advisor) about interest in fellowship and possible project 6m Referral to Institute FFG-S representative – discussion about suitability, readiness and possible schemes RA works on CV – primarily publications 5m RA starts to work on application with support from advisor and mentor RA Notifies the faculty for tracking fms-ecr@ncl.ac.uk Contacts Gwen Averley for advice and guidance about specific schemes (gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk) 4m Iterations of application with local peer review and mentor review (may include DOI) Mentor allocated – meeting arranged 3m Contacts Institute Research Support Officer re. costings 2m Contacts DOI re. commitment as sponsor -1m Signed off by Associate Dean of Research - 7d Checks by RSO and JRO -2d Signed off and submitted by DoI Notify fms-ecr@ncl.ac.uk of outcome Mock interviews organised by advisor and mentor Debrief with advisor and mentor Pass feedback from application and interview back to FFG-S (via fms-ecr@ncl.ac.uk )