Research Support Services Research Fellowships Dr John Burden Research Support Services

What is a Fellowship? A research based training role Personal award aimed at developing an academic career Available at all stages of career PhD New post-docs Experienced post-docs Special circumstances – Career breaks etc Limits on eligibility – 10 years postdoc cut off is normal Extremely competitive – 10% success rate common

It is not a research grant What is a Fellowship? It is not a research grant It is about the Person, Place & Project (in that order) A bigger picture than just research; Where will you be in 5 – 10 years time How will this Fellowship take you there?

What gets Funded?

What are funders looking for? Evidence of: Independence Academic leading research group in 5-10 years Commitment to academic career Outstanding research ideas Leadership potential Person, Place, Project

Person - What is in a Track Record? Publications – quantity / quality / citations Independence – your ideas, not working for someone else Funding – collaborations, small amounts, fellowships, prizes Managing staff – postdoc, student, research assistant Teaching – developing & delivering content Get yourself known Talks, presentations, workshops, visits, networking, letter of support Make a plan now! address any gaps, training, colleagues

Person - Impact What is the outcome of your research? Who will benefit from it? How will they get to know about it? Academic: papers, publications, conferences, books, workshops, methods, theory & application Societal: policy, public engagement, enhancing quality of life, health and creative output, environmental sustainability, social cohesion Economic: Economic competitiveness, wealth creation, commercialisation, R&D Investment

Place Why have you chosen Warwick? Research Environment - Support necessary for project and developing research skills Training Environment – What development opportunities, courses etc are available to support ECR development? Dept. commitment Lab space, equipment, support staff, office space, finance, contract, future plans Mentors Ability to support research and development, previous record, independence – not a free post-doc

Project Internationally leading Independent Pushing the boundaries of research in your area New direction Independent It is yours – not supervisors Based on experience and previous research record Part of the “Big Picture” – where does it lead? Provide research training Successful outcome – realistic & deliverable

Writing a successful proposal General Guidelines Funder Documentation – Read guidelines and rules and stick to them Match to funder mission & strategic priorities Well written, detailed & clear Allow sufficient time – Rushed proposals show Eligibility criteria vs readiness Use input from others – Academics, Fellows, Peers, RSS, non-specialists Excellent research, value for money, high impact, well presented

What is in a proposal? On-line or paper application form - many “pages” with specific word limits, etc Case for Support Background, Aims, Methodology Costing – from Research Support Services or host institution Justification of Resources Track Record / CV Management & Risk Research Environment Impact Impact Plan Supporting letters

What’s in a proposal In addition you will also need: Referees/ Mentors – careful selection Institutional Support/ Departmental sign off Future developments Gantt chart, equipment quotes, letters of support etc Training Programme

Training plans PhD Post Doc Academic Research Management Where do you want to be in 5/10 years time? What will you need to be able to do that job? Where are you now and what skills do you need to bridge the gap? Research skills, Management Skills, Teaching Experience Courses, Masters modules, University training & Development schemes Adding value

Collaborators and mentors Strengthen your application with support from external collaborators & mentors, either as a mentor, part of an advisory committee or through letter of support. Experts in field Relevant to proposed project Outcomes & Impact Outside Warwick/Other Departments Letters of support Plan ahead and build your network – conferences, invited speakers, direct contact.

It all takes time! Proposal Development The more time you can spend developing and refining your proposal, the better it will be. Allow time to complete formal submission processes such as internal peer review and university sign-off before submission Minimum of 3 months – don’t leave it until the last minute 6-9 months before final decision, 1 year until start Internal Peer Review University Sign-Off Procedures Submission

What is right for you? Research Area – Who is funding it? What schemes are available? Eligibility – experience pre/post PhD, nationality Geographical requirements Stay put or move on? Relationship with host department Other ways of funding your work? Are you ready?

Sources of Funding Research Councils BBSRC, MRC, NERC, (ESRC), AHRC Royal Society Personal Fellowships, very competitive (<10%). URF (3-8 Years Post Doc), Dorothy Hodgkin (flexible work) Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship, very prestigious/competitive. Up to 5 years Post Doc. Wellcome Trust Major funder of biomedical research, all aspects of biomedical science, clinical & non-clinical, range of awards for all career stages Other Charities Many charities fund research – specific, problem solving, partial funding

European Funding Marie Curie-Sklodowska Fellowships Must move country Success rates higher than many other fellowship schemes Most successful have large input by host academic Deadline Annually in August – Decision by Christmas European Research Council (ERC) Up to 7 years post-doc experience Excellent science, Excellent researcher 5 years funding aimed at establishing research group

In summary…… Start early; Offer what the Funder wants; Build track record Establish collaborations Develop proposal with input from others Offer what the Funder wants; Fit research to funder criteria Understand the form & fill in correctly Excellent research, value for money, high impact, well presented Remember the bigger picture Career Development Training award Future Academic leader