© Imperial College London Wellcome postdoctoral fellowship: application process and experiences as a fellowship holder Rebecca Baggaley Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellow Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Imperial College London 2 nd July 2009

My background Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Modelling the impact of HSV-2 interventions on HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa 4 years 1 st year of programme Mathematical modelling -> no extra funding requirements for reagents/equipment © Imperial College London

My background BA Cambridge University MSc London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) PhD Imperial College London Work history –Health Protection Agency –LSHTM -> range of institutions –More contacts –Poor continuity © Imperial College London

Sir Henry Wellcome application process Preliminary application (November) Full application (February) Panel interview (May) © Imperial College London

Application process - general (1) Research topic –Broader reading of literature –Consultation with peers, senior colleagues – gaps and hot topics –Initiating dialogues with other institutions (meetings, conferences, cold-calling) Commitment of sponsors, research sponsors, collaborating individuals and institutions -> in good time Talk to fellowship holders for more advice Look over as many (and as similar) successful fellowship and other grant applications as possible © Imperial College London

Application process - general (2) Timely application – do research in advance as to what fellowships are available that you are eligible for and closing dates, and start planning well in advance Research record Imperial leaflet: “How to be successful at fellowship interviews” Practice runs Different technique from PhD viva – more succinct answers Notes © Imperial College London

Success depends on Publication record and background Institution, sponsors, collaborators Interview performance Research topic and application Luck - competition © Imperial College London

Experiences as a fellowship holder (1) More freedom to pursue own research ideas Increased opportunities/responsibilities from colleagues/department –Grant applications –International meetings –Conferences –Editorials –Collaborations, travel opportunities (generous budget) –Lower admin/teaching (usually) -> balance between new opportunities and scientific research and publication writing for fellowship © Imperial College London

Experiences as a fellowship holder (2) Delivering on objectives declared on application –Scientific –Broader career goals E.g. Training components External collaborations inc. visits to international laboratories Importance of defining aims of visits BUT timing is never perfect Conflicts between actors: institutions, sponsors, mentors, research sponsors... © Imperial College London

Teething troubles Wider research group activities Unexpected direction of research © Imperial College London Very few problems – some effort to get there but the benefits are well worth it!

© Imperial College London Thank you!