1. 1 2008 Dr Kirsty Gillespie CASS Research Office Preparing for a Discovery Postdoc 22 August 2008 Dr Kirsty Gillespie CASS Research Office

2. 2 Today’s focus questions:  What’s a Discovery postdoc, and why would I want one?  What’s an ECR, and why is this status important?  How should I go about designing an application?  How can I develop my track record?  Are there alternatives to going it alone?  Can I apply for a postdoc at the same institution where I completed my PhD?  How can the CASS Research Office help me?

3. 3 What’s a Discovery postdoc, and why would I want one?  ARC postdocs can be won up to 3 years after the award of a PhD.  Discovery postdocs (APDs) allow the recipient of the award to concentrate on their own topic of ‘pure research’.  Discovery projects have budgets between $20 000-$500 000 p.a.  Postdocs held for a period of 3 years full-time, at $62 642 p.a.  For the next Discovery round, due in March 2009, you will have received your PhD no earlier than 6/3/06.  For those not yet finished: Offers are contingent on official confirmation that the thesis has been submitted, and a Fellowship will only be granted once the thesis acceptance letter is received, which has to occur by 30/6/2010.

4. 4 What’s an ECR, and why is this status important?  ECRs = early career researchers. ARC ECRs are scholars who have been awarded their PhD no more than five years before the due date of the funding scheme they are applying for.  ECR status helps determine an applicant’s track record relative to opportunity; also, the government insists on ensuring that a certain percentage of funding goes to ECRs.

5. 5 How should I go about designing an application?  Begin developing your ideas for a grant proposal during your PhD candidature.  Proposals should not be seen to be a direct continuation of your doctoral research, but may derive from it.  Talk over your ideas for a research project with your colleagues, and your supervisors and mentors.  Be able to demonstrate clearly the project’s: aims significance and innovation methodologybudget  Consider how your research will be of ‘national benefit’. National Research Priorities: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia Promoting and Maintaining Good Health Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Aust. Industries Safeguarding Australia

6. 6 How ARC proposals are assessed Project 60%  Significance and innovation 30%  Approach and Methodology 20%  National Benefit 10% Track record 40%

7. 7 How can I develop my track record?  Publish in refereed publications  Emphasis on monographs, journal articles and book chapters  Forthcoming/in press publications can also be included in a postdoc application, but the date of acceptance must be given.  Non-refereed publications are not accepted by most universities and schemes in your publications list, but can be mentioned in other parts of the application.  Conference presentations  Applied work  Ability to disseminate findings widely  Membership of relevant professional organisations

8. 8 Are there alternatives to going it alone?  Advantages of team research projects: collaboration in research higher chance of success if proposal involves established academics  Other ARC Schemes eg. Linkage

9. 9 Can I apply for a postdoc at the same institution where I completed my PhD? Yes! But…  ‘Institutional mobility’ is highly valued in an ECR  You will have to justify why you wish to remain at ANU

10. 10 How can the CASS Research Office help me?  provide assistance from the initial design of your project through to the final submission stage of your application, including the valuable peer review process  help you get in touch with previously successful applicants  guide you through how to improve your application if it is unsuccessful  provide administrative support for the life of a grant  help staff and students locate other sources of funding

11. 11 Thank you! Please contact us to discuss your application ideas CASS Research Office Coombs Building, ground floor grants.cass@anu.edu.au www.cass.anu.edu.au/staff/research