Research Fellowships Dr John Burden Research and Impact 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

A fellowship is about more than the research you will do It is about how this research allows you to make the transition from researcher to academic A bigger picture than just research; Where will you be in 5 – 10 years time How will this Fellowship take you there? It is about the Person, Place & Project (in that order)

What are funders looking for? Independence Academic leading research group in 5-10 years Commitment to academic career Outstanding research ideas Leadership potential You need to show evidence of

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

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 What is the outcome of your research? Who will benefit from it? How will they get to know about it? Person - Impact

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. commitmentLab space, equipment, support staff, office space, finance, contract, future plans MentorsAbility to support research and development, previous record, independence – not a free post-doc

Internationally leading Pushing the boundaries of research in your area New direction IndependentIndependent 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 Project

What gets Funded?

Writing a successful proposal 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 General Guidelines

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 is in a proposal?

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 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 PhD Post Doc Academic Research Management

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 Internal Peer Review University Sign-Off Procedures Submission 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

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

In summary…… Start early; 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