1. Early Researcher Award Workshop
University of Toronto
Research Services Office
October 12, 2011

2. Topics to be covered Checklists Am I eligible?
When is it premature to apply?
What dates & deadlines do I need to be aware of?
Application Evaluation
Reviewers
Selection criteria
Scoring
Application Walkthrough
Proposal writing tips
Budget tips
Reference Letters
Key elements to a competitive application
Q&A

3. What is ERA? ERA helps promising, recently-appointed Ontario
researchers build their research teams.
Goal is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent.
Award of $100,000 with matching $50,000 from researcher's institution/partner organization.
Up to $40,000 will be provided to the institution by the Ministry for indirect costs.

4. Program Updates
For Round 8, ERA has introduced a new, distinct “Arts & Humanities” panel.
Applications will now be assessed in one of 7 panels:
Arts & Humanities
Social Sciences
Energy, Environment & Emerging Technologies
Information & Communication Technologies, Math & Physics
Life Sciences – Clinical
Life Sciences – Non-Clinical
Materials & Advanced Manufacturing

5. Eligibility Checklist
Submitted an NOI to MRI by the October 7th deadline
5 years from starting independent academic career as of July 1, 2011
(i.e., July 1, 2006)
10 years from completed first PhD, MD or DVM degree as of July 1, 2011
(i.e., July 1, 2001)
10 E and 10 F – Interruption or Delays and Productivity Interruptions or Delays 5 5

6. When is it premature to apply?
You have had limited experience and opportunity to demonstrate your potential
You do not have peer reviewed funding, e.g., Tri-Council (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC)
Your research is still too closely linked to that of your supervisor(s)
You cannot obtain strong arm’s-length* reference letters
International Stature
* No personal link with the researcher; has not been a colleague, research collaborator or corporate sponsor for the past 5 years.

7. Application Evaluation: Reviewers
Who will be reviewing my application?
How many reviewers will read my application?
Will they be experts in my field?
Reviewers
How many reviewers read each ERA application?
Staff reviews incoming applications for completeness and issues of eligibility. For each application, the expert panel assigns 3 reviewers (1 primary and 2 secondary readers) to provide thoughtful analysis using the Evaluation Categories of: Excellence of Researcher (40%); Quality of Research (30%); Development of Research Talent (20%); and Strategic Value to Ontario (10%). For each evaluation category, a score of: exceptional; excellent; very strong; strong; moderate; and insufficient; will be applied.
Are reviewers experts in the researcher’s field?
Assume that the reviewers are from a similar scientific discipline, but are not necessarily specialists in the exact field of research. Panels are multidisciplinary. Several proposals from last year were not written for a multidisciplinary audience. Use clear language and avoid technical jargon. All technical terms must be internationally understood. 
Do the same reviewers review each round of ERA applications?
While it is theoretically possible that the same reviewer can review a researcher’s ERA resubmission (to a subsequent competition), it is not usually the case.

8. App. Evaluation: Selection Criteria
Four Weighted Criteria:
Excellence of Researcher (40%)
Quality of Research (30%)
Development of Research Talent (20%)*
Strategic Value to Ontario (10%)*
* These sections are becoming increasingly important
Excellence of the researcher (40%)
Researcher’s accomplishments based on academic and employment record, research grants and awards received, publications and other examples of research productivity;
Researcher’s current standing and potential for excellence in the research field based on research plans and letters of reference;
Demonstrated independence from previous supervisor regarding publication; and
Demonstrated independent peer-reviewed funding.
Quality of the research (30%)
Excellence and originality of the proposed research based on the research plan; and
Clarity of research proposal and relevance of methodology.
Development of research talent (20%)
Development of research knowledge and skills based on the training plan for members of the research team, as well as past experience.
Strategic value to Ontario (10%)
Here Strategic value includes but is not limited to the potential for:
Economic benefit
Social and/or cultural benefit;
Knowledge transfer;
Ability to enhance the province’s profile in the global academic community; and
Anticipated impact on bio-economy and clean technologies, advanced health technologies, and digital media and information and communication technologies.

9. Application Evaluation: Scoring
In each of the 4 categories, your application will be
Evaluated as:
Exceptional
Excellent
_____________________________________
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Insufficient
Very competitive – However UofT traditionally scores above the provincial average in its success rates.
Applications are ranked relative to other applications

10. Application Walkthrough Stages of Grant Writing
Stage 1: Developing your Proposal
Stage 2:
Writing your Proposal
Stage 3:
Improving Your Proposal

11. Phase 1: Planning & Research 4 Ws (and H) Reference Letters
Program Requirements
Research –
WHO who you want to work with or bring onto the project – Co-Applicants & Collaborators,
And any other personnel involved. You should check their availability and also their suitability in terms of what you want to achieve.
It’s important to ensure that they have the skills to realise the aims of the project. Find out about their previous work and what they can bring to your project.
Consultation. When projects are based on partnerships, it is strongly recommended that you discuss ideas. goals and implications of the project with the people and groups you are collaborating with.
Documentation. It’s important to plan how you will document the process and outcomes of the project. You’ll need to consider this for inclusion in the budget as well as meeting reporting requirements.

12. Phase 2: Writing Successful Examples Proofread Audience Be Concise
Informative
Concise
Precise
Proofread
Successful Examples – Colleagues, ERA Website, TIPS DOCUMENTS
Audience - adjudicated by multidisciplinary committees that include relevant expertise from within and outside of your specific field of research. Also be sure to mirror back the language used in the Application instructions.
Informative – Because your application will be read by a multidisciplinary assessment panel be sure to explain any discipline specific terms or concepts that may not be familiar to those outside of your area. Focus on the content, planning and outcomes.
Concise. Assessment panels will often have a lot of applications to read and assess. They will appreciate clear, well written and not overly wordy applications.
Precise. If an application form instructs you to use only the space provided or provides a word count, you should follow those instructions – don’t go over, but also don’t go much under. Also be sure to pay attention to the recommended section and sub-section headings that are provided in the application instructions – use these.

13. Phase 3: Improving Be Critical Review & Editing Incorporate Feedback
Be Critical – After you’ve written a draft of the application, set it aside for a couple of days and then come back to it with fresh and critical eyes. Circulate the draft to your partners and ask for constructive feedback.
Review & Editing – take advantage of the internal review & editing services that are offered through your Faculty and/or through Research Services.
Review and incorporate the feedback.

14. Tips on Training & Mentoring
Meaningful
Participation
Specific Roles & Responsibilities
Mentoring
& Employability
The Details
Uniqueness
Meaningful Participation – Be sure that your students and postdocs are true participants in the project – indicate what their contributions will be at each stage of the project.
Specific roles – in this section it is important to identify and discuss in specific terms what roles & responsibilities your HQP will have over the life of the project.
Mentoring – how will you usher them through the project? What benefits will they gain from working with you and your team? Will they gain international experiences & have the opportunity to network with people who are important to their future careers?
Employability – What skills, experiences, contacts will your students and PDF gain through their involvement in this project? How will these make them more attractive to future employers – academic and otherwise.
The Details – give details about past training experience, and project the # of students and PDF trainees you anticipate training over the life of the grant.
Uniqueness – why will this be a unique training experience – what does your team have to offer that will attract and retain top HQP. Is there another training opportunity like this in Ontario, Canada, Internationally?

15. Strategic Value to Ontario
Economic &/or Social Benefit
Knowledge Transfer
HQP
(use stats)
International Profile
1. Economic Benefit - lead to new products, new efficiencies, reduce healthcare costs
Social Benefit - reduce disease rates, lead to better management of public resources .
Address the possible path of knowledge transfer from your lab to these economic and social benefits. The more specific and engaged you appear, the better.
Discuss how the HQP trained in your lab will be equipped with the in-demand skill set to contribute to this sector.
This section is a particularly good place to use statistics from Statistics Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, etc., to bolster your argument.
If there are other Ontario ministries whose mandate correlates with your research take a look at their websites to see the kind of language they use to state their priorities.
Address how the plan will enhance the province’s profile in the global academic community

16. Application Walkthrough Budget Tips
16. TOTAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET: (include ERA + Matching Contribution)
Amounts should be in Canadian dollars, with no cents. For each proposed team member, identify the level, and proposed expenditure each year. If the ERA is to be used for youth outreach, provide the costs for each year. Indicate the requested reimbursement for indirect costs each year. All expenditures must be eligible costs. Refer to the ERA Guidelines for further information on eligible costs.
Team Member
Expenditure
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
Total 1.
Undergraduate Student
Salary $0
Benefits
Travel
Associated Expenses 2.
Masters Student
consider time it would take to recruit
position prior to start of salary 3.
Doctoral Student 4.
Post-doctoral Fellow 5.
Research Associate/ Research Assistant/ Research Technicians
Youth Outreach Activities
$1K max
TOTAL
Total Expenditures should equal $150,000
ERA AMOUNT
Total ERA amount should equal $100,000
MATCHING AMOUNT
Total Matching amount should equal $50,000
Requested Reimbursment for Indirect Costs
Total Indirect Costs should equal $40,000

17. Application Walkthrough Reference Letters
Extremely important to demonstrating your standing in the field.
What should I tell my referees to address in their letters?
Excellence of the Researcher
Quality of the Research
Development of Research Talent
Strategic Value for Ontario

18. Checklist: Reference Letters
Step One: Contact your references and arrange for 3 original letters of reference:
ERA Nomination (*YOUR NAME*)
c/o Keti Dzamova
Research Funding Administrator
Research Services
University of Toronto
12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Third Floor
Toronto, ON M5S 1S8 CANADA
Your referees must send their letters directly to the Research Services
Office in sealed envelopes w/ the referee's signature across the seal.
Step Two: Forward a list of your references to Keti Dzamova so that she can accurately match your letters to your application. Keep Keti updated should any of your references change
Step Three: Check in with referees to confirm letters have been sent. 18

19. Checklist: Important Dates
U of T’s internal deadline for completed applications is November 7, Reference Letters must be into Research Services on or before this date!
Complete applications must be received or post-marked on or before the MRI deadline of 4 p.m. November 14, 2011.
Turnaround time between application deadline and results no earlier than 6 months. Anticipated award start date - May, 2012.
Note: There is no appeal of the decisions including decisions regarding the eligibility of the application. 19

20. Checklist: Documents
1 original + 5 copies of the complete ERA application. Consult instructions for document order.
1 CD/memory stick of application documents in the same order as above and in PDF format
For Internal UT purposes - RIS application attachment signed by applicant, Chair and Vice-Dean Research (not to be on CD/memory stick) 20

21. More Information Sheila Van Landeghem Keti Dzamova Alice Taylor
Sheila Van Landeghem
Proposal guidelines, budget ;
Keti Dzamova
Letters, application drop off ;
Alice Taylor
Editorial guidance ;

22. 10 Key Elements of a Competitive Application
Head of the pack/building momentum
Demonstrates independent research & funding
Research plan is clear, original, significant & project focused
Training plan is well aligned with research & will give HQP experience/skills not available elsewhere
Value to Ontario/Knowledge transfer is clearly demonstrated
Enthusiastic reference letters from international leaders
Provides field specific context
Ability to attract matching funds from industry partner
Written for a multidisciplinary audience
Follows Instructions