1. Fellowships and Postdoctoral Career Development
Dr Michael Ball
BBSRC
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2. BBSRC funding totals around £420M p.a. (08/09)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Our Mission (Royal Charter) is:
to support high-class science and research training, and to promote knowledge transfer
in support of bio-based industries and public engagement in bioscience.
BBSRC funding totals around £420M p.a. (08/09)
Slide covers main messages
Note: we are planning to change the picture so dont worry about these ones- they exemplify the range of remit
STAKEHOLDERS
ACADEMIA
INDUSTRY
PUBLIC
GOVERNMENT

3. Training highly-skilled scientists A significant investment
Much of BBSRC’s funding is directed to supporting researchers in the early stages of their careers and we have a responsibility to ensure that they are cared for.
BBSRC funds around 2200 PhD students and 1900 postdocs at any one time

4. What are we training people for?
The wider HE Biosciences community
Staff: 10,135
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From: HESA, Students (Biological Sciences, excl. Psychology and Sports Science; plus Agriculture and Veterinary degree students)
Postgraduates: 14,325
Undergraduates: 64,360
From: HESA, Students (Biological Sciences, excl. Psychology and Sports Science; plus Agriculture and Veterinary degree students)

5. Career Development in HE
Career ‘pyramid’ in HE Biosciences
Professors: 1,190
Senior Lecturers: 1,710
Lecturers: 1,720
Postdoc Researchers: 5,515
From: HESA, Resources (Biosciences Cost Centre)

6. Postdoc Opportunities
Postdoc positions represent a major BBSRC investment in the development of scientists
You need to have a lecturer position to apply for BBSRC grant funding
But you can write a proposal with a PI and be funded as the ‘researcher co-investigator’
But there are risks as well as opportunities to being a postdoc!
Finding the right postdoc opportunity is crucial
And important not to see it as a simple stepping stone into academia

7. Postdoctoral Researchers
Culture change in the employment of postdoctoral researchers
We see this as crucial to ensuring that the postdoc career phase is attractive, but also prepares researchers for a wider range of opportunities beyond academia
The new Concordat is key here
Vitae (replacing UKGrad) now supports career development for postdocs as well as PhD students
BBSRC has introduced a new grant assessment criteria for the role of grant as long-term training investment in the researcher
How can BBSRC best promote and facilitate this culture change?

8. Concordat
BBSRC is (along with the other Research Councils) a signatory to the new Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (2008):
BBSRC works with other funders and through Vitae to promote the need for PIs, Universities, funders and postdocs themselves to maximise the career development opportunities in a postdoctoral research post.

9. Professional Skills Check out the Vitae website:
Most universities and institutes have dedicated postdoc development activities funded by Research Council ‘Roberts’ funding.
Make the most of these in order to develop a broad set of skills which may help you make an impact with your research outside of academia.

10. Why does BBSRC fund Fellowships?
Funding outstanding scientists at various stages of their research careers
Identifying the research leaders of tomorrow and supporting existing ones
RISK

11. Fellowship “flavours”

12. Enterprise Fellowships
reimbursed for 12 months Fellow’s salary to enable development of a commercial proposition or product (60% time)
up to £10k support costs
business training (40% time)
access to an academic mentor and industrial supervisor
administered by The Royal Society of Edinburgh
expect up to 5 Fellowships to be awarded per annum, with two closing dates in Mar/Oct, Fellowship to begin Oct/Apr
Next Closing Date: 4 May 2010

13. David Phillips Fellowship Institute Career Path Fellowship
Early Career BBSRC Fellowships
David Phillips Fellowship Institute Career Path Fellowship
David Phillips gained a first degree in Physics and after war service returned to Cardiff for postgraduate studies in crystallography. After postdoctoral research in Canada, he joined a team headed by Bragg, Perutz and Kendrew who were investigating the three-dimensional structures of large molecules such as proteins. He was involved in the determination of the first 3-D structure of a protein molecule, myoglobin, in Phillips led the group which determined the complete structure of lysozyme in 1965, a structure characterised by a deep cleft on one surface which suggested how lysozyme might interact with other molecules. With the other members of the group and with C. A. Vernon, he was able to propose a mechanism for the enzyme’s catalytic activity which has since been shown to be essentially correct. The work was immediately recognised to be of very great importance. Phillips was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was awarded many honorary degrees and a number of medals, including the Royal Medal of the Royal Society in 1975.
3 After his appointment as Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Oxford, Phillips led the way in the elucidation of the structures of enzymes, antibodies, viruses and other macromolecular complexes. He served as a vice-president of the Royal Society ( ), and as its biological secretary ( ). He was then appointed chairman of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils, the body responsible for advising the Government on the disposition of funding for research councils and universities, a post he held for ten years.

14. BBSRC Fellowships
To support outstanding bioscientists in the early stage of their research careers who wish to establish themselves as independent researchers
Institute Career Path Fellowship
same duration, terms and conditions, etc., as David Phillips Fellowship, but held at BBSRC-sponsored Institute in areas of strategic importance for Institute skills base
Institute guarantees permanent position subject to satisfactory progress
Full details available in the BBSRC Fellowships Guide:
Look at Fellowships available from other funders too, e.g. Wellcome, MRC, NERC, etc.

15. BBSRC Fellowships
David Phillips Fellowships can be an any area of BBSRC’s remit
but priority is given to those in BBSRC’s strategic priority areas
The target areas for the Institute Career Path Fellowships vary each year
for the 09/10 competition proposal were invited from early-career researchers wishing to work in areas of research connected to Food Security
Number and duration
normally 8-10 David Phillips Fellowships awarded each year, and 2 Institute Career Path Fellowships
5 Year duration, with 2 year further extension for exceptional Fellows

16. BBSRC Fellowships Eligibility
Maximum 10 years of active research (postgraduate research plus postdoctoral research) as at 1 October
In addition, applicants will normally have a minimum of 3 years of active postdoctoral research experience
“Active” means that periods of maternity/paternity leave or career breaks do not count
No restrictions on nationality

17. BBSRC Fellowships Research Support Grant
No maximum limit, but typically will be around £600k - £1M over five years
Will cover staff post
Awarded under “full economic cost” principles
Family friendly: Fellows can go part-time or suspend their Fellowship for maternity break
In fact, in the 2005/06 competition, one fellowship was awarded at £1.25m over five years

18. BBSRC Fellowships Competition process
Call for applications in September; November deadline
Initial sift in December
References sought up on those that make it through the sift
Shortlisting in March
Interviews in April
Award taken up anytime before following January

19. Challenges and Advantages of the Fellowship Route
It’s your research, you’re the boss
You need to recruit and manage the staff
Can be difficult to establish your independence alongside colleagues you have worked with as a postdoc
From an employment perspective, you will normally be on a fixed-term contract
Getting a Fellowship is highly competitive…
…and future employers will expect to see significant results

20. Some simple tips
Start your application in good time (e.g. 12 months ahead of the application deadline!)
Think about where you want to hold the Fellowship and make contact early
You should get help from your prospective host institution on costing your application
Read the competition details from the funder carefully
Think about the strategic priorities of the funder and how you can maximise your chances of success
Make sure you get senior colleagues to read and comment on your proposal

21. www Fellowships