1. Early career research: possibilities & opportunities for success Chris Phillipson Keele University

2. Areas covered Key principles Life course model Funding possibilities Structuring proposals Concordat Future challenges

3. Early Career Key principles Institutional/researcher responsibility Importance of mentoring Publishing strategy Research management Training and professional development Disciplinary development Life course

4. Centres Research Masters +3 Studentship Postdoctoral Fellowship Large Grant Mid-career Fellowship First Grant Scheme Professorial Fellowship Priority Networks/ Groups Research Opportunities On-going Training and Development Research Career – Funding Pathway Centres Research Masters +3 Studentship Postdoctoral Fellowship Small/Standard Grants Large Grant Mid-career Fellowship First Grant Scheme Professorial Fellowship Priority Networks/ Groups Research Opportunities

5. Early career possibilities ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships – eligible up to 3 years after submission of Ph.D (steer towards particular subject areas in 2010) Small grants scheme – less than £100,000k useful for new researchers Response Mode First Grants – open to those who have not been PIs; must be within 6 years completion of Ph.D; up to £400,000 Next call in Oct Standard grants - £100,000k plus Response mode Mid-Career Development Fellowships – between 5 and 15 years postdoc experience

6. Early career possibilities ESRC Research Methods Festival - Festival aims to engage social scientists across a wide range of disciplines and sectors and at different points in their research careers. Support from professional bodies (e.g. BSA, SPA, BSG) Researcher Development Initiative http://www.rdi.ac.uk/projects/round4/ National Centre for Research Methods http://www.ncrm.ac.uk/TandE/calendar.php

7. Early career possibilities Leverhulme early career fellowships – 70 were available in 2010. Anticipated that Fellowship will lead to permanent academic position. British Academy: Small grants scheme (up £7,500) Postdoctoral fellowship scheme – aimed at strengthening research and teaching experience in a university environment Nuffield Foundation: Social Science Small Grants Scheme (£15,000) International

8. Structuring proposals The research question The theory The analysis

9. Early career Research Staff Implementation of Concordat to support career development of researchers – agreement between funders and employers of researchers. http://www.researchconcordat.ac.uk/documents /concordat.pdf

10. Concordat Principles Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research. Researchers are recognised and valued by their employing organisation as an essential part of their organisation's human resources and a key component of their overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research. Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.

11. Concordat Principles The importance of researchers' personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career. Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning. Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers. The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective review of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.

12. Future challenges Adjusting to inter-disciplinary challenges Funding issues Management Training Changing university and public sector environment