panel 3 thomas kador

Some personal lessons for getting funded

Dr Thomas KadorMarie Curie Research FellowUniversity of Bristolthomas.kador@bristol.ac.uk

10 April 2023

1thomas.kador@bristol.ac.uk

New Horizons in the HumanitiesRoyal Irish Academy

30 January 2014

Background

• IRCHSS Government of Ireland Scholarship in 2003• Completed PhD at UCD in 2007• John Hume Institute Post Doc (PRTLI funded) 2008 –

2010• Commenced Marie Curie IEF at University of Bristol in

October 2012• Various smaller grants throughout

Headlines for CV but the real work lies between these lines

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Three key lessons

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Lesson 1: Make sure the figures add up

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Lesson 2: Perseverance

• Playing the Long Game• No exit strategy!• Building up a track record (smaller grants etc.)

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Lesson 2: Perseverance

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‘Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.’(Thomas A. Edison)

Lesson 3: Talk to people

• Generosity• Misplaced paranoia about

plagiarism• Successful applications (or

‘good’ unsuccessful ones provided you have reviewers’ feedback)

• Take advice (but with caution)

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Finally: Transparency

• Marie Curie / ERC have set the standard for national funding bodies• Criteria• Scoring• Weighting

• Use it to your advantage• Take reviewers’ feedback on board!

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The last word to the Madame herself…

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‘Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained’ (Marie Sklodowska Curie).