early career researcher development programme - dit.ie · (research master, phd) our mission is to...

Early Career ResearcherDevelopment Programme

DIT 10 October 2018

Dr Andrea Valova

Assistant DirectorProgrammes & Resources

Agenda

Our mission is to enable and sustain a vibrant and creative

research community in Ireland

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1. Introduction

2. What influences the role of the Irish Research Council

3. Current role of the Irish Research Council

4. Overview of research funding opportunities

5. Tips for researchers and their supervisors & mentors

Introduction



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• Irish Research Council created in 2012, merger of IRCHSS and IRCSET

• Agency of Department of Education and Skills • Operating under the aegis of the Higher Education

Authority• Funding excellent research in all disciplines

• no research prioritisation• no disciplinary/institutional quotas

• More about the Council and what we do on our website

http://research.ie/about-us/

http://research.ie/what-we-do/

http://research.ie/

Our mandate



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• Fund excellent research within, and between, all disciplines

• Support the education and skills development of excellent

individual early-stage researchers

• Enrich the pool of knowledge and expertise available for

addressing Ireland’s current and future needs, and enabling

knowledge exchange with government departments and

agencies, enterprise and civic society

• Provide policy advice on postgraduate education, and on

more general research matters, to national and international

bodies

Some metrics



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• Total of 8,300 individual research awards made by Council

• 6,420 early-career awards• 395 individual enterprise/employment partners

to-date• 854 collaborative enterprise awards to-date• 1,300 research awards made in last two years• 6,600 individual international peer reviews

commissioned for 2017-2018 applications alone

What influences the Council’s role



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1. National policies

2. European landscape

3. Broader international landscape

Council delivery under national policy and strategy



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European and broader international landscape



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1. H2020• National Delegate, Societal Challenges 6 “Innovative,

Inclusive and Reflective Societies”• National Contact Point (ERC for ASSH)• Co-funding national MSCA office (IUA)

2. Memberships, partnerships and engagement• Science Europe, Humanities in the European Research Area

(HERA), GENDER-NET, New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Co-operation in Europe (NORFACE)…

3. Council’s International Engagement Strategy 2018 -2021

http://research.ie/assets/uploads/2018/06/03829-IRC-International-Strategy-Rpt-proof07.pdf

Unique role



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• Addressing the three key pillars of national research and innovation policy framework: research for knowledge, research for policy and research priorities

• Supporting the broad development of excellent people in our higher education institutions

• Delivering on the high-level skills agenda of the Department of Education and Skills, to include innovation, creativity, and advanced analytical skills as well as expert knowledge

Innovation in enterpriseBringing skills, talent & research to enterprise



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Ireland-based companies cultivating AHSS links



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________________________________________________________________________

Overview of research funding opportunities



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Funding excellence in all disciplinesand all levels of research career

• Individual awards• Frontier research• Research for policy and society• Knowledge exchange• Interdisciplinary research• Intersectoral collaboration• Recognition of excellence and impact• Details on Council’s website

http://research.ie/funding

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Council supporting researchers at all stages of research career



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Overview of research funding opportunities

Postgraduate Scholarships (Research Master, PhD)



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Government of Ireland

Postgraduate Scholarships

Employment Based

Postgraduate Research

Scheme

Enterprise Partnership

Scheme Postgraduate

Scholarships

Full time studentEmployed by Partner, registered

full time studentFull time student

Scholarship 16k/year + fees + up

to 2,250 research expenses

Salary minimum 16k/year + fees

+ up to 2,250 research expenses

Scholarship 16k/year + fees + up

to 2,250 research expenses

up to 2 years structured RM, up

to 4 years structured PhD





Irish Research Council 100%

funded

Council funding 16k towards

salary costs + 8k for fees and

research expenses; Partner:

minimum 8k

Council funding 66%, Enterprise

partner 33%

no partnerPartner must have operational

base in Ireland

Enterprise Partner based

anywhere

Postdoctoral Fellowships



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Government of Ireland

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Enterprise Partnership

Scheme Postdoctoral

Fellowships

H2020 MSCA COFUND

CAROLINE Fellowships

1 or 2 years 2 years programme closed

€31,275 + PRSI + Pension where

researcher eligible

€31,275 + PRSI + Pension where

researcher eligibleH2020 MSCA rates

up to €5k for research expenses up to €5k for research expenses MSCA rates (€9,600 per year)

Irish Research Council 100%

funded

Funding: Council 66%,

Enterprise partner 33%

European Commission and

Council 100%

Researcher employed by and

based in Irish HEI

Researcher employed by and

based in Irish HEI, placement

opportunity in Enterprise Partner

Researcher employed by an Irish

HEI/RPO with secondment to

NGO/International

Organisation

Enterprise Partner based

anywhere

location of secondment

depending on fellowship type

GOIPD Fellowships types



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One-year fellowships:• To prepare a doctoral dissertation for publication through a

variety of high quality published outputs e.g. monographs, peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes

• No mobility requirement – can be held at the HEI where PhD degree was awarded/current appointment held

Two-year fellowships:• To develop either a new research project or a research project

that demonstrates a significant development of the subject of the doctorate through a variety of appropriate, feasible and clear published outputs.

• Mobility requirement

Who have we supported and where do they go?

Total numbers funded 2000-2016

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6,424

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships



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Considerations before applying



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• Read the call documentation in full• Am I eligible?• Am I a good fit for the scheme?• Is my idea a good fit for the scheme?• Is prospective partner organisation eligible/good fit for

the scheme?• Am I prepared to accept conditions of the award?

• Value• Start date• Conditions of award

• Am I ready for the challenge?

Tips for early career researchers



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• Start early• Read the call documentation again….• ….and follow the guidelines!• Understand aims of funding scheme and ensure good match• Maximise benefits• Write for assessors: experts *and* non-experts• Self-assess against evaluation criteria• Ask for advice and feedback, engage with Research Office• Listen - but make your own decisions: it is your proposal!• Research integrity starts with proposal preparation• Submit well ahead of deadline• Be open-minded, patient and kind

Evaluators’ consideration of your proposal: Meeting scheme’s objectives



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Impact / Career training and

development

Projectfindings Methodology

mastered?

New specialist knowledge/skills

acquired?

Networks built thanks to supervisor / institution?

Publications?

Presentations at conferences?

Involvement in teaching

activities?

Tips for supervisors/mentors



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• Considerations before agreeing to support an applicant• Applications are work of the future award holders• Broad advisory role: disciplinary and beyond (research ethics,

sex/gender dimension…)• Applying for funding as part of ECR’s training and career

development• Understand aims of funding scheme and help applicant to

ensure good match• Engage with institutional supports• Submit your form well ahead of deadline• Be open-minded, patient and kind• Post-application support

When the results are out…



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• Successful? • CONGRATULATIONS!• Award acceptance procedure• Progress reporting• Compliance with terms and conditions of the award• Read T&Cs again!• Acknowledgement of funding, Open access….

• Not successful?• TRY AGAIN!• Council’s schemes highly competitive• Unable to fund all high quality applications

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Thank you

Dr Andrea Valova

Assistant DirectorProgrammes & Resources

[email protected]

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