Fellowships and funding

The complete guide to career

success, in 45 minutes or less

Overview

• Why bother with funding?

• What makes a good project?

• Where can I apply?

• Planning ahead

• Who can help me?

• Internal approvals

• FAQs

• Questions!

Why bother with funding?

• Next steps in academic career

• Useful training opportunities

• Visit other groups and bring back skills to your local environment, or escape altogether!

• Whether or not you want to become a fully independent investigator, someone with the skill and experience of writing grant applications – particularly successful ones, even if small – is invaluable in both research and other potential careers.

The 3 Ps

• Normal grants/programmes are assessed via: 1. Project

2. People

3. Place(s)

• Fellowships, however, are assessed via: 1. Person

2. Project

3. Place

1. Person

• Show your potential – are you likely to succeed as an independent investigator?

• Strong publications are obviously helpful

• However, they are not everything: prizes and awards, invited talks at conferences, organise (inter)national conferences, committees, book chapters, public engagement etc.

• You competitiveness will be judged according to your career stage, not against everybody

2. Project

• Remember your funder’s priorities

• Highlight novelty and timeliness

• Explain how outcomes will make a difference – both to scientists and to the public (health and wealth), though keep it realistic

• Build on preliminary data where possible and personal/ collaborator unique expertise

• Scale/scope appropriate for level of award

• All elements of the plan are clear and justified

• Understand and ‘de-risk’ potential difficulties

• As clear and enjoyable to read as possible

3. Place

• Department needs to have a record in the area of research proposed for the Fellowship

• Highlight potential collaborations, both within and outside discipline

• Appropriate facilities and major equipment should be present to support you

• Evidence of commitment helps, either to you personally (required for some Fellowships) or at least strategically to the area of research

Also: Training and development

• Package to fit the level of fellowship

• Must add value (personally, locally, nationally)

• Must be relevant to research proposed

• Needs appropriate choice of mentor

• Broader skills for developing as a researcher, especially management/leadership

• Travel to develop skills/collaborations with other labs is especially welcome

Funders: 1. The catch-all

Find out what they fund

But what do they really want to fund?

The MRC has two research priority themes 2009-14:

1. Resilience, repair and replacement • Natural protection • Tissue disease and degeneration • Mental health and wellbeing • Repair and replacement 2. Living a long and healthy life • Genetics and disease • Life course perspective • Lifestyles affecting health • Environment and health

Career development award Up to 5 years support for outstanding post-doctoral researchers who wish to consolidate their research skills. Non-clinical Clinical research training fellowship Up to 3 years support for clinically qualified, active professionals to undertake specialised or further research training. Clinical Clinician scientist fellowship To enable outstanding clinical researchers to make the transition from postdoctoral research and training to independent investigation. Clinical Early career fellowship in economics of health Extends the preceding joint MRC/NIHR/ESRC fellowship, established to support two rounds of annual fellowship competitions. Specialist Jointly funded clinical research training fellowship Opportunities for additional clinical research training fellowships through collaborations with Royal Colleges and Charity funders. Clinical Methodology research fellowship Part of MRC's renewed commitment to methods development research aimed at developing the methodological research leaders of tomorrow. Specialist MRC Career development award in biostatistics Postdoctoral fellowship to support individuals working in, or who wish to move into, health related research. Specialist Policy internship scheme The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) have teamed up to offer a policy internship scheme. Non-clinical Population health scientist fellowship Early career training and development in population health sciences. Clinical, Non-clinical Senior clinical fellowship Prestigious award for clinical researchers of exceptional ability. Clinical Senior non-clinical fellowship Award for non-clinical researchers of exceptional ability. Non-clinical Special training fellowship in biomedical informatics (computational biology, neuroinformatics and health informatics) Awarded at post-doctoral entry level only. All proposals must include a well-specified formal training element in addition to a research project. Specialist

MRC postdoctoral fellowship schemes

Methodology Development

MRC postdoctoral fellowship schemes

Non Clinical, Clinical and some Strategic Skill fellowships

-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 11 12

Yrs Post PhD

Career Development Award

Senior Non-Clinical

CRTF

Clinician Scientist

Senior Clinical

Clinical Lectureship Senior Clinical

Lectureship

Population Health Science

Biomed informatics, Biostats, Health Economics Complementary NIHR Schemes

KEY

New Investigator Research Grant

• Around 500 fellowship applications had a final decision made during 2011/12 and 92 awards were made, committing around £51 million.

• At the end of March 2012, there were around 400 MRC fellows active in the UK.

• 26 awards for New Investigator Research Grants were funded (£10.7m) in 2011/12 with a success rate of 28%, compared with 15 awards and a success rate of 12% in 2010/11.

How many awards do they make?

What kind of success rate is that?

Are things getting easier or tougher?

Fellowship awards by year, type and value

Funders: 2. The one everybody

gets a bit confused about

• Training in clinical and applied health research, including social care research.

• Proposal must have clear potential for benefitting patients and public within 5 years of its completion.

• The research can involve: patients; samples or data from patients; people who are not patients; populations; health technology assessment; or health services research.

• NIHR does not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue.

NIHR Remit

• If the work involves biomarkers: - research that tests whether application of new knowledge can improve

treatment or patient outcomes, and has obvious potential benefit within 5 years, is within remit; this might include application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to refine and test novel therapeutic strategies.

- research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning disease, or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis (including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.

• NIHR is also prepared to support research into medical education.

Doctors + Dentists NIHR Integrated

Academic Training

All Professions NIHR Fellowships

Nurses, Midwives, AHPs Clinical Academic Training

NIHR Clinical

Lectureship

NIHR Clinician

Scientist

NIHR Doctoral

Research

Fellowship

NIHR Post

Doctoral

Fellowship

NIHR Career

Development

Fellowship

NIHR Senior

Research

Fellowship

NIHR/CNO Masters

in Clinical Research

NIHR/CNO Clinical

Doctoral Research

Fellowship

Healthcare Scientists and

others

Senior/ Pre-Chair

Senior Post-Doc

Early Post-Doc

Doctoral

Pre-Doctoral / Masters

Undergraduate

NIHR/CNO/HEFCE

Senior Clinical

Lectureship

NIHR Academic Clinical

Fellowship

NIHR/CNO Clinical

Lectureship

CSO Healthcare

Scientist

Doctoral

Fellowship

CSO Healthcare

Scientist

Post Doctoral

Fellowship

NIHR

In-Practice Fellowship

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Research Methods

Fellowships

MSc Medical Statistics

and MSc in Health

economics

NIHR Research Career Pathways

NIHR Doctoral

Research

Fellowship

NIHR Post

Doctoral

Fellowship

NIHR Career

Development

Fellowship

NIHR Senior

Research

Fellowship

Senior/ Pre-Chair

Senior Post-Doc

Early Post-Doc

Doctoral

Pre-Doctoral / Masters

Undergraduate

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All Professions NIHR Fellowships

NIHR Research Career Pathways

Some previous research experience (e.g. MSc)

Some outputs from research

Evidence of commitment to research career

PhD/MD and have submitted outputs from

research

≤ 3 years WTE Post Doctorate

Evidence of commitment to research career

PhD/MD and postdoctoral experience (≤ 7 yrs WTE Post PhD) Significant output from research Evidence of increasing independence Experience of developing research skills of others

Significant postdoctoral experience Outstanding publication record Independence and Leadership Record of research capacity development

NIHR Fellowships Programme Facts and figures

2010 (Round 3) DRF PDF CDF SRF TOTAL

Applied 158 59 35 10 262

Eligible 150 57 33 9 249

Shortlisted 60 16 11 3 90

Awarded 33 7 4 1 45

21% 12% 11% 10% 17%

2011 (Round 4) DRF PDF CDF SRF TOTAL

Applied 155 82 58 19 314

Eligible 137 73 51 14 275

Shortlisted 56 38 29 4 127

Awarded 28 16 11 2 57

18% 20% 19% 11% 18%

Funders: 3. Other common targets

Basic biomedical fellowships

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships

Provide support for the most promising newly qualified postdoctoral researchers.

Final year of your PhD studies or have no more than 1 year of postdoctoral research experience

Sir Henry Dale Fellowships

Provides outstanding postdoctoral scientists wishing to build their own independent research career

No more than 7 years postdoc experience. Expect you to have spent <2 years with your current department.

Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science

Provide support for exceptional individuals who can demonstrate their ability to carry out independent research.

5-10 years postdoc experience with substantial publication record

Career Re-entry Fellowships

Provide postdoctoral scientists who have had a recent break of at least two years with the opportunity to return to high-quality research, with the potential for refresher or further training.

You must have had a continuous career break of at least two years and should have either a strong research track record(if applying for up to 4 years' support) or demonstrated the potential for a strong research career prior to your break (if applying for 2 years' support).

Clinical fellowships

Research Training Fellowships

Provide support for medical, dental, veterinary or clinical psychology graduates who have little or no research training, but who wish to develop a long-term career in academic medicine.

Early Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for Clinician Scientists

Provides support for clinicians who have recently gained a higher degree and wish to obtain high-quality postdoctoral training that will lay the foundations for a successful independent research career.

Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for MB/PhD Graduates

Provides support for new qualified MB/PhD graduates to make an early start in developing their independent research careers.

Intermediate Clinical Fellowships

Provide support for outstanding medical, dental, veterinary or clinical psychology graduates to continue research interests at postdoctoral level and develop towards independence.

Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science

Provide support for clinical investigators to further develop their research potential and to establish themselves as leading investigators in clinical academic medicine.

Career Development Fellowship

This Fellowship supports outstanding non-clinical scientists at the start of their independent careers. The Fellowship provides the opportunity to set up an independent research group for the first time.

Career Establishment Awards

Career Establishment Awards provide five years of funding to enable new, non-clinical investigators who have just taken up their first HEFCE funded post at a UK university to establish their own research group.

Clinician Scientist Fellowship

The Clinician Scientist Fellowship provides four years' support for clinical researchers to develop their research skills and make the transition from doctoral research training to an independent clinical-academic investigator.

Senior Cancer Research Fellowship

The Senior Cancer Research Fellowship provides an opportunity for outstanding scientists to establish or to further develop an independent research group. Open to both non-clinical researchers and clinician-scientists.

Research Bursaries for clinicians and professions allied to medicine

This scheme aims to encourage clinicians and those in related professions (e.g. nursing, etc.) to undertake short periods of research in order to enhance the understanding between the research and clinical communities.

Research Travel Awards

Research Travel Awards give Cancer Research UK-funded post-doctoral researchers a chance to develop their research skills and begin to establish an independent research career.

Clinical & basic fellowships

Aimed at Scientists who have demonstrated high potential and who wish to establish themselves as independent researchers. Nature of award Awards are for 5 years, up to 5 are available, and include personal salary and a significant research support grant. Eligibility Applicants should not exceed 10 years in active postgraduate research studies and postdoctoral research employment Applicants should have no less than 3 years of active postdoctoral research experience Research areas Submit a proposal in any area of science within the BBSRC portfolio. We particularly encourage proposals: • That are aligned with BBSRC's overarching strategic priorities (see related links including our

strategic priorities) • That are in areas of scientific and strategic importance to BBSRC and Food Standards Agency

(FSA). For more information see FSA joint call: Early career research fellowships • That are capable of driving forward the UK's Knowledge Based Bioeconomy, with a focus on one

of the following: Industrial biotechnology, Bioenergy, Synthetic biology for white biotechnology.

David Phillips Fellowships

Funders: 4. Some less common

targets

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship For early career scientists who require flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances such as parenting or caring responsibilities or health issues. Female candidates are particularly invited to apply.

Early Career Investigator Awards Fight for Sight supports individuals determined to become leaders in the field of ophthalmology and vision science.

RD Lawrence Fellowship Career development fellowship that enables postdoctoral researchers to establish their independence in diabetes research.

Mid Career Fellowship Provide funds (up to £3k) to support travel to a lab to enable the applicant to advance an on-going programme or facilitate a collaboration which may lead to new programmes of work.

Visiting Fellowships For clinical and non-clinical postdocs to spend two years in a European or international centre of excellence in order to gain new skills and experience relevant to career ambitions.

Norman Aldridge Travelling Fellowship Enables young EU-based scientists to advance their research in toxicology by visiting key laboratories within or outside the UK.

Funders: 5. Going international

Intra European Fellowship funding is provided for advanced training. This may include the acquisition of new and/or complementary skills, and transnational mobility. The training is based on a personal career development programme agreed between the researcher and the supervisor at the host organisation. Financial support is provided for a period of 12-24 months.

International Outgoing Fellowships fund advanced training. Financial support can be given for up to 3 years in all. This includes an initial outgoing phase of 1-2 years in a Third Country. But there is also a mandatory reintegration phase. In other words, you will commit yourself to return to an EU Member State or an Associated Country. An IOF should significantly develop and widen your competences. In particular, it should strengthen your multi- or interdisciplinary expertise, inter-sectoral experience and complementary skills.

Types of training might include: • Training-through-research under supervision, through an individual personalised project • Hands-on training to develop your scientific skills (new techniques or instruments, etc.) and your complementary

skills (proposal preparation to request funding, patent applications, project management, tasks coordination, technical staff supervision, etc.)

• Intersectoral or interdisciplinary knowledge transfer • The capacity to build collaborations • Active scientific and financial management of your research project • Developing organisational skills through organisation of training or dissemination events.

This scheme offers opportunities for postdoctoral scientists to undertake research at the interfaces between biology/medicine and mathematics, engineering, computer, physical or chemical sciences, firstly at MIT and then at a UK institution. Candidates will be expected to identify an important biomedical research question and to propose a personal interdisciplinary training programme to achieve their research aims. The aim is to support those who will train in a new research area that is complementary to, but distinct from, their current field of expertise, to enable an interdisciplinary approach to their research question - e.g. you might be a physicist wanting to work on a biology-based programme, or a biologist wanting to undertake a bio-engineering project.

Wellcome Trust-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Postdoctoral Fellowships

Keep your eyes open for other opportunities:

Funders: 6. Other types of

Fellowship

Funded by BBSRC and delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Enterprise Fellowships are designed to encourage the development of a new business, building on previously funded BBSRC research, around a technological idea developed by the Fellow (either individually or with others) and within which the Fellow would be expected to play a leading (though not necessarily the leading) role. Provide: • A year’s salary to provide time to develop a full business plan and seek investment • Access to mentors, business experts and professional advisors • Business training to help develop the required skills

Now in their third year, Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships aim to support and develop upcoming stars in public engagement with science.

The Engagement Fellowships champion the leaders of tomorrow by fostering the most promising upcoming talent of today. We are looking for people with a strong track record of engaging the public with ideas around biomedical science and/or medical humanities, looking to make a step-change in their careers.

We will provide the freedom, resources and environment to enable exceptional individuals to develop their skills and practice in encouraging the public to examine, explore and debate the big scientific challenges that society faces.

Engagement Fellowships

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

• Facilitate the transfer of knowledge through projects undertaken by high calibre, recently qualified people under joint supervision from a company and an academic institution

• Provide company-based training for recently qualified people to enhance their business and specialist skills • Stimulate and enhance business-relevant training and research undertaken by the academic institutions • Increase the interaction between businesses and academic institutions, and awareness of the contribution

academia can make to business development and growth

Funders: Know your submission

system

Each one is different

Required info/attachments will differ Proposal Form

Case for Support: 3-12 pages 1. Title 2. Importance 3. Scientific potential 3.1. People and Track Record 3.2. Environment 3.3. Research Plans 4. Ethics and Research Governance 5. Data Preservation for Sharing 6. Exploitation and Dissemination

Letter(s) of Support

Justification of Resources: 2 pages

Data Management Plan: 2 pages

Pathways to Impact: 2 pages

CVs: 3 pages, 2 pages background info and 1 page references

MRC Industrial Collaboration Award (MICA) form plus Heads of Terms

Next (/first) steps

Planning ahead

Who can help me? • Research Facilitator: Each School has dedicated support for grant application

process – advice, costings, drafting and review of application, stock text, approvals processes

• Supervisor and senior colleagues: Need honest appraisal of research ideas and Fellowship plans from people with experience (especially of review) – not just in your subject area!

• Successful Fellows: Speak to people who have been awarded Fellowships previously, and learn from their experiences

• Research Innovation Services: The EU (Xavier Rodde) and KTP teams (Steve Taylor) are based in the University’s RIS group

• Funders: All funders are keen for people to pick up the phone and discuss their ideas with them – they can quickly assess your CV and your project plans. Most have published guidance for application formats and processes, and lists of successful awards from the past few years you can look through.

Grant clinics

• Peer review and advice works best when you are developing your ideas, not when you have a fully-written grant and an imminent deadline

• The “Grant Clinic” board includes senior researchers with plenty of experience of writing and reviewing grants from across the breadth of College research

• Candidates can freely approach and request help via Research Facilitator. Each candidate will have a specifically-tailored group of reviewers to discuss and develop ideas for grant submissions several months in advance of submission

• Candidates submit brief written ideas in advance, then give a short (10 min) presentation on the day, followed by extended discussion and assignment of a “Mentor” for continued support

Internal funding streams Research Development Fund The internal funding stream for up to £5k to support preliminary data, publication data and mobility (collaborative visits rather than conferences) with the next deadline expected in April 2013. You can download all of the associated forms and the guidance document from the PERCAT website. Wellcome Trust ISSF The Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) provides funding to support scientific progress and interdisciplinary collaboration in biomedical research. £300K is available to be spent by 30th September 2013, and most projects are expected to be no more than £10-20k. A call for applications is now open with a deadline of 9am on Monday 28th January 2013. The University of Birmingham Knowledge Transfer Secondment (KTS) Scheme The KTS scheme provides funding to help ensure the exploitation of the University of Birmingham’s research and expertise in the engineering, physical and biomedical sciences. The scheme operates on the principle that the best way to transfer knowledge is through the movement of skilled people both into and out of the University. The scheme is open for applications with a deadline of 9am on Monday 28th January 2013. Birmingham-Nottingham Strategic Collaboration Fund The Birmingham-Nottingham Strategic Collaboration Fund (SCF) provides funding in support of two broad aims; to build relationships between individual staff members at the two institutions and to pump-prime innovative joint projects. Applications must come from teams comprising participants from both universities. Grants of up to £5000 are available for Creativity proposals, supporting formative discussions between groups at the two institutions. Grants of up to £40,000 are available for Accelerator proposals, pump-priming further development and forging significant, sustainable activities that will create new opportunities and deliver a genuine and sustained impact for both institutions. The deadline for applications to the next round is 5pm on Friday 11th January 2013.

Remember internal approvals!

• Applications are not just a simple matter of you filling in the forms and hitting the button – you do need School/College approval to submit, and online systems will have people who have to authorise submission after you (typically Finance)

• 12 weeks ahead of any NIHR or Research Council (e.g. MRC, BBSRC), you need to send an Intention to Submit form to the R&KT Office to be reviewed by a senior academic to approve that the application can go forward, and recommend any changes (and/or a Grant Clinic).

• Main School/College approval is via online ‘pink form’ process, responsive system which checks various aspects of your proposal and submits it for authorisation

• Submit pink form around two weeks before your application, and online submission of proposal 1-2 days early to allow time for all approvals to be given.

FAQs • Can/should I apply for lots of different fellowships and funding streams simultaneously?

In some cases – each funder has very different priorities and interests; some streams prohibit you from applying to others at the same time, or at least require you to declare it; you need to be strategic about where and when you apply, and use feedback to build the next iteration of any application (it’s very likely you won’t be successful first time!). However, some combinations (e.g. MRC/Wellcome) work.

• I have a big publication coming out in the next few months, should I just delay?

Possibly, for very competitive Fellowship awards. But that doesn’t stop you applying for smaller travel, training, conference and preliminary data awards to boost your credibility when it comes to making that main application.

• How important is mobility?

Very, unfortunately. People who have moved between institutions (especially internationally), built up their skills and linkages, and delivered good outputs in each are more credible as research leaders of the future. However, if you’re desperate to stay in one place, you can emphasise the strengths of your environment and still do some collaborative training visits nationally and internationally to bring skills back to Birmingham.

• I’ve been unsuccessful a few times – is it worth trying again?

Yes, unless you are receiving resoundingly negative feedback at review. Almost every PI – including the successful big names – fails more than they succeed with grant applications. All it takes is you to build your writing skills, finally have enough preliminary data… and to get lucky!

Questions?