An Introduction to Postdoctoral Research Funding Sam Lambshead - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

An

Introduction to Postdoctoral Research Funding

Sam Lambshead Sam.Lambshead@bristol.ac.uk Research Development Associate Research and Enterprise Development, University of Bristol 3 June 2019

• Introduction to funders

and key (not all!) schemes

• What makes a good

application?

• Q&As

To be covered in this session

Why apply for Funding?

• A job!
• Time and freedom to research
• Enables you to own your research
• Enables collaborations
• Career Advancement
• Brings in funds to your

Faculty/School

Government Departments

Key Government Funders

Future for EU is uncertain (!) Until Brexit UK Gov. will underwrite applications submitted. H2020 activity to continue in all exit scenarios – under ‘no deal’ ERC (Marie-Curie) will cease

Learned Societies and Charities

Learned Societies Charities

Early Career Fellowship Small Grant/Seed funding. Project Grant

Researcher-led About career development/ Transition to independent

• researcher. Likely to

encourage training and support from the host university Preliminary data collection/feasibility studies. Organise meetings/symposia

• r networking – often

forming the basis for a bigger bid Can involve teams of researchers and partners – it may be a requirement for

• some. ECR routes may also

include a career development angle. Tends to Pay salary costs and some research expenses – budgets don’t often allow for research teams Tends not to cover investigator salary , but can pay for research expenses and some research support (RA or Admin) Normally contributes to researcher salary or replacement teaching. – also

• ther research expenses (RA,

travel ect.)

Common types of research funding

Networking

Knowledge exchange/Impact funding Conference/Events/Travel To bring together individuals normally from different disciplines or sectors to discuss a particular theme, issue or problem. normally a series of events rather than

• ne-off.

NOT for new research. To increase the reach and impact of your existing research to new audiences. Smaller awards to fund individuals to attend meetings, conferences or

• ther events – can be to

contribute to costs of

• rganising your own events

For the cost of travel and hosting the meetings, not PI salary – may cover the cost of an administrator to org May contribute to salary. Costs of reaching new audience (e.g. travel, public engagement activities Will not normally cover

• salary. Most universities have

their own internal funding for

• this. (DTPS/CDTS also)

Common types of research funding

Key eligibility criteria for ECR funding

 Definition of ECR. Normally set

amount of time Post-PhD, but that can be measured from your viva date, submission of thesis or award of PhD. ALL funders will take into account periods of maternity/ paternity and illness in this calculation.

 Contractual status. S

• me

schemes will only allow you apply if you don’ t have a permanent contract some require some kind of contract in place permanent or

• therwise and some have no limitations at all.

Home Truths….

 Just because you are eligible for a funding scheme, it

does not mean you will be competitive.

 Most funders do not allow for resubmissions - you may

• nly have one shot at the scheme.

You need to be honest with yourself. Is this really the best time? Will you be more competitive for a future funding round? A difficult choice….

 You will fail at some point. – learn from it – you can

take positives from failure (good blog post from Olivia Maynard here - https:/ / blog.esrc.ac.uk/ tag/ olivia-

maynard/ )

What the fEC?

fEC is defined as – a cost which, if recovered across an

• rganisation’s full programme, would

recover the total cost (direct, indirect and total overhead) including an adequate recurring investment in the organisation’s infrastructure Many Publicly funded grants (eg Research Councils) are awarded at 80% of the full Economic Cost (fEC) of the project. The Research Organisation is expected to make up the remaining 20%

Charities (e.g, Wellcome, Leverhume and Nuffield) do not fund on a fEC basis. Overheads for research from these funders are covered in part by a separate fund called the Charity S upport Fund which is paid to Bristol as a block of funding by Research England. fEC essentially means that your budget may not go as far as you think… … a full- time starting salary for 24 Months with indirect costs will cost over £200k!

• We investigate the values and beliefs which underpin both who we are as

individuals and how we undertake our responsibilities to our society and to humanity globally.

• We explore human interactions and the evolution of identities over time. They help

us understand not only how individuals and societies operate, but why and with what consequences, both for themselves and for others.

• Making sense of our historical past, literary and artistic achievements,

ability to translate across cultures, and the foundations of knowledge itself.

• promote and support, by any means, high-quality research and related

postgraduate training on social and economic issues

• develop and support the national data infrastructure that underpins high-quality

research

• advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists who meet the needs
• f users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic

competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and the quality of life

• communicate clearly and promote public understanding of social science

Key Research Council Funders: AHRC & ESRC

Area Studies

Areas in which AHRC and ESRC share responsibility

AHRC/ESRC Shared Areas

Social Anthropology Science and Technology Studies Religious Studies Philosophy Law Linguistics Librarianship and information science International relations History Human geography Gender studies

Education

Cultural policy and management Communications, cultural and media studies

More detail in the joint statement here - https://esrc.ukri.org/files/funding/guidance-for- applicants/interfaces-between-the-arts-and-humanities-and-the-social-sciences/

Leadership Fellowships +ECR Route

Must be salaried staff for a year prior to submission. At least two years post PhD experience needed Projects up to 24mths, fEC salary plus costs (up to £250k) For individual research project AND collaborative leadership activities for your field.

Generous definition of early career!

within 8 years of your PhD or within 6 years of your first academic appointment

Research Grants + ECR route

(as an RA or PI )

• as PI must have a contract (f/t or p/t perm, or fixed term at point of application
• Collaborative research projects (needs a Co-I)
• Full economic cost between £50,000 - £1m (£250k ECR route) and for a duration of up to

60 months

Also – for PGRS & ECRS

New Generation Thinkers (with BBC)

for research communication to a general audience – No funding attached. Annual, Autumn Launch

International Placement Scheme (IPS) with ESRC

For research in one of seven research institutes (Library of Congress, Smithsonian, Ransom Center, Yale Centre for British Art, Huntington Library, NIHU Japan, Shanghai Theatre academy ) contributes to living expenses and travel. Annual, Autumn Launch

Research networking

Up to 24 months – a series of events that bring together interdisciplinary or cross sector teams to address a particular theme or challenge up to £45k (fEC)

S uitable for those who have some Post-doctoral experience – must have a contract in place for most schemes (perm or temp)

New Investigator Grants

For researchers up to four years post-PhD (submission of thesis) with

• r without full contracts

Fellowship and project based – £300k (fEC) up to 5 years

Postdoctoral Fellowships

To provide career development opportunity for those immediately post-PhD (within 12 months of Viva for the call close, last call was 22 Mar 19) Secondary Data Analysis (Revised May 2018)

Aims to Maximise the use of key ESRC-funded and other data resources No longer Requires an ECR to be a part of the team, but capacity building is a key aim. Focus on the generation of non-academic impact Up to £300,000 (fEC) for 24 months

Postdoctoral Fellowships

 The objective of this call is to provide

support to those who are within 12 months of completing their PhD, to support them in consolidating their PhD, and preparing them for the next stage of their research careers. For the majority this is likely to be a research career in academia; however, those with a clearly articulated programme of activities to support the transition to a research career outside

• f academia, can also be considered

(eg a researcher in public, private, or civil society organisations)

Deadlines fall in mid- March

The process is run by DTPs not ES RC.

ESRC Post Doctoral Fellowshops Key Points

Duration and Remit

• Up to one year full time or two years part time (18 months can be requested in

‘exceptional cases’)

• Research must fall at least 50% in ESRC remit (i.e.can be single or cross disciplinary)

Costs

• Salary – will be a set rate - contact University finance office
• Estates & Indirect Costs (see fEC or full Economic Costing)
• £10,000 of ‘other’ costs – might be Travel and Subsistence , mentoring, fieldwork ect…
• More info on costs in the ESRC Funding guide -

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/files/funding/guidance-for-applicants/research-funding-guide

Eligibility

• Must have completed PhD at a DTP/CDT university
• Must align with one of the DTP/CDT pathways
• Must have had viva in the 12 months prior to the submission deadline of 22 March 2019 (career

breaks, eg maternity can be taken into account)

• Cannot hold a permanent contract

…In addition to consolidating your PhD, you may conduct limited additional research (25%)

Charitable Trust funded by founder of Unilever that funds *almost* all subjects

Annual Call – normally launches in January

• For researchers who have NOT held a

permanent academic post

• Within 4 years of PhD (counted from

submission of thesis

• Pays 50% Salary (your university must

make up the rest) and up to 6k expenses P/A for 3 years

• As a result – most universities have an

internal selection process

• UoB internal deadline is in December

(most will be)

• Leverhulme are more open to risk

than other funders

Post Doctoral Fellowships

Annual Call – normally launches in August

• For researchers who have not held a

permanent Lectureship post

• Within 3 years of Phd.
• To provide experience of

independent research and teaching.

• Provides full salary (fEC), plus up to

£2k research expenses p/a for up to 3 years

• To be competitive you need a

publication record (3 is ideal)

• Annual, next Launched Aug 19 (TBC)
• No cap, but competitive so there may

be an internal process at your university.

• Do NOT fund practice based-outputs

Early Career Fellowships

‘The UK’s national body for

the humanities and social sciences – the study of peoples, cultures and societies, past, present and future.’

Wellcome Fellowships in Humanities and Social Sciences

Wellcome are not solely a biomedical funder

• For projects that can make a difference to

human health

• Do not place a time limit on ECR status
• For all researchers without a permanent

contract

• Applicants will be expected to be

‘advanced’ for their career stage

• Up to £275k (non fEC) for 3 years, salary

and research expenses (inc. staff salary)

‘Wellcome exists to improve health by helping great ideas to thrive’

Online systems

• A wide range of online systems

to get to grips with

• Leverhulme, British Academy,

Wellcome and the Research Councils all use different online Systems

• Register early
• Test out the forms and formatting

well before you plan to submit

Exercise

 In turn, introduce yourself and your

research

 What is the problem your research

addresses?

 What might change as a result of your

research? i.e How can your research make the world a better place?

 What methods do you use?

Now…

 Which funder might suit it?

Where Do I Start?

• Discuss your idea with others:
• Colleagues, academic mentor,

Research Office, School or Faculty Research Director, Head

• f School
• Consider your expertise and track

record:

• Do you need a multi/inter-

disciplinary team? Can you collaborate with those with track record?

• For ECR Schemes – check

definition of ECR and any contractual requirements.

• Find and decide which funder/

scheme to apply

• Carefully read the guidance

and forms

• Plan ahead:
• Planning Prevents missed

deadlines!

Timing

• Plan ahead, (before you finish your PhD?) can be 12 months from writing a grant to getting an outcome
• Which scheme, when? Apply at the ‘best’ time for your stage/project – some schemes do not allow

resubmissions.

• Is your CV strong enough? Be ambitious but realistic

23

General Advice

Strategise

• Which funder fits you/your project?
• Does your RO have reviewers for the funder?; talk to themCheck

previously funded projects (eg Gateway to Research)

• Speak to other applicants you know try to identify ‘do’s’ and

‘don'ts’

• Best fit to host institution; mentor; mobility (for Fellowships)?
• Read the guidance and adhere/respond to it!
• Check application forms ASAP
• Choose referees (where needed) wisely, and brief carefully
• Plan B, C, D
• Resilience

Support

• Look for

help – don’t do it on your

• wn
• Share your

ideas (in good time)

You will need to write from multiple perspectives

Your own

• This idea is really good.
• I know my stuff
• What matters to me should matter to the

reviewers and funders.

Others

• The Funder
• The Disciplinary (i.e. subject expert

reviewers)

• The panel (experienced generalists)

 You are telling a story – what is your narrative thread?  Remember, It is NOT a manuscript.  Structure the proposal logically so that the reader doesn’t have to

wait to see the significance of something said earlier, .e.g, don’t explain how you are going to do something before saying why you are going to do it.

 As early as possible state the idea, explain why it needs to be

tackled and estimate its impact - be bold – tell us why it is important and what you aim to do right at the start.

• Use simple language and sentence construction.
• Avoid jargon where you can, explain it and acronyms where you

can’t (spelling out acronyms the first time you use them)

• Write so the reader can get it in one pass – avoid the reader

having to go back through something to understand it. Not all readers will not be experts

What makes a good grant application?

Make it Easy to Understand and Read

• Is the methodological approach feasible? Are these the right methods

to answer your research questions/meet your aims? Make it clear that they are- tie them together clearly.

• Is the timescale realistic? What are the potential pitfalls and fall-back

plans (plan b, not contingency?)

• Are the dissemination plans clear and appropriate? Research councils

request an impact summary and pathways to impact – they will look at if your plans are suitable for reaching your audience in the right ways.

• All staff, equipment, materials and consumables should be fully

justified – that is; you justify the need for the activity/staff/equipment for your research– not so much the cost of each individual item.

 (very important for fellowships) Why you are the best person, located

in the best place, to do the work (if you are lacking in a certain area of expertise that can be brought in by one of the above)

• Do you have the right Sponsors, Mentors, collaborators, consultants?

What makes a good grant application?

Clear research plan Appropriate Expertise

Why do Grants Fail?

• Lacks novelty/not an interesting

idea/pedestrian approach

• Unfocused or over-ambitious approach
• Not appropriate for the funding body
• No clear research aims
• No/poor contingency plans
• Methodology not sufficiently detailed
• Not the right team/others can do the work better
• Lack of appropriate infrastructure/facilities
• Training element incomplete/unclear
• Right person, wrong project – and vice versa!
• Not enough exploitation of the Impact
• (Research Councils)
• Poorly written

How to build your CV?

 Publications are paramount in early career academia,

especially in major international peer-reviewed journals (though importance of these can vary between disciplines)

 Peer-reviewed conference proceedings  Invited presentations to peer-reviewed internationally

established conferences

 Prizes and Awards  Research funding received  Research experience, e.g. as a researcher on a grant or as part

• f a research centre

 Not just about your academic skill, but your ability to

manage a project (people and money)

Tips on grant writing

 ESRC:

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for- applicants/how-to-write-a-good-research-grant- proposal/

 AHRC:

http://www.slideshare.net/AHRC/02-how-to- write-a-good-ahrc-grant-application-reserach- grants-and-fellowships

Impact

Or how your research project will change the world for the better…

The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to academic advances, across and within disciplines, including significant advances in understanding, methods, theory and

• application. (UKRI)

Academic impact

When applying for Research Council funding via Je-S, pathways towards academic impact are expected to be outlined in the ‘Academic Beneficiaries’ and appropriate Case for Support sections.

Wider (Non-academic) Impact

The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. Economic and societal impacts embrace all the extremely diverse ways in which research –related knowledge and skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations by:

• fostering global economic performance, and specifically the economic

competitiveness of the UK

• increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy
• enhancing quality of life, health and creative output

Public engagement may be included as one element of your Pathway to Impact. Engaging the public with your research can improve the quality of research and its impact, raise your profile, and develop your skills. It also enables members of the public to act as informed citizens and can inspire the next generation of researchers. (UKRI)

Impact

“We do not expect applicants to be able to predict the impact of their research, nor do we expect reviewers to make assumptions about the probability of the benefits being fully

• delivered. However, we would

encourage all researchers to think at the earliest stage who might use the

• utputs of their research and how to

make that happen.”

https://www.ukri.org/innovation/ex

cellence-with-impact/

Impact Summary

May be published on a publicly available website, so need to be written in language that is accessible to non-experts

• What non-academic issues does my research

have the ‘potential’ to solve, and how can I help make it happen?

• Who will benefit from this research?
• How will they benefit?

Note: ‘beneficiaries’ can include academic communities, but must consist of a wider group than that of the PI’s immediate professional circle carrying

• ut similar research.

Dissemination is not the same thing as impact…..

Pathways to Impact

This is where you describe the delivery mechanisms for the impact of your research

• You need to demonstrate that you are delivering the right

information in the right way to the right people to give your research the best potential to effect change

• Will you be building on existing links, or making new ones? Make

previous contact with relevant people clear

• It can take time to develop the support and contacts you need- Start

planning early and consider engaging with research users at the proposal stage – adds credibility to your Pathways to Impact

• What activities will you carry out to maximise the impact of your

research? Provide credible and tangible examples.

• E.g., secondments, workshops, conferences, training, website, social

media, public engagement, user and Public Involvement, stakeholder meetings, etc

• Who will do what? PI, Co-I, PDRA, PhD student, specialist staff, etc
• How will you evaluate your impact? Questionnaires, exit polls, webstats,

reports from stakeholders, etc Remember these activities need to be costed!

Resources and Support for Impact

 Advice, planning, contacts, logistics, funding

bids RED-

 Commercialisation & Impact Development

team (incl. PolicyBristol)

 Public Engagement team  Online guides -

www.bris.ac.uk/red/development/applyin g/impact.html

 Funding  External grants (AHRC, ESRC, EU…), public

and charitable funding, Faculty funds, RED - www.bristol.ac.uk/red/development/oppo rtunities/impact.html

 Time  Embed impact into the research process;

not as an after-thought

 All research can consider impact, some will

develop impact activities

 People  URIs, colleagues, collaborators  Work with colleagues, post-grads,

• rganisations, intermediaries…. don’t go it

alone

Exercise: The potential Impact of your own research

• 1. In turn, Introduce yourself and explain your research

area and or potential project (2 mins!)

• 2. discuss who would be interested in your research?

I. academic audiences , including students from your own and

• ther fields
• II. external audiences (NGOs – public, third sector, IROS etc.).

Do you already have links with these? Does UoB have links with them? Do you need to develop them further? Do you need to start them?

• 3. How might you reach and influence these groups?

What activities might work well? What might be appropriate for the different audiences? Do you have direct experience of these methods/activities? If you do not, could you incorporate training in these areas as a part of your fellowship?

Questions?