BSMM /WTSA MMFI Grants and fellowships workshop

BSMM /WTSA MMFI Grants and

fellowships workshop

Fellowship & Grant Writing

2014

Profs Neil Gow & Alistair Brown



Purpose:

To provide help and guidance for early career researchers

considering applying for a personal fellowship or new

investigator grant, either now or in the future.

maximise efficiency and success in these schemes.

Relevant to:

Most PDRAs and a few final year PhDs

Those wishing to remain at their host institution

Those wishing to move inistution



Prof Neil Gow Prof Alistair Brown Wellcome trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology

Good communication and effective planning are important!



Happily doing experiments / research

Then one day ... a letter arrives from university HR... “Dr

Brilliant’s (i.e. your) contract will terminate in 6 months on

(date). What are you doing about it?”

...or write a

fellowship

(quickly)!



Career track – the olden days

PhD PDRA PDRA(2) Advertised job

Career track – 2012

Creates

your own

niche

PhD PDRA Fellowship

PDRA(2)



Fellowships can open the door to your future career



But what about the needs of your University?

Need to know the credentials of the

fellowship applicant

Want the fellowship to be a good fit with

the strategic research vision

Want the research fellow to be properly

supported and mentored

Wants the process of application to be

on time and well managed



Some realities about fellowship applications

Fellowship season is September – February

Fellowships schemes are highly competitive

Many fellowship applications are presently

delivered to the university administration (R&I /

RFS) at the very last minute

Many fellowship applications are submitted

without adequate time for peer review, polishing

and refinement



We need a plan



10 point plan

[1] Do your homework - get information

[2] Inform your university of your intentions

[3] Get a career mentor

[4] Plan your strategy – what / when?

[5] Interview with head of department?

[6] Application mentor / buddy / peer reviewers assigned

[7] Institutional endorsement

[8] Personal timetable – timelines for submission

Also

[9] Rehearsal interviews

[10] Responding to reviewers



Fellowship

writing

CV

building



Fellowship A

Fellowship B

Fellowship C

Fellowship A

Fellowship B

Fellowship C

c.v. building

c.v. building

c.v. building



Some sobering

statistics

Fellowship Scheme Success Rate

Wellcome Trust

Henry Welcome 10% (20% of full p’s)

MRC

Career Development Award 10%

Clinical Research Training Fellowship 24%

All schemes (502/97) 19%

BBSRC

David Phillips* 10%

NERC

All schemes 15%

EPSRC

Career Acceleration Fellowships 42% (full invited p’s)

Leadership Fellowships 40% (full invited p’s)

Royal Society

University Research Fellowship 7.6%

Dorothy Hodgkin 4%

*BBSRC: successful

applicants have approx. 10

publications

Averages 3.25 papers per

postdoc year.



Best fit fellowships– horses for courses

• Fellowships schemes vary enormously (level of

experience, scope, years funded, maximum

value etc). Do your homework.

• Specialised fellowships have specific missions –

make sure that you fit bill.

• Don’t waste your time on fellowships

that just don’t fit your profile or

level of experience.



Fellowship

success

rates

5-20%

fund

grey

area -

discuss

reject



Employed on grant

Named on grant

Applicant on grant

Fellowship

First responsibility is to deliver

research findings

Some input into application

Application for salary; joint with PI

You write the application

ECR

Project grant

Programme grant

Equipment grant

Fellowship

PI

Usually 1-2 posts, consumables

and minor equip, 2-3 y

3-5 posts, cons’ & equip, 2-5-7 y

Very variable, 1-7 y

3-5 posts, cons’ & equip, 2-5-7 y



Most important advice

Prepare carefully

Start early

Get lots of help

Polish, polish, polish



What is the question?

Why is it critically important?

Why you are competent to do it

How the field will be advanced when it is done

The first thing to say in every grant



Make the question clear, up front and big!

Brand new or me too – is this novel & important?

Don’t lose track of the question in a mass of

methodological detail

Sustain the logic & return to the question at intervals

Good story telling is essential



Establishing credibility (risk reduction)

Track record Publications – very important

Pilot studies existing research project

summer students

honor's students projects

Compete or collaborate? letters of support

offers of materials

offers of expertise



Title: snappy, but meaningful and

attention grabbing

The first sentences are critical

Get the reader’s attention - not

everyone is as interested in your

subject as you are!

Use clear section titles/ sub-

headings to provide signposts;

Be excited, enthusiastic but

realistic;

Follow the guidance

Finish with a bang not a whimper

– pull it all together!



All sections of the grant are important

Lay and technical summaries

Pathways to impact

Data sharing

Resources etc

Get them all peer reviewed



Designed to provide best advice on structure and content;

Essential aid to improve applications and increase chances of

success;

At least two reviewers in addition to mentor; try to get one expert

and one non-expert. Specialist, non-specialist, pedant

If it’s not covered in red ink, it probably has not been adequately

reviewed – all applications have flaws, some major - others minor.

Don’t ask a reviewer to read a preliminary draft – give them the first

complete, polished draft.

Don’t expect them to give you an answer within 24 h – they have a

life too!

Peer review – your greatest friend



CRITICAL review required

no more Mr Nice Guy

Seek reviews from ...

specialists (facts)

non-specialists (logic/ clarity)

locals

national & international colleagues

someone who can spell

Someone who has applied recently “buddy”

Remember that 90% of the grant review panel

will NOT be experts in your field



Peer review – Neil’s last grant

Gordon Brown (2)

Al Brown (2)

Frank Odds

Megan Lenardon

Carol Munro

Donna MacCallum

Lars Erwig

Ian Stansfield

Danny Aaltman (Wellcome Trust)

David Barry (Glasgow)

Neighbours (financial advisor & geneticist)

Kirsteen Watt (DCR

Gillian Auld (R&I and wife!)



How long will it take?

A good grant will

Require multiple (5-10) drafts;

Require at least 4-8 weeks preparation/writing time

With respect to the submission deadline we require

Advanced (>2 weeks) notice to university administration

(brief details and approx costs & advice)

Equipment may require institutional contribution – takes

time to arrange

3 weeks in which the application can be reviewed

internally and for changes to be made;

1 week to finalise finance and get signatures.



Start early and plan in advance

Accept mentoring and internal peer review

Be positive but be realistic

Read and follow the rules

Present case logically and simply

Justify the importance of your research

Ensure essential collaborations are in place

Make sure the outcomes are clearly stated



Target the right funding body

Follow the guidelines

Feasible yet exciting research project

Address well-defined questions that test a clear hypothesis

Make science accessible to the non-expert

Polished presentation

Credible applicant(s) – collaborators?

CONCLUSIONS



Make it interesting

Establish your credibility & collaborate effectively

Define the question up front

Sustain the logic

Be realistic

Don’t be greedy

Give yourself time

Get critical peer review

Polish and refine

CONCLUSIONS



Think big, plan well and expect success



BSMM /WTSA MMFI Grants and fellowships workshop

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