Whitaker Institute PhD Forum

Dr Ann Ryan, 24th May 2017

Research Careers

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm

10% of PhD graduates from the University of Cambridge secure a permanent academic post

Innovation Union: Europe will need 1M extra researchers by 2020, mostly in the private sector

Funding Application Considerations

Eligibility Remit Special initiatives Host environment Driver – question/career development

Career stage Deadlines

Getting Started

Read the call document carefully Read it again! And again!

Understand the peer-review process Complement your expertise Get feedback

Adapting your style

Academic writing……….

• Researcher-centred

• Past-oriented

• Expository

• Impersonal

• Verbosity rewarded

• Specialised jargon

Grant writing…………

• Funder-centred

• Future-oriented

• Persuasive

• Personal

• Brevity rewarded

• Accessible language

Structure of the Proposal

• Introduction• Specific aims• Background and significance

• Preliminary studies• Design and methods

• Study design is crucial

• Timelines, milestones, outputs, deliverables

• Abstract – write last

Delivering on Research

Impact: demonstrable effect that excellent research makes to society and the economy.

i.e., the direct and indirect influence of research or its effect on an individual, a community or society as a whole, including benefits to our economic, social, human and natural capital.

Input Activity Output Outcome Impactdissemination

uptake

Pillars of Impact

Science & Innovation group of the Small Advanced Economies InitiativeBroadening the Scope of Impact, 2015

Other considerations

• Dissemination• Budget – justify request• Budget approval• Internal deadlines• Submission process

• Title• Ethics• Research environment• Letters of support• Outreach

NUI Galway 2015-2016 Funding €52 Million Direct

Exchequer: 66%EU/Int: 28%Ind: 6%

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >11

National Funding Policy

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >12

National opportunities – part of the approach

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >13

EI-SFI-IDA

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >14

SFI Career Development Programmes

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >15

Health Research Board Programmes

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >16

Irish Research Council ProgrammesProgramme Description Anticipated

launchAnticipatedoutcome

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme

Postgraduate research scholarships across all disciplines Q3 2017 Q1 2018

Employment-based Postgraduate programme

Postgraduate research scholarship based with employer partner Q4 2017 Q2 2018

Enterprise Partnership Scheme (postgrad)

Co-funded postgraduate research scholarships Q1 2017 Q3 2017

Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

Postdoctoral research fellowships across all disciplines Q4 2017 Q2 2018

Enterprise Partnership Scheme (postdoc)

Co-funded post-doctoral research fellowships Q1 2017 Q3 2017

CAROLINE MSCA Research Fellowships

Post-doctoral fellowships in partnership with an international organisation or NGO

Q3 2017 Q1 2018

Laureate Awards Excellent researchers, frontier research across all disciplines Q2 2017 Q4 2017

Research for Policy and Society Research to support policy development and decisions Q3 2017 Q4 2017

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >17

Horizon 2020

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >18

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Individual Fellowships

• Enhance creative and innovative potential of researchers to diversified skills acquisition, advanced training and international or intersectoral mobility

• Focus is on career development of fellow• Strong focus on transferable skills

• Personal fellowship to support period of mobility (2-3 years)• All disciplines• Post PhD/min of 4 years research experience• Fully funded, salary ~55K/annum, research expenses

• Host can be an academic or non-academic organisation (NGO, Industry, Museum etc)• Need a career development plan• Mobility is a key requirement

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >

Exciting Richness of diverse perspectives Takes researchers and funders out of their comfort zone/silosHybrid spaceReal integrated coming together of disciplines, can be within STEM/SSH or across both, to include a variety of different stakeholder types≠ multi-disciplinary≠ SSH inclusion

‘Clintechnologists’ ‘Engiticians’‘Secengologists’

19

Inter-disciplinarity offers fresh perspectives

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAYESTABLISHED IN 1845: 170 YEAR JOURNEY >

Discipline-specific languages vary – need to build a common language/break barriers Learn about and respect other backgrounds Value diversityNew ways of presenting data Trust – networking and partnerships

→ Management of inter-disciplinaritySolve real societal challenges

20

Challenges of Inter-disciplinary research

Identifying Funding Opportunities

• Funders website

• E-alerts

• Research Office website

• Research Office eZine notifications

• Research Professional

• Newsletters

• Consultation

• Mentor

http://www.nuigalway.ie/research-support-services/