applying for research funding
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Applying for Research Funding. Dr Emma Jones Centre for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine University of Manchester. Aims of the Session. Give an overview of PhD and Postdoctoral funding opportunities Provide hints and tips on how to prepare a funding application - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Applying for Research Funding
Dr Emma JonesCentre for the History of Science, Technology
& MedicineUniversity of Manchester
Aims of the Session
• Give an overview of PhD and Postdoctoral funding opportunities
• Provide hints and tips on how to prepare a funding application
• Provide examples of successful funding applications
• Opportunity to ask questions
About me BA Modern History (RHUL) MA Women’s History (RHUL)
AHRC Masters Studentship PhD History (RHUL)
AHRC Doctoral Studentship Research Associate (CHSTM): project funded by NHS Research Associate (CHSTM)
ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Associate (CHSTM): project funded by NHS Research Associate (CHSTM)
Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship in Medical History
Sources of Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Funding
PhD
AHRCESRC
Institute of Historical ResearchInstitutional sources
Wellcome Trust
Postdoc
British Academy ESRC
Institute of Historical ResearchJRFs (Junior Research
Fellowships - Oxford/Cambridge)Leverhulme TrustWellcome Trust
Major PhD Funding Sources
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Doctoral Awards
Fund universities directly, either via the Block Grant Partnerships or Block Grant Partnerships: Capacity Building
Students should talk to the institution at which they plan to study in order to obtain information on their organisational selection processes; advertised
3 years of full-time study, or up to 5 years of part-time study
Fees and maintenance grant
Major PhD Funding Sources
Economic and Social Research Council
Doctoral Awards
Award all studentship funding directly to the institutions - network of 21 Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs). All potential students should consult the list of DTCs and contact the institution at which they wish to undertake a research degree directly.
Also collaborative studentships CASE awards between the ESRC, a university and government, business and third sector organisations
Fees and maintenance grant
Major PhD Funding Sources
Wellcome Trust
Medical History and Humanities Doctoral Studentships
Candidates can be based in the humanities, social sciences, or the arts, the project they propose must be grounded in historical methodologies and/or sources.
Applications must be submitted through the host institution (prelim/full application deadlines)
3 years of full-time study Fees, maintenance grant, and expenses
Major PhD Funding Sources
Institute of Historical Research
Junior Fellowships
Several IHR fellowships: awarded to PhD candidates who have completed at least 2 years' research
Economic History Society: awarded to PhD candidates in economic/social history (broadly defined) who have completed at least 3 years' (full-time) research
Jacobite Studies Trust: awarded to PhD candidates who have been registered for at least 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time
Major Postdoc Funding Sources
Institute of Historical Research
Junior Research Fellowships
Designed to write up PhD for publication Economic History Society: award up to 5 one-year
fellowships to postdoctoral candidates who have recently completed a doctoral degree in economic/social history (broadly defined)
Past and Present Postdoctoral Fellowships: award up to 2 one-year postdoctoral fellowships
Maintenance
Major Post-doc Funding Sources
British Academy
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Up to 3 years funding; FEC Award approx. 45 fellowships 2012 Covers salary and research expenses Eligibility: support of UK institution; in receipt of doctorate on or
after 1 April 2009 or expected to submit and be examined by 1April 2010; must be a UK or EEA national, or have completed a doctorate at a UK university, or demonstrate a strong prior association with the UK academic community, for example through already having been employed in a temporary capacity (longer than six months) at a UK university.
2 stage online application
Major Post-doc Funding Sources
Economic and Social Research Council
Future Research Leaders scheme (new) Award: max 3 years with an overall limit of £215,000 (at 100 per cent full
Economic Cost); cover salary and research costs Eligibility: Open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world
with less than 4 years' postdoctoral experience Application with support of an eligible UK research organization -
internal vetting Aim to fund around 70 awards
Research grants scheme Awards ranging from £200,000 to £2 million (100 per cent full Economic
cost) Individuals or research teams up to a period of 5 years
Major Post-doc Funding Sources
Leverhulme Trust
Early Career Fellowships Award approx. 80 fellowships a year Any discipline; held at universities or other HEIs in the UK 3 years full-time; part time will be considered Trust contributes 50% of total salary costs up to a maximum of £23,000 per annum; research
expenses up to £6000 Eligibility: in receipt of doctorate - not more than 5 years (career breaks excepted) Online application Closing date: 4.00pm on 8 March 2012
Study Abroad Studentships support between 12 and 24 months of advanced study or research at a centre of learning in
any overseas country £17,000 maintenance; dependence allowance; return airfare; baggage allowance Eligibility: resident in the UK for at least five years at the time of application; hold an
undergraduate degree from a UK institution; a student at the time of application or have been registered as a student within the last 8 years; able to demonstrate how their work would benefit from being conducted overseas rather than in the UK
Current round must commence between between 1 June 2012 and 1 May 2013 Online application
Major Post-doc Funding Sources
Wellcome Trust
Research Fellowships in Medical History and Humanities
3 years full-time (part time considered). Research expenses and a salary, plus appropriate employer's
contributions (fEC), and research expenses and conference travel. Eligibility: must be a postdoctoral scholar not in a tenured or
otherwise long-term established post; sponsored by an institution Application: Prelim in writing; final online submission Deadline: prelim/full application deadlines twice a year and an
interview if selected
Other Postdoc Funding Sources
Institutional Research Fellowships More universities are now offering 1-2 year fellowships Advertised on www.Jobs.ac.uk and other job sites (e.g.
Guardian)
Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) These are offered by the colleges of the Universities of Oxford
and Cambridge Advertised on www.Jobs.ac.uk and through the individual
college websites Restrictive eligibility
Post as a research assistant/associate Advertised on www.Jobs.ac.uk and other job sites (e.g.
Guardian)
Eligibility
The rules around academic and residence eligibility can be quite complicated. In the interest that I don’t make a mistake and do not give false hope, please consult the following web pages/documents from the relevant funding bodies:AHRChttp://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Eligibility.aspxBritish Academyhttp://www.britac.ac.uk/funding/guide/pdfells.cfmESRCeligibility details are given on the specific scheme, see: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/Wellcome Trusteligibility details are given on the specific scheme, see: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Medical-history-and-humanities/Funding-schemes/index.htmInstitute of Historical Researcheligibility details are given on the specific scheme, see:http://www.history.ac.uk/fellowships/junior
Making an Application First Steps
• Plan ahead, prepare and allow sufficient time • Identify funding body and institution• Familiarise yourself with application deadlines, assessment
processes and application requirements etc.• Speak to the funding council • Start small and build up – where you can, try and link with
experienced and successful PIs and research groups.• Don’t be afraid to approach new collaborators internally and
externally, including moving institution• Choose your mentor• Make friends with your research office/finance dept and know
the internal deadlines for internal checks• Register on the appropriate electronic submission system
Making an Application know what you’re up against
Success Rates
ESRC 2009-2010• Small grants – 19% (124/653)• Stand. grants – 14% (94/682)
British Academy 2006-2009 • Humanities - 6-8%• Social Sciences - 12.8%
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships• 700 applications in March 2010 round• 70 fellowships available in 2011
Making an Application writing your research proposal
• Seek examples of past applications• Follow the guidelines provided by the funding body,
understand their terms and use their language• Will you need ethics approval?• Remember to build in dissemination and outreach -
publications / extend beyond academia• Get a colleague / member of supporting institution to
read your proposal before submitting it• Get yourself known in your research community – meet
your future mentor; referees, and choose your referees wisely!
Making an Application preparing a research budget
• What is ‘FEC’ - Full Economic Cost?• Check what the funding body will and will not cover and what’s
already included• Possible funds to consider
– Money for research travel and subsistence – Consumables (e.g. photocopying; transcriptions)– Equipment (e.g. computer; digital camera; voice recorder;
scanner; extra hard-drive etc)– Money for travel to conferences (including registration and
subsistence)– Money to host a workshop / conference– Training and discipline hopping
• Justify your costings
Making an Application what the reviewers will assess
Reviewers will be asked to comment on:• Research quality and impact - Comment on the quality of the
proposed research; the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed plan of investigation; the importance of the problem to be addressed, in relation to the particular field of research as a whole
• Methodology - Comment on the feasibility of the proposed methodology; the relevance of the background information provided
• The appropriateness of the equipment and running costs - are they appropriate to the type, scale and impact of the proposed project
• The applicant - The standing of the applicant in the field• Overall research quality - How does this application compare with
other grants you have refereed? Rate and grade it.
Making an Application Sifting and Rejection
Taken from the blog Research Fundermentalshttp://fundermental.blogspot.com/2011/09/keepers-of-keys.html
‘ESRC applications don’t go straight to panel. They go through a sifting process, including:
• Office sift: roughly 10% of applications get rejected at this stage on technicalities, such as not having the right attachments, sections not being filled, format not being adhered to, etc;
• Reviewers' sift: roughly 30% get rejected at this stage. If the reviewers identify substantial flaws, and grade the applications accordingly;
• Introducers' sift: I think this has been in place for some time, but I hadn't realised the scale of it before now. Each application is allocated to two introducers, who will have the responsibility of introducing the application to the panel. However, they can reject applications before they get to panel if they think that, realistically, they don't stand any real chance of getting funding, and it would be wasting the panel's time to discuss them.’
Making an Application common reasons for rejection
• Problem not important enough. • Failing to set out an appropriate and convincing methodology• Failing to convey the excellence of the research• Problem more complex than investigator appears to realize. • Too little detail in the research plan to convince reviewers the
investigator knows what he or she is doing.• Over-ambitious research plan - unrealistically large amount of work. • Investigator too inexperienced or has failed to establish the
necessary links to the research community.• Failing to demonstrate value to potential users outside or within the
research community • Failing to convince of the ability to deliver research • Failing to demonstrate value for money
Summary• Allow yourself plenty of time • Study your funding source: read and read again the rules and the
guidance notes• Writing; follow the funding-bodies formulas • Discuss your proposal with colleagues and referees, esp. those who
have successfully obtained funding • Think about how to build dissemination activities into your research
plan • Justify your costings • Leave time to get your proposal through internal checks at your
institution and the electronic systems of the funding body