Securing Wellcome Trust Funding as an Established Researcher Chonnettia Jones, PhD Head of Science Integration, Structures March 2015 Workshop.

Securing Wellcome Trust Funding as an Established Researcher

Chonnettia Jones, PhDHead of Science Integration, StructuresMarch 2015

Workshop

Funding schemes

• Personal Awards

o Investigator Awards

o Senior Fellowships

• Collaborative Awards

Review Process

Tips for success

Outline

Workshop

Personal Awards

Science Funding

Investigator Awards

• For world-class researchers and clinicians with a compelling long-term vision for their research

• For established post-holders (normally 7+ years post-PhD), evaluated relative to career stage

• Research question drives duration and value of awards - up to £3m over 7 years

• 218 current Investigator Award holders

• Applications considered three times a year

• Awarded following peer review and interview

Investigator Awards

Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science

• For excellent scientists (normally 7-12 years postdoc) to continue to build their research programmes

• 5 years of support, potentially renewable in partnership with the host institution

• Full research costs supported, including salary, staff, equipment, consumables, field costs, animals, etc.

• Highly competitive, 72 current Senior Basic Fellows

• Applications considered three times a year

Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science

Fellowships

• For outstanding clinician scientists (normally 3-5 years post-doc) to support and develop independent programmes of research

• To establish leading researchers in clinical academic medicine

• 5 years support, potentially renewable in partnership with the host institution

• Full research costs supported (salary, staff, equipment, consumables, animals etc.)

• Highly competitive, 43 current Fellows

• Applications considered 3 times a year

Assessment Processes

Preliminary application for Senior

Fellowships only, not

required for Investigator

Awards

Main application submission

Expert Review Group -specialist scientific review &

short-listing

Written external

expert peer review

review by field

specialists

Interviewby

Committee with broad

science expertise

Science Funding Assessment

What makes a strong application?• Important ideas that will make a significant difference to the field

• A clear research goal and plan

• Sufficient information for reviewers to understand:

o What is proposed

o What approaches will be taken

o Whether it is likely to work

• A strong track record appropriate to the research experience of the candidate:

o Potential (early to mid-career) balanced by achievements (mid-career to senior)

o Provides evidence that the candidate can do what is proposed or deal with any setbacks as they arise

• Access to required collaborations, resources and technology

Science Funding Assessment

Teams

Science Funding

Collaborative Awards• Collaborative research projects trying to solve a problem that can

only be achieved by teams working together

• Up to £4 m over 5 years

• Considered 3 times per year

• First deadline date for preliminary applications: May 2015

• Awarded following interview

Science Funding

Assessment Processes

Preliminary application

Main application submission by invitation

Internal Review Group

suitability to the scheme

Written external

expert peer review

review by field

specialists

Interviewby

Committee with broad

science expertise

Science Funding Assessment

Tips

Tips

Before starting your application….• Read the application form and guidance notes carefully

• Identify colleagues who have previously been successful in obtaining grant supporto Study their proposals, and use them as modelso Discuss ideas with colleagues in the relevant fields

• Check deadlines to avoid rushed applications & allow time for the application to be processed by the admin office

• Queries? Concerns? Contact us for advice.

Tips

Avoid common mistakes• Have you considered the following?

o Be realistic.o Submit relevant evidence.o Be analytical and critical.o Do not rely on your track record alone.o Dedicate sufficient time to the project.o Don’t assume reviewers will know what you’ve done – even those in

your field.o Justify your budget.

• Proof read the application and ask others to read it critically before submission. You will need to give them plenty of time to do this well!

Tips

Pitfalls (and comments you do not want to receive………)

Strong hypothesis/research vision/important research question help define your aims“...this does not appear to be hypothesis driven…there are no specific aims or objectives....”

Be realistic about your goals - feasibility“...the work described in this application is over-ambitious, it could not be achieved in the life time of the Principal Investigator…”

Relevant experimental approach “...an intriguing hypothesis, however the experiments proposed for testing will not provide unequivocal evidence for or against it...”

The importance of a back-up plan“...one weakness in the proposal is that there is no alternative plan should the proposed approach not yield information relevant to the hypothesis proposed...”

Tips

Pitfalls (and comments you do not want to receive……)

Persuasive but unbiased arguments are needed“... done a commendable job of marshalling evidence to support their hypothesis, however, the applicant has put aside facts that do not support their point of view…”

Preliminary data and appropriate expertise“...it involves techniques with which the applicant appears to have no prior experience and for which no preliminary data are proposed…”

Get a second opinion, proof read & spell check

“I had only one problem with this application, I had no idea what they were trying to do...”

“The poor writing, referencing and proof reading of this application significantly detract from its overall quality”

Tips

The interview

• Prepare and practice!• There is no substitute for mock interviews.• Listen to the questions.• Own the project.• Be familiar with recent advances in the field.• Be prepared to provide a concise summary of the proposed

project and research career to date.

Tips

Final advice…

• Plan your next steps as you carry out your research.

• Plan in advance – writing and submitting the grant are the final steps in a multi-step process.

• Seek advice and listen to it!

Tips

Further information

For general grant enquiries: [email protected]

or +44 (0)20 7611 5757

Science Funding

For guidance on the scientific scope or suitability of your application for a particular scheme, please contact our Science division:

Cellular, Developmental and Physiological SciencesDr. Alison Cave

Neuroscience & Mental HealthDr. John Isaac

Population HealthDr. Mike Turner (interim)

Basic Careers and Clinical ActivitiesDr. Candy Hassall

Infection and ImmunobiologyDr. Mike Turner

Genetics and Molecular SciencesDr. Michael Dunn

Further information

Science Funding

Thank you