Post on 13-Mar-2020
transcript
IAS Early Career FellowshipsHow To Apply
Who are we? Director: Peter Scott- Professor of Chemistry
Research Strategy Manager: John Burden- Oversees the development of all IAS schemes
Programme Manager: Rebecca Vipond- Manage current ECFs & Accolade Programme
Programme Coordinator: Rachel Hitchcox
Administrators: Abbie Pritchard & Tina Hoare- Abbie is first point of contact for ECF queries ECR@warwick.ac.uk.
Exchanges Journal Senior Editor: Gareth Johnson
Our Purpose & Mission• Warwick’s strong and clear research strategy:
- Addressing the world’s most pressing challenges
- Leading by creating new research ideas
- Building connections with individuals and institutions
• IAS founded in 2007
• Advancing new research ideas, characterised by:
- Interdisciplinarity - creating synergies between traditional research disciplines
- Innovation - facilitating activities that realise the full value of our ideas
- Internationalisation - connecting Warwick researchers with partners around the world
What we do• Provide an environment and financial support
for the exchange and development of ideas- Academic colleagues: IAS awards, GCRF Fellowships
- Prestigious international visitors: Visiting Fellowships
- Postdoctoral Researchers: Fellowships, vacation schools
• Early Career Fellowship Scheme
- Running since 2008, over 300 fellows supported to date
- Annual cohort of 30 fellows, representing more than 20 different departments
• Competitive scheme competitive applications
• Consider what makes a good application
• Consider what makes a good Fellowship
• Q&A opportunity with IAS staff
Reasons for the session today…
What will be covered today?
• Overview of the Early Career Fellowship scheme
- Purpose of the scheme- Application criteria/eligibility- Expectations of IAS (what you do with 6-10 months)- What other ECFs have gone on to do next
• What makes a good fellowship?
• Is there a ‘perfect’ formulae for an application?
What does an ECF look like?
October 2019 Cohort
ECFs: The Scheme
• Designed to support Warwick doctoral candidates in the transition phase between their doctoral and postdoctoral careers
• Part-time (max. 50%), 2-3 term Fellowships• Tax-free bursary to attend training workshops• ECF candidates MUST have a thesis submitted for examination by start of
fellowship (OK if viva takes place during the Fellowship)
2 cohorts each year: typically 20 fellowships awarded per year:
18-19 Cohort 2: Thesis to be submitted for examination between 1 October 2019 and 30 April 2020Deadline for applications 14 January 2019Early Career Fellowship commences 25 April 2019 (start of Spring Term)
20-21 Cohort 1: Thesis to be submitted for examination between 1 May and 30 September 2020Deadline for applications MIDDAY 28 April 2020Early Career Fellowship commences October 2020 (start of Autumn Term)
ECFs: The Scheme
• Thesis MUST be submitted by the deadlineIf the thesis is submitted late the candidate mustwithdraw and will be eligible to re-apply in the next round
• Can be held in conjunction with another P/T post (internal or external) up to 50% FTE
• Live within a reasonable distance – Fellowship holders MUST be available for weekly IAS training and other IAS related activities
Career advancement:- Job and post-doctoral applications- Preparation of publications- Working on public engagement and outreach projects
Research Event: ₋ Research or skills-based to develop your research or to contribute to enhancing
skills base of Warwick PhD students and postdoc community
Accolade Programme:- Attend weekly networking lunch on Thursdays 12:30- Followed by the Accolade Programme 13.00 – 17:00 on Thursdays (term time only)
Accolade ProgrammeAcademic Careers, Leadership, and Employability Programme
• Research presentations: conveying your work clearlyto different audiences
• Interview training: make your mistakes when it doesn’t count!
• Academic careers: what you need to know- What is REF & TEF?- Media and Public Engagement- How to do Fellowship and Grant applications- Publication strategy
Further information on IAS Accolade sessions: www.warwick.ac.uk/accolade
ECFs: What do they go on to?
• Teaching Fellowships
• Industry
• Research Fellowship Awards (Leverhulme, Marie Curie)
• Postdoctoral positions (UK and overseas)
• Permanent lectureships & assistant professorships
Better than 50% placement rate (national average ≈ 20%)
ECFs: Numbers and success rate?
Round 2 18-19 22 applications 18 ECFs = 82%
Round 1 18-19 51 applications 16 ECFs = 31%
Round 2 17-18 35 applications a 12 ECFs = 34%
Round 1 17-18 53 applications a 14 ECFs = 28%
Round 2 16-17 35 applications a 12 ECFs = 34%
Round 1 16-17 53 applications a 14 ECFs = 28%
≈30%
Exercise• Split into small groups
• Review example statements
• Try to identify:– What works and what doesn’t?
– WHY are some better than others?
– What do you like/dislike?
– What makes some applications stand out?
– What wouldn’t you have thought of putting on an application that you will now consider?
– Any surprises?
Exercise: Feedback
• What did you find out?
• Are there variances between Faculty/ Department? Why might this be the case?
• Is there a perfect formula for a good application?
• How do you choose what to put in your research proposal and plan for the Fellowship?
“We have published on how different outcome measures
provide complementary information.”
• Does not convey extent of your own contribution - PhD supervisor, or
other researcher, could be first author
• Tells us what has been done but no information to convey or substantiate
the impact of the publications.
Avoid Empty Statements
“The results of my research have so far led to the
creation of a novel eLearning system – Topolor, and
18 papers (of which I am first author ) published in
journals, book chapters and A-level conference
proceedings such as AIED , AMCIS, ITiCSE, UMAP,
EC-TEL, ICALT, ICWL (with three of them receiving the
‘best paper award ’.) I have been presenting the
progress and results of my research at national and
international conference, including top ones in our
research field (UMAP, EC-TEL, ICALT)”.
• Quantifies output and clearly demonstrates their level of contribution
• Shows diversity of outputs• Substantiates claims• Shows work is receiving external recognition• Conveys engagement with wider research
community• Work is being showcased to most relevant
audiences in their field
Showing evidence of the impact
What are we looking for?• Consolidating existing research through publications
• Building collaborations with others and their results
• Organising networking, public engagement and outreach events
• Progress towards developing an international profile
• Maintaining a developed online presence
• Making the transition to a postdoctoral position
• Making the most of training opportunities
The information that you provide should convey
credibility, a plan, vision & proactivity
Keep in Mind…
• Fellowships are about funding an individual (not just the research)
It’s more about your plans than the research topic itself
• Who is a safe investment? Someone who has a track record of: • Getting things done
• Is not short of ideas
• Knows what they want to do next
• Has a clear plan of how they are going to do it
• Need evidence of proactivity & a plan
The Do’s
• Read the funding guidelines
• Make your achievements are visible in the proposal
• Give examples, show context, substantiate claims
• Be specific (don’t leave it to reviewer to join up the dots)
• Make it about ‘you’ not ‘we’
• Remember, you’re writing for a non-specialist audience (get a friend from another department to read it)
• With IAS applications, highlighting the interdisciplinarity is KEY
The Don’ts
• DON’T make it difficult for the reviewer• DON’T copy and paste your thesis abstract and present it as the
research proposal• DON’T fill your application with equations or formulae without
explaining what they demonstrate• DON’T write in generalities• DON’T ignore the interdisciplinary nature of your work• DON’T underestimate how long it will take you to hand in
Questions?
IAS website: www.warwick.ac.uk/ias (funding, events & fellowships)
Email: ECR@warwick.ac.uk (contact for queries about ECF & Accolade)
Guidance & Apply: https://warwick.ac.uk/ias/schemes/ecf