Get that grant (or fellowship)!
Tips for success
Claire Westwood, PhD
Strategic Research Facilitator, UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/slms-intranet/research/facilitation
SLMS Research Facilitatorshttps://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/slms-intranet/research/facilitation
We can help with…
- Suitability for funding schemes
- Reviewing draft research proposals
- Providing resources for applications
- Supporting mock interviews
We will cover:
Before you start writing
Top tips for grant writing
Support and resources
Questions
Stage Zero: Plan ahead!
Timing is critical: career stage vs contract
It is never too early to build your CV
Choose the right funding opportunity
It takes time
Submission → award:
6-12 months
Apply at the right time
Fellowships are about
the person
Seek advice
Supervisor, mentor,
UCL, funders…
Find the right funding opportunity(ies)
Where to find funding?MRC interactive-career-framework
• Jacob Sweiry (access)
• Use ResearchConnect, not GrantFinder
Ambitious Feasible
Build the foundation for your grant: aims
Develop your
research aims
Your own
research ideas
Chalk talk,
departmental review,
peers, veterans
Get input
What is the
problem / need?
Distinguish yourself
from your
supervisor
Novelty and
innovation
Build the foundation for your grant: budget
• Use Worktribe to cost your application
• You will have a local / Departmental Finance contact
Top 7 tips for grant writing
1. Give them what they want
Must fit funder remit
NIHR
May address priority areas
MRC
Funder
Read the application
guidelines!Address review criteria
WT
Scheme
2. Understand your audience
Peer Reviewers• (International) expert in
your field / methodology
• Multiple reviews per
application
Funding CommitteeGenerally:
• Not in-depth knowledge
of exact field
• Two nominated to lead
your application
• All will score
+
Write for both audiences
Don’t assume knowledge
Reviewers are extremely busy!!
“I had to review 35
applications in a
month… I allocated 1
PubMed search per
application”
3. Help your audience: tell a story
Capture the reader early on:
– What is the problem that your research is addressing?
– Why is it important?
Use the lay summary
Begin case for support with “Summary/importance”
statement
Sell your proposal:
– What is novel?
– Why should they give you the money?
Use verbiage from the review criteria / guidelines
Guide reader with sentences/headings: take-home
messages
4. Help your audience: make it believable
Aims and methods: are they feasible?
– Include pilot data
– Methodology / experiments that will address the aims
– Avoid interdependent aims, or / and…
– …Show understanding of risk and contingency plans
– Outline expected outcomes
– Provide timelines / workplan
– Include statistics
5. Help your audience: make it a pleasure to read
• Use a clear structure:
– Organised thoughts, no jargon (without evidence)
– Write in simple, short statements
– Reiterate important points
• Make it visually interesting:
– Subheadings, visuals / figures
– Don’t overuse bold / italics, leave white space
• Stick to page limits, margins, font size etc.
• No grammar or spelling errors!
6. Don’t forget the other bits…
Data Management
Plan
7. And finally…
• Get organised
• Seek internal review
– Formal process in your Department?
– Supervisor, mentor, academic outside your Department
– Research Facilitators
• Leave enough time
• You can do it!
Questions?
A Winning CV
Research track record and reputation
• Publications – Number
– Citations
– (Journal, but not Journal Impact Factor)
• Relevant research experience / skills
• Invited speaker at conferences, meetings etc
• Successful grant / fellowship applications
Independence and leadership
• Networking and collaborations
• Supervising / mentoring students
• Teaching experience
• Staff management
• Research visits undertaken
Other (esteem, citizenship/enabling etc)
• Awards or prizes
• Workshops / conferences organised
• Outreach activities – non-academic audiences e.g. schools
Some fellowship funding opportunities
SkillsPhD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship
WT Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science
MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship
HFSP Long Term Fellowship
BBSRC David Philips Fellowship
Royal Comm. For Exhib 1851
Post-doctoral year
WT Sir Henry Dale Fellowship
WT Henry Wellcome
Non-
clinical
WT Senior Research Fellowships
MRC Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship -->
MRC Career Development Award
BBSRC Future Leader Fellowship
Royal Society University Research Fellowship
BHF Senior Basic Sci Res Fellowship
BHF Senior Clin Res Fellowship
BHF Intermed Clin Res
H2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions: Individual Fellowships
Non-
clinical or
clinicalNIHR Career Development
NIHR Senior Research Fellowship
ERC Starting Grant
NIHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship
ERC Consolidator Grant --> (12)
Internat-
ional
mobility
EMBO Long Term Fellowship
WT Clinical Research Career Dev Fellowships (Stg 1&2)
BHF Immed Postdoc Fellowship
BHF Intermed Basic Sci Fellowship
NC3Rs David Sainsbury Fellowship
Early career Intermediate career Senior career
Useful resources, links, further reading
Resources
• UCL SLMS Research Coordination Office: www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/slms-intranet/research/facilitation
• UCL BEAMS RCO Guidance: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/research/beamsfunding/guidance-documents/
• Idox Research Connect: https://www.idoxgrantfinder.co.uk/education/Default/Index?ReturnUrl=%2feducation%2fHome
• UCL Library DMP guidance: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/research-support/research-data/policies/writing_DMPlan
• UCL Public Engagement: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/public-engagement
• SLMS Checklist: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/slms-intranet/research
• Europe PMC Grant finder (to find awardees at your institution):
https://europepmc.org/grantfinder;jsessionid=8AD94AD5B9DAA59659C7CD91CB496D40
Career Pathways/fellowships
• MRC Interactive Career Framework: www.mrc.ac.uk/skills-careers/interactive-career-framework/
• MRC – Skills needed at each career stage www.mrc.ac.uk/skills-careers/skills-needed-to-win-support/
• Wellcome fellowships: www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Biomedical-science/Fundng-schemes/Fellowships/
• ERC starting grants: https://erc.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/funding-schemes/starting-grants
• NIHR training programmes: www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/training-programmes.htm
Grant writing
• www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC001873
• http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for-applicants/how-to-write-a-good-research-grant-proposal/
• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016510706031403
• http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/information-for-applicants/start-your-application/
Peer review comments to avoid…
“...the work described in this application is over-ambitious, it could not be
achieved in the life time of the investigator...”
“…it involves techniques with which the applicant appears to have no
prior experience and for which no preliminary data are proposed...”
• Crafted aims: Show a focussed idea of what you can achieve in the
time period. Gantt chart?
• Include pilot data and/or collaborators
Comments originally from Wellcome Trust (not UCL)
Peer review comments to avoid…
“…I had only one problem with this
application, I had no idea what they were
trying to do...”
Comments originally from Wellcome Trust (not UCL)
…And some to aim for!
…the proposal is, in my judgement, both timely and innovative...
... the proposed research in this fellowship application
has the necessary ingredients & fit to the candidate’s
research background…
… worthwhile investment in future leadership potential ...
in an excellent training environment….
Comments originally from Wellcome Trust (not UCL)
