APPLYING FOR RESEARCH FUNDING CAN BE TIME-CONSUMING AND STRESSFUL

Applying for research funding can be time-consuming and stressful.

Writing grant applications can be both tedious and nail-biting. It is, nonetheless, a fundamental part of academic life. All disciplines place emphasis on winning funding to get ahead, but competition is intense, particularly for early career researchers.

The success rate of applications fell this year at five out of six research councils – down to just 12% at the Economic and Social Research Council – as financial pressures lead to an increasingly tough environment.

Both research councils and funding charities recognize the need to address the bottleneck of funding opportunities for those in the early stages of their careers. Organisations are offering more fellowships that provide career development and training, such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Leadership Fellows scheme and Cancer Research UK’s Career Establishment Award.

As part of our weekly careers advice series, we’ve put together an expert panel of funders, research careers advisers and academics to answer your questions on the process.

Join the next chat meeting with the expert invaluable advice and insight on creating successful grant applications at  #researchfundingadvice - Wednesday, 9 December, from 12-2pm GMT

We will be discussing:

• What are the most common mistakes in funding applications?
• What is the right time to apply for funding?
• How long should you spend on an application?
• What small grants are available to boost your CV?
• What’s the best response after an unsuccessful application? How can you learn from it?
• What are the different approaches from different disciplines? What can they learn from each other?
• And anything else you want to know!

Send your questions by tweeting us via @GdnHigherEd using #researchfundingadvice.

The Panel:

1. Robert Bowles, careers specialist at the Royal Society of Chemistry.
2. Dr Claire Conway, careers specialist for researchers at the University of Oxford.
3. Amanda Chmura - Head of university relationships, at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
4. Ken Emond, head of research at the British Academy.
5. Matthew Grenby, professor of 18th Century studies at Newcastle University and an experienced grant winner.
6. Candy Hassall, head of research affairs at the Wellcome Trust.
7. Dr Jane Sugars, project manager at Vitae, a professional development organisation for researchers.

Send your questions by tweeting us via @GdnHigherEd using #researchfundingadvice.

Source : The Guardian UK.