Information for staff
Support for Fellows
Preparing for Fellowship Success Retreat
Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th March 2020
Fairfield Manor Mercure Hotel, Skelton, York.
The retreat will provide the space, time and support for exceptional early career researchers to develop a Fellowship application. It is aimed at internal and external high calibre postdocs and early career researchers who intend to submit a Fellowship application within 9-12 months. All applicants must have the full support of the appropriate Chair of the Departmental Research Committee.
Each aspect of the Fellowship process will be covered and candidates will be fully supported by professional support staff, existing Fellowship holders and external speakers and Fellowship Mentors. The retreat is provided free of charge and is part of the University’s commitment to providing support for postdocs/research staff with the skills and capabilities to develop independent research and is aligned to the institutional commitment to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.
Selected participants will have an opportunity to discuss their ideas with staff experienced in writing successful applications and get insight into the peer review process. There will be space to draft work and get feedback and to develop thinking with like-minded colleagues. To maximise the chances of fellowship success all applicants are required to identify an individual (who may or may not be their PI) to become a *‘Fellowship Mentor’ and support their application.
*A mentor is an academic member of staff who can provide specialist insight into the proposal
Objectives
By the end of the retreat participants will have:
- Confirmed their choice of Fellowship scheme
- Received feedback on and refined their research vision, overview and professional development statement
- Produced an action plan and timescale for further work endorsed by their Fellowship Mentor
- Networked with existing Fellows and professional support staff who can assist with their application
Time Commitment
The formal programme runs from 9am - 6pm on 4th March and from 9am - 1pm on 5th March. Overnight accommodation is NOT provided. All applicants are expected to engage for that time period to maximise the opportunity to develop the elements of the proposal. There will also be a networking dinner on the evening of 4th March to enable existing and prospective fellows to meet and network. Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. The drinks reception and dinner will run from 6pm - 9pm.
Eligibility
Postdoctoral researchers and early career researchers staff are eligible; it is anticipated that most candidates will be yet to have held an ‘independent’ and substantial research award in their own right or to have a full academic lectureship position, but exceptions may be made. Applications from candidates external to York who have the full support of a mentor and host department are warmly invited.
Candidates should have a target fellowship program identified (for example UKRI FLF, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship), have a written concept of what their proposal encompasses and be aiming to submit an application within the next 9-12 months. They should have the support of their line manager and department(s) for their application. They should also have a mentor from within their own department (or if external, in the York department within which they seek to hold the Fellowship) who can provide assistance in the writing of the proposal.
Application process
- All prospective participants should discuss their ideas with their line manager and Departmental Fellowship contact as indicated in the communication and complete the Google PfPS Application Form. The criteria will be: research focus; alignment with Dept/University strategies; professional development and leadership; impact and strategic relevance. This follows the structure of most UKRI Fellowships. Places will be restricted to 24.
- The application form should be submitted by Friday 14 February for consideration by the Fellowship Co-ordination Committee chaired by the PVC Research and including the Associate Deans of Research for each Faculty. The committee’s decision is final. All applicants will be informed of the decisions by 27th February. Unsuccessful applicants will be provided with brief feedback will be given to as to the committees decisions.
Contact
Dr Karen Clegg, Research Excellence Training Team, karen.clegg@york.ac.uk, 01904 325712
Resources
University of York Fellowships Page
Listed below are some (but by no means all) of the larger Fellowship schemes aimed at postdoctoral researchers looking to make the transition to independence:
University of York Centre for Future Health Fellowships
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships
Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowships,
Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships
Wellcome Henry Dale Fellowships
ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships,
MRC Career Development Award/Fellowship or MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship
Royal Academy of Engineering Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Programme
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships
EPSRC Postdoctoral and Early Career Research Fellowships
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships
To identify appropriate Fellowship schemes register with Research Professional to receive notification of Fellowships tailored to your research area.