Steve Tobias (Leeds)

(with thanks to Ineke De Moortel (St Andrews))

After the Phd… Planning your Future

(Research/Academic) Career

Introduction

• Does anyone here know for certain what they want to do when

they finish their PhD?

•  Lecturer  

•  Tutor  

•  IT  

• Met  office  

•  Teacher  

•  Financial  Services  

•  NHS  sta8s8cian  •  Cycling  proficiency  teacher  (!)  

•  Postdoc...  

•  Civil  Service

•  Focus on academic (research) careers

• Contact local careers service/office to get information on non-

academic careers

Introduction

•  Focus on academic (research) careers

• Contact local careers service/office to get information on non-

academic careers

Why?

•  Think carefully about your choice. Why are you choosing an

academic career?

•  Are you just “staying on”…? For “a bit”…?

•  Do you really want your supervisor’s job?

Ø  Think about “researcher” vs “academic”.

•  http://www.apprise.ox.ac.uk/academic_career_paths/

•  http://www.vitae.ac.uk/

Why?

“Typical” (UK) Academic Career Path

PhD Student PDRA Fellowship Academic

Staff

3-4 years 5-8 years

Let’s assume you’ve decided!

• Research, research, research! -  You will be primarily evaluated on your research career. •  The evaluation will be primarily of your written outputs -  A substantial number of first author papers -  Quality vs quantity…

•  Publish & publicise your work - Papers (as first author whenever possible!) - Conference talks (don’t opt for the poster-option…) & seminars - Research visits; Networking

Building your academic CV

Building your academic CV

•  Think about the other skills you need to develop. What does an academic job involve?

-  Lecturing

-  Supervising (summer students)

-  Outreach

-  Refereeing (be critical but constructive)

-  Committees & panels; Academic Community

-  Leadership

-  …

Ø A very fine line between building your CV and research – try and stay on the right side of the line.

Ø Be pro-active & develop your independence! (Research ideas, conferences, seminars, training courses, jobs…)

Project Funding

•  Generally someone else will be the PI on the project.

•  Mainly evaluated on research idea

•  Many schemes available: STFC, Leverhulme, EU,…

•  Applying:

•  CV: concise vs comprehensive

(relevance!)

•  Cover letter

•  Skills vs Topic (cover letter!)

Project Funding

•  STFC:

•  http://www.stfc.ac.uk/178.aspx

•  Leverhulme – Research Project Grant:

•  http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/RPG/RPG.cfm

Personal Fellowships

•  This is YOUR project! (But you will still need the support from an academic/

department.)

•  Assessed on both the research idea and your track record combined.

•  Highly competitive!

•  Again, many schemes available (and all with different eligibility conditions!)

•  STFC, Leverhulme, Royal Society, Returner Fellowships (but also EU, ESA &

NASA if you are willing to go abroad)

Personal Fellowships

•  The research you propose •  is worth doing •  has to be done now

•  and you are the only person who can possibly do it properly

•  Track Record: •  Excellent research is (almost) taken as a given! •  Panel are looking for (future) leaders in the field. •  Demonstrate your independence •  Emphasise invited talks, prizes, conference organising, funding, participating in

(academic/research) community •  Outreach activities

Ø That means your CV should reflect all of the above – see building your academic CV!

•  Demonstrate you have thought about your career. (How will this fellowship help you?) •  PI response: Don’t tell the panel they are wrong!!

Personal Fellowships •  Spend time writing your proposals!

•  Try and read some successful proposals from colleagues.

•  Contact the relevant department(s) and people EARLY.

•  Think about quota and financial details (Full Economic Costing - FEC).

•  Proofread, proofread, proofread!!

•  Get help from senior colleagues

•  Reading your proposal (find people outside your specialist area!)

•  Practising interviews (talks + possible questions)

•  Find out the answers you should definitely not give!

•  Ask (put up with…) career advice

•  Find out

•  how committees work

•  possibly who the panel members will be.

Equality & Diversity

•  Look at Athena Swan / Juno status

•  Look at demographic (e.g. age & gender distribution)

•  Long working hours vs flexible working hours

STFC - Ernest Rutherford Fellowships •  Deadline: Usually late September (24 September 2015)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: 5 years salary, and minor research costs

•  Link: http://www.stfc.ac.uk/funding/fellowships/ernest-rutherford-fellowship/

Leverhulme – Early Career Fellowships

•  Deadline: Usually early March? (10 March 2016)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: Fifty per cent match-funding for the salary costs of three-year academic research position, the scheme enables early career researchers to undertake a significant piece of publishable work.

•  Link: https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/grant-schemes/early-career-fellowships

Royal Society - URF •  Deadline: Usually early/mid September (3 Sept 2015 – Oops)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: need 3-8 years post PhD experience. 5+3 years of salary plus research costs

•  Link: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/university-research/

RS - Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships •  Deadline: Usually mid January

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: up to 5 years salary plus research costs; no more than 6 years post PhD experience + Applicants must be able to demonstrate a current need for flexible support due to personal circumstances at the time of application.

•  Link: http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/dorothy-hodgkin/

Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (IEF) (Horizon2020)

•  Deadline: Usually mid August/ Early Sept (10 Sept 2015)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: PhD or 4 years research experience (after UG degree). 2 years salary, must move between European countries

•  Link: http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/ief/index_en.htm

Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (IOF) (Horizon2020)

•  Deadline: Usually mid August/ Early Sept (10 September 2015)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: PhD or 4 years research experience (after UG degree). 3 years salary, must move outside European countries and then return for one year

•  Link: http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/iof/index_en.htm

ERC Starting Grant (Horizon2020) •  Deadline: November (but variable!) (17 November 2015)

•  Call: Annual

•  Details: needs 2- 7 years post-PhD experience. Provides 5 years salary and associated costs (including students and PDRA’s), upto 1.5M Euro

•  Link: http://erc.europa.eu/starting-grants