EPSRC Fellowships: a new fellowship framework

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EPSRC Fellowships a new fellowship framework

• ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

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EPSRC slides (our emphasis)
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Our three Strategic Plan goals

• Delivering Impact
• Embedding impact throughout our portfolio by
  creating an environment in which it arises
  naturally, in whatever form, from the knowledge
  base
• Shaping Capability
• Ensuring we have the right people, with the right
  resource, in the right places to deliver the
  highest quality long-term research in areas where
  the UK leads internationally and where there is
  current or future national need
• Developing Leaders
• Nurturing the visionary leaders who set research
  agendas and inspirational team leaders who act as
  role models

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Developing Leaders

• We will support and promote leadership role
  models who can inspire others and can integrate
  the efforts of their peers to deliver greater
  impact from our investment. In this delivery plan
  we will
• Increase focus on developing a cohort of both
  current and future leaders
• Identify and invest preferentially in current
  leaders
• Develop our future leaders
• Provide tailored support for individuals with
  leadership potential across all career stages
• Provide an increased proportion of support to
  individuals not projects
• Ensure that early career researchers with the
  greatest potential are well-supported.

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Who are the leaders?

• Spectrum of leadership behaviours
• from the visionary thinker who can set and drive
  research agendas and
• lead research communities
• to the inspirational team leader who can nurture
  and build the cross-disciplinary
• teams required to tackle the major global
  challenges we face

• Leaders will need to demonstrate
• Research excellence and international standing
• Setting the research agenda
• Strategic vision
• Profile and influence
• Ability to lead and inspire
• Excellent communication and engagement skills

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EPSRC Fellowships a new framework for Fellowships

• Merge existing schemes, including Challenging
  Engineering
• Focus on areas where growth is required and on
  developing leaders able to integrate their work
  into the wider research  landscape.
• Not open in all areas, at all career stages at
  all times
• Support to start in 2012 but through a faster,
  more streamlined and flexible process

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The new framework Principles

• Linked to strategic priorities and shaping
• http//www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/fellows/Pages/defau
  lt.aspx

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The new framework Principles

• Linked to strategic priorities and shaping
• Specify desired qualities, experience,
  achievements or attributes and provide flexible
  support.
• Mechanisms to refocus our support on those who
  have the most potential
• Partnership with universities and business to
  both identify candidates and enhance the research
  environment
• Encouraging ambition, mobility and exposure to
  creative techniques
• Development of leadership cohorts

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The new framework What will be different?

• Allow for variations of career paths across the
  EPS disciplines
• No eligibility rules based on years of post-doc
  experience, instead have a person specification
• Remove the pre/post-appointment distinction
• Two fellowship rounds per year operated through
  an open call
• More flexible on the amount of time a fellow
  dedicates to their fellowship, giving them the
  option of staying active within their department.
• Suite of resource packages to facilitate linkage
  with the best, creativity, while allowing them to
  build a group.
• applicants can apply for a package that best
  suits them
• Exploring the option to top-up a fellowship

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Expectations (of host institution)

• Universities take ownership for pre-selecting
  candidates against the specification
• Accord fellows equivalent status to academic
  staff
• Adequate office and lab space
• A mentor where appropriate
• Suitable career development procedures to support
  transitioning to next career stage

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EPSRC Fellowships

• EPSRC Fellowship is a new single scheme that can
  support three career stages (postdoctoral, early
  and established).
• EPSRCs Capability and Challenge Themes are going
  through an initial exercise of prioritising the
  areas and career stages in which fellowships
  will be offered.

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Eligibility

• A person specification will be used to describe
  the desired attributes for each career stage.
• Applicants should evaluate their track record and
  assess which career stage you should apply
  against (if open to applications) and ensure they
  can demonstrate how each of the expected
  attributes is fulfilled.

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Person Specification
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What can you apply for?

• EPSRC particularly wants to encourage applicants
  to request resources which will allow them to
• Build international research collaborations
• Move across disciplines and stimulate innovative
  approaches to collaborative research between and
  across disciplines
• Link with the best, either in an academic or
  industrial settling, for example by spending
  extended periods of time (up to 12 months) in
  alternative research environments which are
  recognised as centres of excellence or by
  inviting visiting researchers to come and visit.
  (by requesting TS where appropriate for family
  and research team)
• Maximise their creative potential
• Engage with the public/media.

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Resources

• The type of resources available is determined by
  the career stage under which you are applying
• For early established career possible extension
  to 8 years support

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Application Process
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Documentation

• Cover letter
• Case for Support (up to a maximum nine sides of
  A4)
• Pathways to Impact (maximum two sides of A4)
• Applicants CV (maximum two sides of A4)
• Host Organisation Statement (maximum two sides of
  A4)
• Work-plan (maximum one side of A4)
• Justification of Resources (maximum two sides of
  A4)
• List of Publications (no page limit)
• Where applicable
• Statements of Support from any project partners
  (no page limit)