IRCHSS Postdoctoral Awards
2011-2012
Michael Breen
October 26 2010
Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards 2005-10
Year
Scheme
Postdoctoral
Fellowship
2010/2011
2009/2010
2008/2009
2007/2008
2006/2007
2005/2006
Apps
Award
Apps
Award
Apps
Awards
Apps
Awards
Apps
Awards
Apps
Awards
271
25
171
30
96
26
133
22
116
22
80
23
Success Rate
9%
18%
27%
17%
19%
29%
Successful by HEI (PDF 10)
9
8
8
7
6
6
5
4
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
DCU
DIAS
NUIG
1
0
NUIM
SPD
TCD
UCC
UCD
Eligible Applicants vs Awards (PDF 10)
72
68
64
60
56
52
48
44
40
36
32
28
24
20
16
12
8
4
0
71
65
31
29
24
13
9
8
6
1
2 1
2
1
2
DCU
DIAS
DIT
ITT
MIC
1
1
Miltown NCAD
Inst.
2 1
1
NUIG
NUIM
SPD
TCD
4
3
UCC
UCD
UL
Awards by Discipline (PDF10)
12
10
10
8
6
6
4
2
2
Philosophy
Politics
2
1
1
1
1
Celtic Studies
Classics
French
German
1
0
History
Irish Language
Studies
Literature
ELIGIBLE vs. SUCCESSFUL by discipline (PDF 10)
90
77
80
70
60
49
50
40
30
17
16
20
12
12
8
10 4 7 5 31 51 5 4 1 3 7 1 61 1 1 1 1 4 2 4 5 2 2 2 2 1 2
1 3 3
0
International Assessment
• Focus on funding excellence
• International Assessment Boards
▫ 15 to 25 member boards
▫ Generally Professors with extensive and current research
backgrounds
▫ Experienced evaluators with international evaluation
experience
▫ As broad a disciplinary spectrum covered as possible
• Provision of constructive feedback
Evaluation
• Focus on funding excellence, originality
and potential
• No quotas, no favoured topics nor
disciplines
General Board Comments
• Lack of awareness of ethical considerations
• Process – significant and feasible
• Importance of certain skills – pre and post PhD e.g.
languages
• Choice of supervisor and institution – very important and
generally not treated as such
• Use of jargon free language
• No handwritten applications incl. referees
• Need for clear methodological approaches
Feedback from 2010 IAB
•
•
•
•
More applications were of a poorer quality
Bad first impressions
Lack of proofing, spell check, correct prose
Apparent lack of input from Graduate Studies
Office/Supervisor/Mentor/Department/Research
advice
• International reputational risk particularly HEI
and supervisor
• Referees should be franker
• Should not apply just for the sake of it!
Ineligibility Issues (all schemes)
•
•
•
•
No hard/soft copy
Late
Nomination of Irish based peers
Incomplete application:
▫ No/incorrect signature
▫ References sent separately
▫ No declaration or confirmation form
• Outside remit
• Outside 5 year period
• Part D incomplete or left blank
▫ Research environment and structured programmes: to be completed by
supervisor and Department (10 marks)
Three PDF Strands
Evaluation Criteria 1:
Quality of Proposal 60/100
•
•
•
•
Description of the topic and quality of the proposal.
Quality of methodological approach.
Originality and innovative nature (state of the art)
Significance of the proposed project in the context of
the specific field of research.
• Match between fellow’s profile and project.
• Quality of the host mentor (s) and motivation for this
choice.
• Research track record and outputs to date.
Evaluation Criteria 2:
Training 20/100
• Clarity and quality of plans for acquisition of new
knowledge including training proposed.
• Research experience to date.
• Outputs to date.
Evaluation Criteria 3
Implementation 10/100
• Feasibility and credibility of research plan including
practical arrangements of the implementation and
management of the project (dependent on purpose
of fellowship).
• Quality of infrastructure and facilities.
• Quality of international collaborations of hosts
(Fellowship 3 CARA only).
Evaluation Criteria 4
Impact 10/100
• Contribution to Irish, European and international
research excellence
• Benefit of mobility to European Research Area
(Fellowship 3 CARA only)
• Quality of plans for dissemination
• Potential for longer term sustainability and future
plans.
Core Issues
• Write for the evaluator
• Well developed proposal for publication
Liaise with supervisor and institution
• Ensure clarity around the research topic
• Be specific about methodology
• Check for errors
• Have your application read by non-expert
• Check Terms & Conditions carefully