Developing Successful
Fellowship Applications
Dr Jane Wellens
Steven Hardy
What are fellowships?
Highly competitive and prestigious
funding schemes to:
• Support outstanding researchers who have the
potential to become leaders in their field
• Foster independent research careers and research
career development
• Contribute towards the researcher’s
salary/stipend and research costs
Characteristics of successful
fellowship applications
They:
1. Promise excellent research
2. Are of value to potential users outside or
within the research community
3. Convince of the ability to deliver research
4. Demonstrate value for money
So what could you include in an application to demonstrate this?
1. Promise Excellent Research
• Convey your genuine interest, understanding
and enthusiasm for the work
• Have a clearly formulated problem.
• Demonstrate how the work sits within
contemporary debates and builds on existing
research.
• Show how you will make a contribution to
research in the field (step change vs
incremental)
• Develop appropriate and attainable aims and
objectives
• Provide a clear and considered research design
2. Demonstrate value to potential users
• Align your work with the funder’s mission
statement or strategic priorities/challenges
• Ensure fit with the primary aim/purpose of the
scheme
• Identify and consult potential users of your
research outside of the academic community
• Provide a dissemination strategy and impact
statement (or equivalent)
3. Convince of your ability
Demonstrate:
• Track record
• Relevant experience
• How the research fits with your career development
plans
3. Convince of your ability
• The Nuffield foundation expects applications to
demonstrate how the researcher will:
• Pursue a new body of knowledge
• Substantially extend their own knowledge or
competency
• Acquire new research skills/methods
• Develop interdisciplinary skills
• Attend specific courses
• Develop academic networks
• Gain other experiences and responsibilities
Develop Your Track Record
Travel & Conference Grants
• Professional bodies
• Universities
• Conference bursaries
• Industry
• Exchange programmes
• Networks and workshop organisation
Develop Your Track Record
Other Grants
• Facility use
• Equipment
• Gifts in kind
• Industry
• Undergraduate/postgraduate bursaries
• Public understanding of science awards
Other Considerations: eligibility
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Qualifications
Nationality
Residence
Length of experience required for the scheme
Employment status
Location of supporting institution/researcher
Proposal Essentials (1)
• Allow sufficient time to develop the proposal and
School/University approval and submission processes
• Study the funding source – is it appropriate?
Success rates?
• Read the rules & guidance
• Read the rules & guidance again!
• Read the rules & guidance again!!
Proposal Essentials (2)
• Identify and fully justify the costings – why, not what
• Prepare an outline/summary proposal and discuss the
application with experienced researchers
• Get hold of examples of successful proposals –
speak to BDEs
• Stick to word/character limits, font sizes, margins
and other rules – especially for attachments
• Write for the reviewers (charities may include lay
people)
• Avoid jargons and fully explain acronyms