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What Next? MRC OpportunitiesMark Pitman Theme Leader, Methodology, MRC
MRC/NIHR Methodology Fellows Workshop – 9th February 2011
Content
• About the MRC
• Funding opportunities
• Tips on making a successful application
Its work, on behalf of the UK taxpayer, ranges from molecular level science to public health medicine and understanding of the human body in health and disease.
Our aims are to:
•Encourage and support research to improve human health.
•Produce skilled researchers.
•Advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the UK.
•Promote dialogue with the public about medical research.
The Medical Research Council’s mission is to improve human health via research
MRC funding – where/what
MRC funding for research
• ~50% of funding is in response mode (to HEIs and other ROs) 22 Centres, research grants, training awards and fellowships
• ~50% of funding is directly to MRC research establishments 3 institutes, 28 units
• Over £60m pa on training and career development
People
• Supports 3000 staff on research grants
• Employs over 4000 staff in UK and overseas
• 350 research fellows and 1400 students
MRC Funding
• Methodology – 43 Grants
• 28 investigator led - £9.9m
• 15 Needs-Led - £4.1m
• Fellowships
• Methodology - 7
• Biostatistics - 8
• Economics of Health - 8
• Population Health - 15
MRC Clinical Trial Methodology Hubs
ConDuCT HTMR
Edinburgh HTMR
Midlands HTMR
Cambridge HTMR (MRC BSU)
London HTMR (MRC CTU)
Oxford HTMR (MRC CTSU)
Northwest HTMR
All-Ireland HTMR
1. Improve the national methodological platform in trials research:– drive forward methodological research and innovation– training
2. Stimulate collaboration and communication:– between Hubs– external methodologists– Clinical trialists
3. Add value:– collaborative research projects– workshops and conferences– methodology advisory service for trials (MAST)
Aims:
… we offer a wide range of awards
• About the MRC
• Funding opportunities
• Tips on making a successful application
Our website www.mrc.ac.uk should be your first port of call …
Types of post doctoral fellowshipNon-Clinical, Clinical and several Capacity Development fellowships
-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Research Yrs Post PhD
Career Development
Award
Senior Non-Clinical
Population Health Scientist
Bioinformatics, Biostats, EoH3yr 4yr 2yr
Methodology Research4yr
ClinicalRTF Clinician Scientist
Senior Clinical
Clinical Training Clinical
Training
PhD
Which award to apply for depends on the nature of the project and your career stage
PhD student Research Assistant
Post on Grant
New Investigator
Research Grants
Research Grants(CoI & PI)
Post-Doc 1
Post-Doc 2(+)
Lecturer
Readership
Professorship
Studentships via Doctoral Training
Account
Intermediate Awards Career Development
Senior Fellowships
Non Clinical Appointment
Fellowship Opportunities
Grant Opportunities
Programme Grants
(CoI & PI)
Even once you’ve decided to apply for a grant, look at the website because some may suit your project better than others
Types of grants
• Standard “response mode” Grants
– Research grants
– New investigator research grants
– Programme grants
• Awards to promote collaboration
– Between HEIs (Partnership grants)
– With industry (MRC Industry Collaboration Awards)
• Short awards for personal development
– Discipline hopping
– People exchange
Strategic initiatives, programmes & calls
Grants and fellowships may be available through:
• Strategic Programmes
– Developmental pathway funding scheme (preclinical)
– Developmental clinical studies (early clinical)
– Translational stem cell research programme
– Methodology research programme
• Open Calls for proposals, including
– Experimental medicine for mental health
– National Prevention Research Initiative (joint funding)
• Anticipated Calls
– Regenerative medicine (joint funding) – EOIs in March
There is a quick link on our website to both grants and calls
Highlight notice
• Highlight notice
This is also where you find the link to our electronic application & assessment system
So, what do you need to look out for when preparing your application?
• About the MRC
• Funding opportunities
• Tips on making a successful application
• Not clear what impact the research will have (“so what…?”)
• “Worthy” “solid” (but dull)
• More of the same, duplicative, unambitious
• No clear hypothesis or important question
• Unfocused. Overambitious – too much, no clear plan
• Methodology insufficiently detailed, limitations not appreciated
• Lack of preliminary data / appropriate experience
• Modest publication record (for experienced researchers)
• Inadequate knowledge and expertise
• Lack of collaborators, supervision & mentorship
Common reasons why proposals fail
Being successful
Understand the funder
– Science: remit and opportunities
– Administrative: Forms; CV; page length & number; finance & signatures…
Be bold
– Ambitious, original… and NOT boring
Plan well & be realistic
– You will be over-optimistic! A complex study will roll out slower than you think.
– Agreements and authorisations will take time.
– Not everything will work. Clarify dependencies, risks and plan contingencies
Being successful
Discuss and learn
– Draw on experienced colleagues, mentors, research Board members, funding officials & patient groups
– Learn from “failure” and feedback (<25% of proposals may be funded)
Present clearly: person, project, ‘place’
– Be specific: what you aim to achieve, why and how
– You will need to inform and persuade a diverse audience
– Explain and justify
• research question / hypothesis
• design / strategy
• delivery (methods, collaborations, management);
• ethics
• resources
Remember…
Your application will only be as strong as its weakest link
Deliverability
Resources
Design
Need & Potential for Impact Ethics
Overview: Applying for Your Grant
1. Plan your options vis-à-vis published Fellowship competitions & dates
• Advertised 1 or 2x pa
2. Identify remit/scope, eligibility, criteria, process & dates.
3. Develop proposal well ahead: take advice
4. Applications forms = web-based
5. Submission through web, CD or internet.
• Sign off = critical
6. Admin check by funder.
• 3-5 expert referees assigned.
• Referees write report & score
• Shortlisting by referees’ scores– 25% declined
• Board Meeting– Two designated Panel
members present the proposal
– Discussion
– Scoring
– Ranking
• Outcome within days
Depending on the nature of your query you can contact us in a number of ways
General [email protected] [email protected]@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Post Award Administration (award letters, payments & queries)[email protected]
Scientific queries via Programme ManagersDetails on MRC web-site (www.mrc.ac.uk)e.g. [email protected]
