University of Kent

This event will look at the issue of Responding to Reviewers' Comments. Most of the Research Councils (and some other funders) allow you to respond to the comments that their reviewers give your application. Often the comments seem uninformed, and it's easy - and tempting ! - to respond quickly and angrily to these. However, there is a knack to dealing with them effectively, and if you can master this you can turn round the negative feedback and actually get your applications funded.

The workshop will be led by Dr Peter Bennett from the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology (DICE). He has had considerable experience as both an applicant, reviewer and panel member for NERC, as well as a number of other funders. His insight and advice will be relevant to academics in all three faculties, as there are common themes that apply to funders in all disciplines.

The slides from this event can be found here (Kent log-in required).

This is intended for people who are applying to the current FP7 calls. It will be an opportunity for applicants to present and discuss their proposals with two experienced academics (Simon Thompson and Jenny Billings) who have been applicants, grant holders and reviewers for the EC.

 

This is intended for people who are applying to the current FP7 calls. It will be an opportunity for applicants to present and discuss their proposals with two experienced academics (Simon Thompson and Jenny Billings) who have been applicants, grant holders and reviewers for the EC.

 

This event will be lead by Prof. Elizabeth Mansfield and Prof. Jon Williamson.

This event will be lead by Prof. Peter Taylor-Gooby and Prof. Mick Tuite.

The session will cover what goes on in a funding panel meeting, how decisions are made and how best to tailor your application for success.

Jo Frost from the UK Research Office will give a presentation on ‘Looking to the Horizon: the end of FP7 and the future of European funding.’

 

This lunchtime workshop is led by two successful Kent researchers, Dr Jenny Billings and Prof. Sarah Spurgeon, with extensive experience of both winning and awarding research grants. It looks at winning research grants as a game that applicants will play better if they understand the rules, the skills and the tactics needed for success.

 

Prof Sarah Spurgeon (EDA) is an elected member of the EPSRC Engineering College and has received grants worth over £4 million from EPSRC, the Leverhulme Trust, the European Commission and both government and industry sources.

 

Dr Jenny Billings (CHSS) is particularly experienced in large collaborative projects and has acted as an evaluator for the European Commission as well as wining and coordinating funded research projects from sources as diverse as the European Commission, the Big Lottery, health charities, primary care trusts and government sources.

 

The event is largely discussion-based and Sarah and Jenny are pleased to welcome Dr Heather Ferguson (Psychology) and Dr Nicola Shaughnessy (Arts) who will join them to help lead the workshop. No advance preparation is required and sandwiches will be provided.

Rick Rylance (Chief Executive of the AHRC and Chair of RCUK Executive Group) will be visiting the University. He will be speaking to staff at an open meeting about the AHRC's delivery plan (.pdf) and strategic direction.

There will be plenty of time for questions so if you have a question about plans for longer and larger grants, the new Fellowship schemes, demand management or the influence of government policy on the Council’s strategy, please come along and ask.

Prof. David Shemmings has been running popular grant-writing workshops at the University of Kent and at a range of other institutions (including an ESRC-funded researcher development programme) since 2009.

 

This informal talk (with plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions) provides a set of techniques that you can use to structure and write grant applications that appeal to busy, non-specialist decision makers and are more likely to succeed in research funding competitions. It explains: the decision-making process; the way that grant applications are used by referees and grants' committees, and how to make your application stand out against the competition. No advance preparation is required and refreshments will be provided.

A Kent Peer Review workshop for EPSRC grant applicants. The panel, Prof Peter Clarkson (SMSAS), Prof Sarah Spurgeon (EDA) and Prof Simon Thompson (Computing) will review applications and offer advice to staff who are planning to apply to EPSRC this year.  All three reviewers have considerable experience sitting on EPSRC panels and winning EPSRC funding.

This will be a re-run of the well-attended event in January 2011, lead by Dr Jenny Billings and Prof. Simon Thompson. It will look, honestly, at the pros and cons of European funding, and may include an overview of any draft Work Programmes we have at that point.

This is a chance to find out about the NIHR, what it funds, and how to apply. Please see the programme for the event for further details.

This event will be lead by Prof. David Shemmings.

This event will be lead by Prof. Paul Allain and Prof. Darren Griffin.