James Donald from BBSRC talks impact and career development

1. Image 1 – Copyright The Pirbright Institute Image 2 – Copyright Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies UK Ltd
Image 3 – Copyright Babraham 2010 Image 4 – Copyright Thinkstock 2011 Image 5 – Copyright Babraham 2012
Impact
James Donald, Skills & Careers Unit, BBSRC
E: james.donald@bbsrc.ac.uk
: @JW_Donald

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Overview
• Background – the “Impact Agenda”
• Pathways To Impact
• Support

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Government
Spending Review
Money for
bioscience
BBSRC makes case
for continued funding
Various
impacts
Stakeholder
Inputs
Impact Agenda – Funding Cycle
Evidence of impact is vital for demonstrating the importance of
science and maximising future support

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How Do The Research Councils
Define Impact?
The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to
academic advances, across and within disciplines, including
significant advances in understanding, methods, theory and
application.
The demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to
society and the economy.
In the latter ‘impact’ means beyond the academic sector, it is recognised that the impact of excellent
research is extremely broad, and is experienced in as diverse areas as industry, schools, government,
public interest, economic development and international relations

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Research Impact
– Although important, impact is about more than generating intellectual
property rights, products and spin-out companies…

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RCUK Position On Impact
• The Research Councils encourage researchers at the idea stage
to actively consider potential benefits and beneficiaries and how
they will achieve excellence with impact. This includes
consideration of potential pathways for realising impacts
• The Councils recognise that potential impacts can manifest at
any stage in the research, through the full project life cycle and
beyond, and can often stem from unexpected or unintended
activities
• The Councils also accept that not all research will have direct
or immediate practical application and the primary criterion for
RCUK funding will be excellence

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Enabling Impact
• BBSRC has a responsibility to support innovation and impact
from the research and capabilities in which we invest in order to
achieve the widest possible benefit to society and the economy
• Impact takes many forms (academic, societal, economic) and is
achieved through many different routes
• Routes involve a wide range of different partners, funders,
advocates and enablers, both publicly and privately funded

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Different Ways To Realize Impact
• Partnerships with business:
collaborative research, licenses,
consultancies…
• Access to capabilities and facilities:
institutes and campuses
• Contribution to policy: providing
evidence
• Creation of spinout companies
E.g. Rothamsted Research and Syngenta Ltd: multimillion pound
agreement - translation of knowledge into technologies for farmer
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK, WGIN Field Experiment
© Rothamsted Research

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When To Consider Impact?
1. Prior to undertaking research
• Research design and funding application:
 Who could potentially benefit from the work?
 What can be done to increase the likelihood of this happening?
2. During the research
• Impact activities can enhance the project:
 Engagement with potential stakeholders can raise new questions and
lead to the contribution of inputs
 Later development of collaborative research or consultancy
3. After the research is completed
• Capturing evidence of any impact:
 Enables us to make the case for future investment
 Serves to increase the reputation of the researchers

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Pathways To Impact
• Introduced to ensure applicants and grant holders are thinking
about and planning for impact before and during the grant
• Preparing the statement so it is considered what impact the
research might have and how to exploit this potential
• Increase focus on non-academic impact
What will be done to ensure that potential
beneficiaries have the opportunity to benefit?

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Misconceptions about Pathways
To Impact
• They are NOT:
– Predictive – we do not expect clairvoyance
– About track record or institutional programmes
– About academic impact (papers, conferences, etc. there is a
separate section in proposals for this)

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Support

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ECR Career Development
James Donald, Skills & Careers Unit, BBSRC
E: james.donald@bbsrc.ac.uk
: @JW_Donald

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Overview
• Career Planning
• BBSRC Support for Early Career Researchers
• The Early Career Fellowships available from BBSRC

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What do you aim to get from your
postdoc?
• More research skills and independence
• Teaching experience
• A wider network
• Publications
• Experience in writing grant/fellowship applications
• Improved professional and transferable skills
• Your next job!

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Postdoctoral research
Achievements
• Publication
record
• IP
• Other awards
Skills
• Communicating
to diverse
audiences
• Collaborations &
networking
• Teaching
Competition
• Who are your
research
competitors?
• What is your
competitive
edge?
• Building
reputation;
conferences,
social media etc.
Strategy
• What is your
research niche?
• Who will support
your research?
• Where will you
go next?

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Set your Career Development Plan
“HEIs [should] take responsibility for
ensuring that all their postdoctoral
researchers have a clear career
development plan and have access to
appropriate training opportunities”
From ‘SET for success’, 2002
“At the outset of a post-doctoral position, a
supervisor and researcher should establish
training and development requirements as a
primary component of a career framework”.
From Council for Science and Technology, 2007
• Prepare for Plan A, but also B, C…
• Conduct a self assessment
• Write your CDP, and implement it
• Revise your CDP as needed

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Why is a Career Development Plan
important?
Survey of ~8500 postdocs in USA found that:
“postdocs who plan their experience with their advisors at the outset
of their appointments fare substantially better than those who do
not”
• Structured oversight and transferable skills training make a big difference:
key to this are Career Development Plans
• Postdocs with a CDP:
– Were much less likely (~40%) to be dissatisfied
– Were much less likely (~30%) to have conflicts
– Submitted ~14% more papers for publication (After controlling for field, institution,
demographics)
Improving the Postdoctoral Experience: An Empirical
Approach, G. Davis, 2006

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Raise your profile
Apply for small awards
• Travel grants, prizes, equipment etc.
• Undergraduate placement students
Researcher Co-Investigator status
• Postdoc who has made a substantial, recognised contribution to the
formulation and development of a project and who will be engaged in the
ensuing research
– Research grants (responsive and managed mode)
– FLexible Interchange Programme (FLIP)
– International partnering schemes
Network
• Attend conferences
• Use social media such as twitter, LinkedIn and blogging

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1. Plan ahead
2. Be confident, assertive and persistent (“can do” attitude)
3. Play to strengths
4. Be inquisitive
5. Understand the market (skills vs. demand)
6. Network (inc. LinkedIn & Twitter, not all jobs advertised)
7. Seek out challenges / avoid comfort zones / take risks
8. Have good references (it’s a small world)
9. Believe in yourself
10.Have fun
Some tips

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What Does BBSRC Do?
Invest in world-
class bioscience
research in UK
Universities &
Institutes
Invest in
bioscience training
& skills for the
next generation of
bioscientists
Drive the widest
possible social &
economic impact
from our
bioscience
Promote public
dialogue on
bioscience

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Why Invest In Fellowships?
• Support outstanding scientists at key stages of
their research careers
• Identify the research leaders of tomorrow and
support existing ones to establish themselves
• Build cohorts of excellent researchers

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BBSRC Fellowships
• Independent postdoctoral research
• Independent group
• Returning from a career break
• Developing a new business

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BBSRC Fellowships
321-1 4 5 6 7 8 9
years
10
…...e
ars
PhD viva
 Independent postdoctoral
research
 Independent research group
Full details available on the BBSRC Fellowships webpage: www.bbsrc.ac.uk/fellowships
……

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Future Leader Fellowship (FLF)
Support for early career scientists with high potential to undertake
independent research and gain leadership skills. Developing future
leadership skills is key
• Remit: FLFs can be in any area of BBSRC’s remit
• Number, duration & value: it is expected that around 12 will be awarded
(3 year duration), up to £300k can be requested
• Eligibility:
– Researchers with a maximum of 5 years of postdoctoral research
experience as of 30 November 2015
– No restrictions on nationality
– Supports flexible working
• Call currently closed, expected to open around March 2016

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David Phillips Fellowship (DPF)
Aimed at outstanding bioscientists in the early stage of their
research careers who wish to establish themselves as independent
researchers
• Remit: David Phillips Fellowships can be in any area of BBSRC’s remit
• Number, duration & value: it is expected that around 5 will be
awarded (5 year duration), up to £1M can be requested
• Eligibility:
– Minimum 3 years of active postdoctoral research
– No restrictions on nationality
– Supports flexible working

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David Phillips Fellowship (DPF)
• Call Currently Open
• Closes 21 October 2015
– Fellowship proposal sifting around December 2015
– Fellowship interviews around mid March 2016
• Award announcement late May 2016
• Full details are available on the web: www.bbsrc.ac.uk/fellowships/

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Good Fellowship Applications
• Demonstrate independence
• Include evidence of scientific leadership
• Show consideration of career development
• Are proposing a scientifically excellent and realistic research
project that can be completed within the time available
• Are aware of the “bigger picture”
• Show support from the host

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Feedback For Successful FLF
Applications
“The Panel was pleased that the candidate was demonstrating independence in the project including
forming beneficial collaborations with other labs to help them maximise successful output from the
work”
“The candidate had already demonstrated independence and
leadership through a number of prizes and talks”
“The Panel praised the fact that the candidate had a clear vision of
their career development”
“The Panel was pleased to see that the candidate had clear scientific goals, including clear
targets and questions that needed to be addressed as part of the project”
“The applicant demonstrated good knowledge of the overall rational of the proposed
research and of why and how the science would have a longer term scientific and
social impact”

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Feedback For Successful DPF
Applications
“Aware of how their work differed from others in the field and spoke clearly about how they would establish
their independence and visibility”
“The choice of host institution was considered good and the
financial contribution from the RO was noted”
“Clearly an independent scientist with leadership potential”
“The candidate had a clear vision of their career development and had a realistic approach to
the management and development of a research group”
“They had a mature approach to developing their research group and articulated a clear
plan for integrating themselves within the research environment at the RO while developing a
distinct research profile of their own”
“They had given thought to risk management and the development of
the work if they encountered problems”

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Feedback For Unsuccessful FLF
Applications
“The scientific aspects of the proposal were strong but the leadership and career development
components did not appear to have been given careful consideration”
“The candidate gave insufficient consideration to how the fellowship would assist them in
becoming an independent researcher”
“The Panel felt that the candidate struggled to answer questions relating to their plans
for career development”
“It was felt that the candidate lacked vision regarding scientific leadership
and how their research fits into the bigger long-term picture”
“The candidate did not appear to have given sufficient thought to their future research and career
plans. It was unclear to the Panel where the science would take them and how they would ensure that
they derived maximum benefit from the fellowship”

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Feedback For Unsuccessful DPF
Applications
“Did not clearly demonstrate that they had considered the career development and mentoring of
members of their group”
“Did not sufficiently highlight the “big question” that they were hoping to address and which
would set them apart as a leader in the field”
“How they would develop and manage their research group was somewhat vague”
“Did not convince the Panel that they had a clear vision already in place for
career progression. They were also unable to demonstrate how they would
develop their independence at the host institution”
“Concern that the level of staff support requested in the proposal was insufficient to realise the
potential of the research”
“Proposed project would not generate enough work to support the staff requested from the start of
the fellowship”
“Publication strategy lacked ambition and they did not take into account the
mentoring and career plans of their staff”

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Other Fellowships
Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship
 To aid those on a career break for family, caring or health
reason to return to research
 Normally 2 years part-time; includes extensive training
programme
 www.daphnejackson.org
Enterprise Fellowship
 To support development of a new business, building on
previously funded BBSRC research
 Delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh
 www.bbsrc.ac.uk/fellowships

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Other Support For ECRs
• Researcher Co-Investigator
– Postdoc who has made a substantial, recognised contribution to the
formulation and development of a project and who will be engaged in
the ensuing research
– As well as Responsive Mode, encouraged for FLexible Interchange
Programme (FLIP), International Partnering Awards
• BBSRC Postdoc Vision Statement
(www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/awardholders/research-staff/)
• BBSRC Postdoc LinkedIn group
(http://tinyurl.com/BBSRCPostdocs)

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FLexible Interchange Programme
• Supports people movement between
different environments leading to the
exchange of knowledge / technology /
skills
– Duration: ~6 – 24 months
– Award: ~£50 – 150 K
– www.bbsrc.ac.uk/FLIP
Academia
(BBSRC
research)
Industry
Prof.
Services
e.g.
Tech.
Transfer
New
interdis-
ciplinary
research
Charitable
sector
Policy
sector
Other
sectors
International Partnering Awards
• Schemes to enable international collaboration
• www.bbsrc.ac.uk/internationalfunding

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BBSRC Vision for Postdoctoral
Researchers
Integrated into
their research
environment
Highly-skilled
and adaptable
Empowered
through
independence
Connected to
the BBSRC
community
Considering
their career
steps from
early on
Vision for
Postdocs
Properly
treated as
employees
BBSRC Postdocs should be…
• Highly-skilled
• Making informed career choices
• Engaging with BBSRC as a partner
in their research
• Communicating their research to the
public
• Ensuring their intellectual assets
benefit society
• Training junior researchers and
gaining teaching experience

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QUESTIONS?
E: james.donald@bbsrc.ac.uk
: @JW_Donald

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(FoF)
A proof-of concept fund to support translation of fundamental
BBSRC-funded research into practical application.
Pathfinder: up to £20K for up to 6 months, apply at any time
Standard: up to £250K for up to 18 months
Super: up to £2M for up to 24 months, 2-step application
We advise potential applicants to discuss with their technology transfer
office to ensure their project demonstrates commercialisation potential.
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/innovation/maximising-impact/follow-on/

40. • Funded by BBSRC and delivered by the
Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Designed to encourage the development
of a new business, building on previously
funded BBSRC research, around a
technological idea developed by the
Fellow.
• Provides a year’s salary to develop a full
business plan and seek investment,
access to mentors, business experts and
professional advisors, and business
training to help develop the required skills.Copyright: Women’s Enterprise Scotland / Clyde Biosciences
Call open twice a year with fellowship staring March and October
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/innovation/maximising-impact/enterprise-fellowships/

41. Provide up to £2000 to research organisations with
significant investments from BBSRC to support the
delivery of events that:
• Promote discussions around good practice in
knowledge exchange & commercialisation
(KEC)
• Provide a platform to facilitate knowledge
exchange around a particular topic relevant to
BBSRC
• Raise awareness of policies and procedures for
the management of intellectual assets
• Highlight and exemplify the principles
underlying BBSRC/ RCUK policies for KEC,
intellectual asset management and impact
© BBSRC. Queen Mary University London - KEC Seminar
L-R: Barny Cox, QMI; Rupert Osborn, IP Pragmatics; Quinton
Fivelman, IP Pragmatics; Adam Bowen, BBSRC KCU
For further information contact:
Charis Cook, Innovation Manager
charis.cook@bbsrc.ac.uk

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ACADEMIC
PARTNER
FLexible Interchange Programme (FLIP)
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/FLIP
Charitable
sector
Policy sector
Professional services –
Technology Transfer
New
interdisciplinary
research
Industrial sector
Academic
BBSRC-funded project
 people movement between different environments
 and must lead to the exchange of knowledge / technology / skills
Duration: ~6 – 24 months
Award: ~£50 – 150 K