Postdoctoral Fellowship Guidance for Applicants

Transcription

1 Postdoctoral Fellowship Guidance for Applicants Research Department, The Stroke Association, Stroke Association House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR Tel: This document is intended to assist the completion of the Stroke Association Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form. The guidance is intended to be used in conjunction with the Fellowship Conditions of Award. The Stroke Association supports the training of postdoctoral nurses and allied health professionals, seeking to develop an academic career in stroke research by means of Postdoctoral Fellowships. Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded on the recommendation of a panel made up of members of the Stroke Association s Research Awards Pool using the system of expert peer review and a candidate interview. Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded annually in March, with a closing date in November. Applications are invited by means of advertisements in the medical press and the Stroke Association website ( Purpose of the Award The Stroke Association s research strategy aims to increase the UK funding base and capacity for stroke research across the full stroke care pathway. These Fellowships are aimed at developing the stroke research leaders of the future. Postdoctoral Fellowships are intended to provide the necessary skills and training for the development of an independent career in stroke research. The Postdoctoral Fellowship will allow a Fellow to hold research funds in their own name, and to undertake an independent research project under the supervision of an established member of the stroke research community. It is a condition of award that the Fellow seeks to obtain further research funds during the tenure of the award in order to consolidate and advance their career. The funding will be 175,000 across 3 years. Fellowships may be taken up on a part-time, pro-rata basis but the minimum working hours would be equivalent to 0.6 WTE. Eligibility Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to those who have undertaken up to approximately 6 years active research subsequent to obtaining their PhD qualification, excluding career breaks and other periods of leave such as sickness and maternity. We specifically welcome applications from Nurses and Allied Health Professionals; however, those conducting Registered Office 240 City Road, London, EC1V 2PR Registered Charity No Registered in Scotland No. SCO Registered in Northern Ireland (XT33805), Isle of Man (No 945) and Jersey (NPO 369). Guidance for Applicants. Postdoctoral Fellowship. July 2016

2 applied research in the area of stroke will also be considered eligible. Please contact the Research Office if you are unsure of, or have any queries regarding, your eligibility for this award. Award Adjudication During the adjudication of Postdoctoral Fellowships and the selection of Fellows, the interview panel will score the application based on: The PERSON- the background, career aspirations and potential of the candidate to become a stroke research leader in the future (40%) The SUPERVISION that will be received by the candidate (15%) The INSTITUTION the candidate will be based at (15%) The proposed TRAINING programme the candidate would undertake if awarded the Fellowship (15%) The PROJECT that will be carried out during the Fellowship (15%) o The purpose of the proposed research project must be directly related to stroke illness. It must be clear how the research could ultimately be translated into clinical practice and, therefore, provide benefit to stroke patients. Details of the proposed research project, future plans and aspirations for further research and funding must also be provided. Application Procedure An application for a Postdoctoral Fellowship must be submitted on the Stroke Association's current application form available from the Stroke Association website ( The form must be completed in 10pt Arial typescript with 1.5 pt line spacing. Incorrectly formatted or applications submitted on previous versions of the form will not be accepted. Please an electronic version of the completed form to research@stroke.org.uk and send the original signed application form and five double sided photocopies to the Stroke Association Research Department. Hard copies are still required for some members of the interview panel. We ask applicants to provide these copies because as a charity we aim to minimise our administration costs in order to maximise our charitable spend and the amount of research that we fund. Please staple the pages of each copy together; please do not use paper clips. Plastic covers or heat /spiral binding should not be used since surplus papers will be shredded and recycled. The application form is provided as a form template in Word, and should be saved as a Word document. Text entry fields will expand automatically where required. Text may be pasted into relevant text fields, but please ensure it lies within the text boxes provided. Text box sizes are approximate, and re-formatting after text entry may be required. 2

3 Completing the Application Form 1.0 Details of the Applicant Details of the proposed Fellow (who will become the Award Holder) should be given in this section. Please include name, title, and a contact address. Details of whether the applicant has submitted their PhD thesis and if and when they passed their viva examination should be included here. Applicants should have submitted their PhD thesis prior to the deadline for applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship. All applicants will need to have been awarded their PhD prior to taking up a Postdoctoral Fellowship, should they be successful. 2.0 Details of the proposed Supervisor Details of the proposed Supervisor should be entered in this section. Fellows must have one lead supervisor who bears overall responsibility for the training and the research project. Additional supervisors or mentors are recommended. Please do not detail any additional supervisors in this section. Please provide their details in the form of a Curriculum Vitae in section Address of the Department hosting the Fellow Please give details of the academic department where the Fellow will be based. 4.0 Declarations and Signatures Please ensure that the form is signed and dated by: Fellowship Candidate Supervisor Additional Supervisor or Mentor Head of Department Officer with administrative authority for the Award. All signatures and dates should be present. Original, wet signatures should be present on one copy. Please note the Stroke Association will not accept electronic signatures on the original copy. Photocopies are acceptable on the others. Signatures need not be present on the electronic document. 5.0 Project Title A title for the proposed research project must be provided. The title should not be generic, but should relate to the proposed research. 6.0 Abstract of the research A concise summary of the proposed research, including the aims, background, methods and expected outcomes of the project. Statistical predictions may be included. The Abstract should be no more than 200 words. 7.0 Lay Project Title A title for the proposed research project that is suitable for lay readers must be provided. The title should not be generic, but should relate to the proposed research. 3

4 8.0 Lay Abstract of the research A concise summary of the proposed research suitable for lay readers. It should include the aims, background, methods and expected outcomes of the project. The Abstract should be no more than 300 words. 9.0 Summary of Requested Support Please provide a proposed start date for the Fellowship, if successful. Complete the summary table of the total support you are requesting from the Stroke Association. This should be the same as the summary table included at the end of section 26. Please ensure your calculations for the total request are correct. No extension or further funds will be provided if there are errors in this calculation. The totals included at the point of application will be the totals awarded if successful Ethical Approval If the proposed research requires approval from a Research Ethics Committee, please give details of the anticipated time for approval to be gained, and the Research Ethics Committee from which approval is, or will be, sought. Please note that a copy of the ethical approval must be submitted to the Stroke Association before the award can be taken up Research involving animals We do not expect postdoctoral fellowships to include animal research; however, this section is applicable if you intend to include any research involving animals in your research plan. Completion of this section is mandatory for all applications that propose research using animals. Applications may be referred to the NC3Rs for review. Where animal work is sub-contracted, these questions must be completed by the organisation conducting the animal studies. Please note, we will also ask peer reviewers who will assess your application if there is appropriate justification for the use and number of animals. Applicants should refer to the NC3Rs website for further information and guidance on the responsible and ethical use of animals in research, and this will help to answer the questions in section 11 of the application form: Support from elsewhere Please explain whether either the proposed research and/or the proposed Fellow is receiving financial support from elsewhere. The nature and tenure of the support should be disclosed Parallel submission If an application for financial support for the proposed research has been submitted to another funding body for consideration, please give details and the date that a decision is expected. 4

5 14.0 The Design of the Research Project Please note: completion of this section is mandatory for all applications. a. Involvement of a Research Design Service or Clinical Trials Unit in the design of the application and/or research project Please give details of whether you have involved your local Research Design Service (RDS) or Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) in the development of the research proposal, including details of any discussions you have had and improvements to the proposal as a result of the advice given by the RDS or CTU. If you have not used one of these services please state why and outline the advice you have sought to help you improve your application. b. Reference to Guidelines Please include reference to any guidelines you have used to design and plan your research e.g. CONSORT, SPIRIT, STROBE, SQUIRE, PRISMA. Please see to find a list of useful resources to help design your research Resubmission Please indicate if this application is a resubmission and provide the details requested. The Stroke Association permits resubmission of Fellowship applications. However we do request that the applicant takes into account any feedback previously received from peer reviewers and interview panel members and can demonstrate evidence of this Intellectual Property Please advise whether the research could give rise to a new product or process, and whether intellectual property will be generated. Please ensure you provide contact details for the Technology Transfer Officer or liaison regarding intellectual property at your host institute. Please see section 9 of the Conditions of Award Previous Awards from The Stroke Association Please give details of previous funding from the Stroke Association for the past 5 years for each person named on the form. Award type, reference number, funding amount, and outcome should be included Proposed research programme This statement should not exceed three sides of A4 in length. References (one side maximum) can be listed on an extra fourth side. The statement should include: Hypotheses, Aims and Objectives Background to the project Preliminary data Detailed Plan of Investigation 5

6 Plans to integrate PhDs and other research training posts into this work programme and their potential roles Potential problems and contingency plans Dissemination plans Value of this project to stroke research Please also ensure to include a timeline or Gantt chart of the proposal, either as an attached MS Word, MS Excel or MS Project file, or included as an additional figure in the application document. This will not be included in the page limit and may be an additional side User Involvement Details should be given of how service users will be involved in the proposed research. Subject recruitment should be detailed under methodology and not user involvement. Further details of how service users can be involved in research can be obtained from the Involve website at Service user involvement is defined by Involve as an active partnership between the public and researchers in the research process, rather than the use of people as the subjects of research. Active involvement may take the form of consultation, collaboration or user control. Many people define public involvement in research as doing research with or by the public, rather than to, about or for the public. This would include, for example, public involvement in advising on a research project, assisting in the design of a project, or in carrying out the research Proposed Programme of Training and Supervision the Fellow will receive The statement should not exceed one side in length. Please include the following information: Details of the training that the Fellow will receive, including training in strokerelated research, and ancillary skills such as clinical trials planning and administration, statistics, literature searching etc. Please consider what skills can be gained outside your institute to help support the Fellow during the Fellowship. A summary of the supervision that the Fellow will receive. Please explain who will bear responsibility for each aspect of the Fellow s training, and specify how often one to one and team supervision meetings, departmental meetings etc. will occur. This is particularly important in instances where the Fellow spends the majority of their time at a site remote to that of the Supervisor. Please detail any additional support the Fellow may receive, such as administrative or technical assistance within the host department. 6

7 21.0 Future Career Aspirations of the Candidate Details of the candidate s aspirations for their future career should be detailed as well as what they hope to do in the future and what they plan to do with their research career Future plans for attracting additional funding This statement should not exceed one side in length. The candidate s plans and aspirations for continuing the research and for attracting additional funding should be detailed in this section. Additional details of the funding bodies to which applications will be submitted, along with an approximate timescale for applications, should also be supplied Research Purpose Please tick one box which most appropriately fits the nature of the proposed research. This is for our records only and will not be used to judge your application. Prevention research investigating how the occurrence of stroke can be reduced. Acute Stroke Service research exploring how hospitals diagnose and treat stroke patients immediately following stroke onset. Community Care Non-hospital based long term care in the community. Rehabilitation research aimed at identifying ways in which a stroke patient s independence and quality of life may be improved after stroke. Applied Neuroscience research aimed at furthering the understanding of how the brain and nervous system work in relation to stroke Research Type Please tick one box which most appropriately fits the type of the proposed research. This is for our records only and will not be used to judge your application. Carers and Patients identifying ways in which the wellbeing of stroke patients and their carers might be improved, as well as the interaction between patients and carers. Clinical Pharmacology investigating how drugs (including their properties and effects), might be used to prevent and treat stroke. Clinical Psychology investigating how the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders in stroke patients can be improved. Epidemiology furthering our understanding of stroke by studying the causes, distribution, and control of stroke in populations. Genetics Factors - identifying how genetics (heredity), might act as risk factors for stroke. Ethnic Factors Identifying how ethnic factors (factors that are particular to a group sharing a common origin, culture or language), might act as risk factors for stroke. 7

8 Imaging improving our understanding of the cause and effect of stroke by using imaging techniques that produce pictures of the inside of the brain. Information, Education researching the ways in which the public may be better informed and educated about stroke, its prevention, identification and treatment. Neuropathology identifying changes in the brain and nervous system that may be the cause or effect of stroke. Neuroprotection improving our understanding of how damage to the brain and nervous system following stroke can be minimised and prevented. Neurorehabilitation exploring techniques in which the brain and nervous system may be rehabilitated after stroke so that partial or total function is restored. Primary Care - exploring how the medical care received by a stroke patient on first contact with the medical system can be improved. Quality of Life (including communication) investigating how stroke patients level of independence, comfort, enjoyment, and ability to pursue daily activities of living can be improved. Stroke Unit Care investigating how the functions of specialised stroke units in hospitals can be improved. Surgical Treatment exploring the potentials of surgery in the prevention and treatment of stroke. Vascular Pathology furthering our understanding of how structural and functional changes in blood vessels may be the cause or effect of stroke Research Keywords Please provide 5 keywords to specifically describe the research in this application Details of support requested Please refer to the Conditions of Award for further details of support. Support may be sought for the following items: a. The salary of the Fellow. b. Salaries of research workers and technical assistants. The salaries (whole or in part) of Supervisors are not supported. c. Equipment to be used exclusively in the research project. d. Consumables that are specific to the research project should be itemised and costed individually over the duration of the award. e. Travel expenses, which are integral to the project as, for example, when patients have to be visited in their homes. Expenses can also be sought in order to attend meetings and conferences, but this must be justified. f. Up to 2000 for open access publishing costs may be incorporated into the application. g. Publications which are relevant to the project. h. Travel costs for training and costs for conference attendance to present work resulting from this Fellowship may be requested and must be accompanied by adequate justification for this expenditure. 8

9 The Stroke Association supports the AMRC s statement on supporting research in universities. More information can be found at the link: NHS Support Costs / NHS Treatment Costs These costs are defined in section 6 of the Conditions of Award Clinical research in the NHS incurs research, support and treatment costs, which are defined under the 1997 Health service guidelines (HSG (97)32) Research costs costs of the research itself, which will end when the research ends. These are paid by research funders. For example tests to show the effect of the drug/device that are not part of the patient s care Support costs patient care costs which would end once the research had stopped, even if the service continued to be provided. For example tests to ensure the patient is safe while taking the drug/device, or which are used by clinicians treating the patient Treatment costs patient care costs, which would continue to be incurred if the service were continued after the research project ends. For example supplying and administering the drug/device. Many activities such as taking blood for a test could be a research, treatment or support cost, depending on the context in which the activity happens and how the resulting information will be used What s changed under AcoRD? From 1 October 2012, Department of Health and Devolved Administrations have adopted revised guidance for attributing research costs AcoRD. AcoRD reflects changes to clinical research infrastructure, and will apply to all applications submitted after 1 October This guidance has been agreed across all UK nations and each country has adapted the document to reflect local arrangements. AcoRD aims to build on previous guidance with regards to costs associated with NHS non commercial portfolio research (originally covered by the 1997 Health Service Guidelines 1 Department of Health, HSG (97)32: Responsibilities for meeting patient care costs associated with research and development in the NHS. Available at: thserviceguidelines/dh_ [Accessed ] 9

10 (HSG (97)32) 2 developed by the Department of Health). AcoRD provides more detailed information on attributing activities and provides FAQs to reflect examples of attribution. Charity law dictates that charities can only fund costs within their charitable objectives. The Department of Health recognises that medical research charities should fund direct research costs and not institutional overheads. AcoRD provides a mechanism by which to attribute direct research costs (Part A), as well as a subset of research costs (Part B) that are linked to research infrastructures, that the NHS organisations hosting the research study will cover, when: o o the funder is a medical research charity that is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC); and the activity is undertaken by existing staff employed by the NHS, NIHR Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) or other organisations funded by the NHS to provide patient care services. The research costs that the Stroke Association, as an AMRC registered charity will not be required to pay (detailed in AcoRD Appendix A, Part B) are as follows: o o o o o Local study trial co-ordination and management. Data collection needed to answer the questions that the research study is addressing (including collecting data for and completing the report). Regulatory preparation and compliance including obtaining ethical approval and complying with the Medicine for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations The time taken by chief investigators and principal investigators (CI and PI) to explain the study to professional colleagues, and to understand, the research elements of a study. For example the time taken to explain the criteria for patient eligibility or to explain the randomisation protocol. Sponsorship fees such as MHRA fees, and CTA annual renewal fees. 2 Department of Health, HSG (97)32: Responsibilities for meeting patient care costs associated with research and development in the NHS. Available at: thserviceguidelines/dh_ [Accessed ] 10

11 27.4 AcoRD: Further Information: 27.3 This costing model is analogous to the system of classifying research costs in universities as directly incurred, directly allocated and indirect costs. Universities receive charity support funding through the relevant funding councils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support the indirect costs of charity-sponsored research. These include things like over heads such as lighting, heating and maintaining labs. More information can be found here: AcoRD Further details and completing the form Please give details of any anticipated NHS Support costs or NHS Treatment Costs in the table. Please also give details of any discussions you have had concerning funding these costs with your local NHS Trust or NHS Research Office. It would be helpful if you could provide the contact details of the person(s) you have spoken to. If there is an undertaking by a relevant authority to finance these costs or offer support should the application be funded, please give details. It is important that the NHS Support Costs and Excess Treatment Costs provided by applicants are as robust as possible, and should be discussed with both the relevant Research Network(s) and NHS Trust(s) to ensure they are aware of all initial cost and resource implications should your application be successful. The Stroke Association will ultimately require proof that the appropriate NHS institution R&D Manager has approved and signed off the costs. The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR- CRN) provides support for studies that are included in the NIHR Clinical Research Network (NIHR-CRN) Portfolio. The Stroke Association is a National Institute for Health Research non-commercial Partner and funds research through open national competition with a full peer review process. All funded projects with an element of clinical research are therefore likely to meet the eligibility criteria for automatic inclusion in the NIHR-CRN Portfolio (which can be found at: and will consequently have support from the Clinical Research Network Specialties (namely the Stroke Specialty) in the form of NHS service support costs, for example access to dedicated skilled research support staff including research nurses and other allied health professionals, support to ensure your study can be successfully undertaken in the NHS, and access to experienced Research Management and Governance staff. Automatic adoption does not imply that the CRN will offer unlimited support, nor that CRN will agree that target enrolment is realistic. Instead, the CRN Portfolio Management Committee will review your 11

12 application for adoption to determine the type of support and target enrolment numbers that would be realistic for the CRN. You are strongly recommended to have your application reviewed by the relevant Clinical Studies Group of the CRN before it is submitted, and that you take into account CRN views on feasibility and accrual targets when planning your research. It is a condition of Award that Award Holders of relevant awards funded by the Stroke Association apply to have their study adopted and included in the relevant section of one of the NIHR-CRN, SSRN, HSC R&D or Health and Care Research Wales study Portfolios. By accepting the Conditions of Award, applicants also agree to provide information on their study to the relevant Portfolio, and if support from the CRN will be received, to comply with the relevant Portfolio requirements for reporting study recruitment. Applicants also agree that the Stroke Association may receive copies of reports and correspondence concerning feasibility and recruitment to your study Supporting Statement from the Applicant The applicant should write a short statement in support of their application. The statement should provide any additional information relevant to the application, such as why the applicant wishes to undertake a Fellowship and their future career aspirations. The statement should be a maximum of one side of A Supporting Statement of the Proposed Supervisor The Proposed Supervisor should state their name, the capacity in which they know the applicant, and how long they have known the applicant. The Supervisor should comment on the applicant s suitability for this fellowship. The statement should be a maximum of one side of A Supporting Statement from the Head of Department The statement from the Head of Department should include comments on the suitability of the applicant to undertake a Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the suitability of the proposed programme for the applicant s career development. Departmental support to be offered to the Fellow should also be detailed. The statement should be a maximum of one side of A Curriculum Vitae of the Applicant Please complete a CV for the proposed Fellow, detailing qualifications and experience to date. Any research projects that the Fellow has participated in or is currently involved in should be detailed, and a list of no more than 5 recent publications supplied (if any) Curriculum Vitae of the Lead Supervisor A brief CV of the Lead Supervisor should be included. 12

13 33.0 Curriculum Vitae of any additional Supervisor(s) or Mentor(s) A brief CV of any additional supervisors or mentors should be included. Application Deadline: November Interview Date: February What happens to your application? Your application will be reviewed by at least two external expert peer reviewers, and adjudicated by an adjudication panel made up of members of the Stroke Association s Research Awards Pool. Once your application is received by the Research Department, the details are entered onto the research database. The application is then sent out for independent peer review to at least two relevant external peer reviewers and at least one member of the adjudication panel. Peer review scores are used to rank applications and shortlist for interview with agreement from the Chair of the Adjudication Panel. If an application is shortlisted, the proposed candidate is invited to attend an interview. The Research Department will send out invitation letters for interview. The interview date will be February please hold this in your diary from now on until we confirm if you have been shortlisted. You will receive a letter confirming this approximately two weeks before the interview date. The interview usually lasts for around 50 minutes. The candidate will be invited to give a short (10 minute) presentation to the panel outlining their research proposal and its outcomes, as well as their background, career aspirations, and the benefits that the Fellowship would bring to them personally. The candidate will then be interviewed by a panel made up of up to four members of the Research Awards Pool and invited experts (if applicable) and a member of the Research Team from the Stroke Association. The panel will be particularly interested in: The Fellow s career to date The Fellow s career aspirations The Fellow s research experience The research proposal outlined in the Fellow s application What benefit the Fellowship would bring to the Fellow The Panel will also explore the proposed research project, and will ask questions on any part of the application or detail of the proposed project. Presentation skills of the applicant will also be assessed. Following the interview, the Panel will discuss the merits of each of the candidates, and will make a recommendation to the Stroke Association Council of Trustees on the applicant(s) who should receive a Fellowship. Successful Fellows will be informed in writing. Unsuccessful applicants will also receive a letter containing feedback from their interview and anonymised external peer reviewer comments. 13

14 Application Checklist. Have you sent: Electronic word and pdf copies of the completed application form? Signed original plus five double sided photocopies of the application form? Please ensure the original copy has been signed with wet, original signatures. N.B If applicable, we must have a copy of your ethical approval and any animal license necessary before you can take up the award. 14