Proposal writing: training, transfer of knowledge, supervision · 1.2 Quality and appropriateness of the training and of the two way transfer of knowledge 1 page 1.3 Quality of the

Proposal writing: training,transfer of knowledge,supervision

An JansenResearch Coordination Office

Section 1 Excellence 5 pages

1.1 Quality and credibility of the research/innovation project 3 pages

1.2 Quality and appropriateness of the training and of the two way transfer of knowledge 1 page

1.3 Quality of the supervision and of the integration in the team/institution 0,5 page

1.4 Capacity of the researcher to reach/re-enforce professional maturity/independence during the fellowship 0,5 page

Section 2 Impact 1,5 pages

2.1 Enhancing the future career prospects of the researcher after the fellowship

2.2 Quality of the proposed measures to exploit and dissemination the results

2.3 Quality of the proposed measures to communicate the action activities to different target audiences

Section 3 Implementation 3,5 pages

3.1 Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including the allocation of tasks and resources 2 pages

3.2 Appropriateness of the management structure and procedures, including risk management

3.3 Appropriateness of the institutional environment (infrastructure)

Proposal structure part B1 = Award criteria

Fellow

What new

knowledge will

you learn from

your host?

Two way transfer of knowledge

Host

How does the host

benefit from the

knowledge that you

already have?

Fellow

What new

knowledge will

you learn from

your host?

Host

How does the host

benefit from the

knowledge that you

already have?

Your training plan

Easy to write, yet many applicants do a poor job!


Designing your training plan

Step 1:

Where do you want

to be in 2, 5, 10

years from now?


Step 1:

Where do you want

to be in 2, 5, 10

years from now?

Step 2:

Assess your CV and

identify your

strengths and

“knowledge gaps”

Research

Skills

Gap analysis

Vitae Researcher

Development

Framework


Step 1:

Where do you want

to be in 2, 5, 10

years from now?

Step 3:

Write a training plan

that allows you to

gain new knowledge

to fill these gaps.

Step 2:

Assess your CV and

identify your

strengths and


Research

Skills

Your training plan should include

‘Training through research’

= your main training which you obtain by executing your own individual research

project (as described in section 1.1) under guidance of your supervisor and potentially

also other staff members at the host institution.

• What new methods, techniques will you learn,

• What new knowledge will you gain,

• …?

Your training plan should include

Transferable skills training, for example training in:

• entrepreneurship,

• proposal preparation to request funding,

• patent applications, management of IPR, take up and exploitation of research

results,

• project management, task coordination

• supervising and monitoring,

• communication and outreach skills,

• …

Quality is in the detail of the information provided.

Training for researchers

Broad offer of transferable skills training

Research related training

High-level summer schools and technical

workshops, some in co-operation with other

Flemish universities

Financial support for grassroots initiatives

‘YouReCa’ offers skills training

• Workshops on competitive proposal writing, management of research projects,

including financial and personnel management, exploitation of results

• Workshops on writing skills for research publications, including good publication

practice guidelines and bibliometric analyses

• Courses on presenting research orally, communicating research to non-specialists

• Training in academic English, language courses

• Training in statistics and methodology

• Courses on leadership skills, coaching, time and self-management, assertive

communication, collaborating with colleagues and supervisor, networking, …

See Skills Training for Researchers brochurehttps://admin.kuleuven.be/personeel/data/brochure-opleidingen-onderzoekers

https://admin.kuleuven.be/personeel/data/brochure-opleidingen-onderzoekers

Your training plan may also include• Hands on training for developing new scientific skills (new techniques, instruments,

research integrity, ‘big data’/’open science’, …)

• Structured training courses

• Exchanging knowledge through (intersectorial) visits and secondments

• Invitation of visiting researchers

• Involvement in the organisation of activities or organizing your own activity, e.g.

events, exhibitions, …

• Taking part in the research and financial management of your project

• Attendance of international conferences and workshops

• Training dedicated to gender issues

• Teaching

• Supervision of BSc, MsC and/or PhD students

• …

Example

Knowledge gap: you have little or no experience in teaching and in your research

domain, it is crucial to have teaching experience to be appointed as a professor.

Training objective: to gain teaching experience e.g. by teaching part of a course of your

supervisor.

I will be teaching part of a course at KU Leuven.

Teaching will be one of my training objectives as I do not yet have teaching experience

despite the fact that this is crucial for obtaining a permanent position. Therefore, I will

co-teach the ‘History of science’ course module together with my supervisor, which will

include the planning, designing and teaching of four course lectures, formulating exam

questions and correcting exams.

ExampleKnowledge gap: you have little or no experience with communicating about your

research.

Training objective: to successfully execute the communication plan that you have

designed for this project.

The YouReCa programme at the KU Leuven offers transferable skills training to young

researchers. I will benefit from this by participating in one or more courses, e.g. on

communication.

Communication is a crucial and integral part of this project. I have outlined a

communication strategy (see section 2.3) but I have little experience in this area. My

training will therefore include modules on the use of social media and speaking for non-

expert audiences, offered by KU Leuven during their yearly ‘Let’s talk Science Summer

School’.


Step 1:

Where do you want

to be in 2, 5, 10

years from now?

Step 3:


that allows you to

gain new knowledge

to fill these gaps.

Quality is in vision

and the detail of

the information

provided.

Step 2:

Assess your CV and

identify your

strengths and


Research

Skills


Step 1:

Where do you want

to be in 2, 5, 10

years from now?

Step 3:


that allows you to

gain new knowledge

to fill these gaps.

Quality is in vision

and the detail of the

information

provided.

Step 2:

Assess your CV and

identify your

strengths and


Research

Skills

Step 4:

Personal Career

Development Plan

Fellow

What new

knowledge will

you learn from

your host?

Host

How does the host

benefit from the

knowledge that you

already have?


Knowledge transfer from

the applicant to the host Explain what your supervisor, your research group, your collaborators will learn

from the (research) expertise that you already have

• How will your project benefit from your knowledge: techniques, methods,

model organisms, knowledge, …,

• How will you contribute to the ongoing research at the host institution,

• What about supervision of (PhD) students,

• What about co-publications with other member of the groups,

• What about lectures for specified audiences,

• …?

Quality is in the detail of the information provided.





1.4 Capacity of the researcher to reach/re-enforce professional maturity/independence during the fellowship 0,5 page










Qualifications and experience of the supervisor(s)

Convince the evaluators that this is the best possible supervisor for you

and your project.

Write a short bio about your supervisor, including

• the level of experience on the research topic

• main international collaborations

• experience in supervising/training of PhD researchers & postdocs

• participation in projects, publications, patents

• H-index, …

This section should be complementary to section 5, you may refer to part 5 e.g.

for the most important publications to avoid duplication.

Hosting arrangements= what will be done to integrate you into the research group

Examples:

Participation in weekly/monthly meetings of the research group

Participation in weekly/monthly journal clubs

Supervision of BSc, MSc or PhD students & collaboration with other group

members, co-publications

Collaboration within the (international) network of your supervisor

Teaching

…

• The nature and the quality of the research group/environment as a whole should be

outlined. Convince the evaluators that this is the best possible research

environment for you and your project.

• Take into account different areas of expertise & disciplines, if and when relevant

Proposal writing: selling yourself

An JansenResearch Coordination Office





1.4 Capacity of the researcher to reach/re-enforce professional maturity/independence during the fellowship











2.1 Enhancing the

potential and future

career prospects of the

researcher

why the fellowship is

important for your career

after the fellowship

1.4 Capacity of the researcher

to reach or re-enforce a

position of professional

maturity/independence

your experience so far

your development during the

fellowship

4 Curriculum vitae

details of your career so far


2.1 Enhancing the



researcher










fellowship

4 Curriculum vitae


Capacity to reach/re-enforce a position of professional

maturity/independence during the fellowship

Start with explaining your existing professional experience & talents

• Highlight any major achievements e.g. important publications (impact factor,

citations, explain briefly why they are important), past mobility, teaching experience,

awards, funding, …

• Demonstrate independent thinking and leadership qualities

Explain how your existing professional experience & talents together with the proposed

research project will contribute to your development as an independent/mature

researcher, during the fellowship.

• Explain the new competences and skills that will be acquired (see Section 1.2)

• Gap analysis, Personal Career Development Plan


2.1 Enhancing the



researcher










fellowship

4 Curriculum vitae


Enhancing the potential and future career

prospects of the researcher after the fellowship

Describe the added value of the fellowship on your future career opportunities.

Start with explicitly outlining your career goals.

• How will the new competencies and skills (already described in 1.2 and 1.4, do not

repeat!) help you to reach these career goals?

Consider research skills and transferable skills

Management experience <> leading your own research group

Supervision experience <> supervising your own students

Grant writing skills <> important throughout your career, ERC application

…

Enhancing the potential and future

career prospects of the researcher

Also think about:

• How will this fellowship make you a better, more independent researcher, allowing you

to create research output of a better quality?

• How will you contribute to the knowledge-based economy and society?

• How will perhaps your future employer benefit from this fellowship?

• Enhanced cooperation and stronger networks, new collaboration opportunities?

• Experience of working in another environment?

• Widening of your research perspective over disciplinary borders and sectors?

• Publishing independent from your PhD supervisor?

• …


2.1 Enhancing the



researcher










fellowship

4 Curriculum vitae


Curriculum vitae

= standard academic and research record

• Maximum 5 pages

• Assessed throughout the 3 evaluation criteria

• Information between part A and B should be fully consistent

• Always mention exact, full dates (dd/mm/yyyy)

• Applicants without a doctorate: use template to justify Full-Time Equivalent Research

Experience

• Any research career gaps and/or unconventional paths should be clearly explained.

Curriculum vitae

The CV should contain:

• Your name

• Your professional experience (in reverse chronological order, using exact

dates)

• Your education (in reserve chronological order, using exact dates)

• A list of your major achievements, following the 10 categories outlined in the

template

Curriculum vitae

Use your CV to ‘sell yourself’ to the evaluators!

• Consider a ‘personal statement’

• Highlight anything that makes you stand out (prizes, awards, publications as a

first or last author, …)

• Underline your other qualifications and capabilities such as leadership qualities,

your capacity to acquire new knowledge, experience in dissemination,

exploitation and communication activities, …

• If you refer to a personal website: make sure the information on the website is

up to date.

Curriculum vitaeList of achievements, and this may include, if applicable:

1. Publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, peer-reviewed conference

proceedings and/or monographs of their respective research fields, indicating also the

number of citations (excluding self-citations) they have attracted.

Clearly identify yourself when there are several co-authors

Highlight publications without (PhD) supervisor(s)

Indicate papers that you have supervised

Citations, without self-citations but also other metrics (e.g. impact factor, …)


2. Granted patent(s).

3. Research monographs, chapters in collective volumes and any translations thereof.

4. Invited presentations to peer-reviewed, internationally established conferences and/or

international advanced schools.

5. Research expeditions that the experienced researcher has led.

6. Organisation of International conferences in the field of the researcher (membership in

the steering and/or programme committee).


7. Examples of participation in industrial innovation.

8. Prizes and Awards.

Resubmissions, seal of excellence

9. Funding received so far

Explain who the funder is

Show competitiveness by adding success rates

10. Supervising and mentoring activities.


2.1 Enhancing the



researcher










fellowship

4 Curriculum vitae


Documents

Proposal writing: training, transfer of knowledge, supervision · 1.2 Quality and appropriateness of the training and of the two way transfer of knowledge 1 page 1.3 Quality of the