Morning: Things you Need to Know
Afternoon: Exercises
16:00 Close
Who? . . .
Why?
The Sales Pitch is delivered by the Magic Formula
Who decides?
Fellowships committees are usually broader than grants committees
Often it’s a 2 stage process
Paper then interview
Project then person
Applications
Expert referees’ reports
Designated members’ reports
Designated members report on the proposal
Discussion by all members of the committee.
All members in the discussion can influence the score.
Referees will analyse your case for support in detail but:-
Re-use a phrase from the sub-goal sentence in the sub-project sentence to emphasise that the sub-project will achieve the sub-goal.
‘We need to know’ + tag phrase because….
We need to know the relationship between the performance of single neurons and the performance of the whole visual system in order to establish the likely contribution of single neurons to perception.
We need to know the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1 in order to establish the potential contribution of V1 to perception. The potential contribution can be assessed using a range of perceptual tasks, such as visual pattern discrimination, object discrimination, and motion-detection. For any such task, we can infer the contribution of cortical area V1 to that task from the relationship between the perceptual capabilities of single neurons and the perceptual capabilities of the individual.
This is the start of a sub-section of the background. There will be a couple of pages of text (at least 3 subsections, each with its own heading) between it and the start of the corresponding sub-section of the description of the project, which follows here.
We will measure how neural response varies with stimulus strength during perceptual tasks in order to measure the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1. Stimuli from a set that covers a range of strengths will be presented repeatedly in random sequences under computer control. The computer will record responses during the presentations, and during equivalent periods when no stimulus is presented, for off-line spike sorting and analysis…….
We need to know the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1 in order to establish the potential contribution of V1 to perception. The potential contribution can be assessed using a range of perceptual tasks, such as visual pattern discrimination, object discrimination, and motion-detection. For any such task, we can infer the contribution of cortical area V1 to that task from the relationship between the perceptual capabilities of single neurons and the perceptual capabilities of the individual.
This is the start of a sub-section of the background. There will be a couple of pages of text (at least 3 subsections, each with its own heading) between it and the start of the corresponding sub-section of the description of the project, which follows here.
We will measure how neural response varies with stimulus strength during perceptual tasks in order to measure the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1. Stimuli from a set that covers a range of strengths will be presented repeatedly in random sequences under computer control. The computer will record responses during the presentations, and during equivalent periods when no stimulus is presented, for off-line spike sorting and analysis…….
What’s been funded?
Advice on writing:- www.parkerderrington.com/blog
Decide what message you want your audience to take away.
Use a good communication approach to deliver that message
Keep to time
Be yourself.
Always know what your message is.
And how much time you have to communicate it.
Remember your audience is only human.
Thank you
Imagine you are in an interview for your dream fellowship. The first question is “Would you tell us why you have applied for this fellowship?”
Write a list of the points you would want to make in your answer.
We need to know the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1 in order to establish the potential contribution of V1 to perception.
We will measure how neural response varies with stimulus strength during perceptual tasks in order to measure the perceptual capabilities of single neurons in cortical area V1.
Project sentence summarises the project in whatever way is appropriate
Introduces your discussion of what will happen after the research is complete
It will depend to a certain extent on whether the importance is academic or practical or both.
Goal Sentence should have 3 parts:-
This project will develop a potential treatment for stroke, using an in vitro brain slice model to optimise synthetic metabolic inhibitors discovered in my laboratory.
Importance sentence says what it is that makes the outcome important. For example….
Caring for the 1.2 million UK stroke survivors costs over £1.7 billion a year.
Some funders specify requirements that appear to be incompatible with the standard structure, but these can usually be addressed by one of three approaches.
Why is this a good Person?
Why is this a good project?
Direct Outcome?
Training Outcome
Why is this a good place?
Ask your neighbour about their project. Try to understand and remember:-
What will their project achieve?
Would that achievement be important? Why - objectively?
How will the project develop their career?
Why would their chosen organisation/lab be the best place to hold the fellowship - objectively?
After 5 minutes, change roles and repeat.
Imagine that you are trying to persuade a committee to give your neighbour a fellowship.
Write a short statement that will convince them to do so.
You have 5 minutes.
Imagine that you are trying to persuade a committee to give you a fellowship.
Write a short statement that will convince them to do so.
You have 5 minutes.
If you start writing a grant application without answering these questions, you might never finish.