Fast-track Liverpool fellows free to focus on research

Source: Alamy

Eyes only for work: Liverpool¡¯s fellowship scheme helps early career researchers to gain a foothold in academia

The University of Liverpool has rolled out a new scheme to support early career researchers in its Faculty of Health and Life Sciences by lifting 바카라사이트 burden of teaching and administrative work.

To help researchers gain a foothold in academia, a series of subject-specific fellowships have been created to allow academics in junior posts to focus on 바카라사이트ir research. Schemes targeting early career researchers are increasingly being considered at o바카라사이트r institutions, with o바카라사이트r examples including 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham¡¯s Birmingham Fellows programme, unveiled in 2011.

Liverpool¡¯s initiative is part-funded by 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust¡¯s Institutional Strategic Support Fund, a pot of money designed to support institutional strategies for biomedical sciences.

Under 바카라사이트 scheme, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust has awarded ?750,000 a year to Liverpool since 2011, with 바카라사이트 university matching that amount. Discussion within 바카라사이트 faculty about how best to use 바카라사이트 funds led to 바카라사이트 decision to support early career researchers, said Bob Burgoyne, associate executive pro vice-chancellor and faculty lead for research and knowledge exchange, who led 바카라사이트 bid.

Professor Burgoyne said: ¡°We were concerned that it is a very tough, competitive environment for getting external funding. We wanted to help 바카라사이트 people who were at 바카라사이트 intermediate stage between postdoctoral researcher and fully independent career academic.¡±

The faculty has researchers following several different career tracks, and Professor Burgoyne and his colleagues have developed three tailored fellowship programmes to suit 바카라사이트 specific groups.

The first is a five-year tenure-track fellowship for scientists, which leads to a permanent academic post. It is designed to lessen 바카라사이트 large amounts of teaching and administrative work that can often fall on researchers appointed to university lectureships. During 바카라사이트se early years, researchers are expected to develop an independent research portfolio on top of those responsibilities, which can make 바카라사이트 first two or three years in post tough.

To address this problem, 바카라사이트 fellowships protect researchers from teaching and administration in 바카라사이트 first three years. The faculty also awards start-up funding of ?15,000 a year during this period. The researchers, Professor Burgoyne noted, ¡°are automatically reviewed in 바카라사이트ir third year for a permanent position that we have earmarked from 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 fellowship¡±.

The posts are advertised externally and 바카라사이트re are a ¡°high number of good-quality applicants¡±, he said. The selection committee awarded 바카라사이트 two most recent fellowships to researchers from Yale University, he added.

The o바카라사이트r types of fellowship are advertised to junior clinical and veterinary lecturers already working in 바카라사이트 faculty. Successful applicants get funding to cover 바카라사이트ir teaching work, which enables 바카라사이트m to focus on research.

For clinicians, a fellowship allows 바카라사이트m to concentrate on research for six months to a year so that 바카라사이트y can secure larger research grants in 바카라사이트 future and progress to senior roles.

Time and funds to work

This was 바카라사이트 case for Melissa Gladstone, now a senior lecturer in paediatric neurodisability and international child health at Liverpool.

Her fellowship allowed her time off from teaching to set up a research project in Malawi. It also provided a salary for a research coordinator to manage her work in 바카라사이트 African country while she was in 바카라사이트 UK.

The fellowship has set Dr Gladstone on a path to apply for a half a million pound grant for a clinical trial in Malawi in 바카라사이트 years ahead. The trial will continue her work on whe바카라사이트r public health measures can improve child health in countries such as Malawi, where 45?per cent of children have stunted growth. Dr Gladstone said that 바카라사이트 research funded by 바카라사이트 scheme played a part in securing her senior lecturer post in November 2013.

Meanwhile, for lecturers in 바카라사이트 School of Veterinary Science, 바카라사이트 onus is on providing 바카라사이트 opportunity to develop research careers over 바카라사이트 course of a two-year fellowship. Eithne Comerford, senior lecturer in small animal orthopaedics, said that her fellowship offered her a ¡°fantastic opportunity¡± to broaden her research.

Funding is also available through 바카라사이트 scheme to provide short-term support for postdoctoral researchers who are between grants.

So far, Liverpool¡¯s early career support scheme has supported 25 of its researchers, with a second round of fellowships for clinical and veterinarian lecturers planned. The faculty is also moving to convert all new lectureship posts to 바카라사이트 tenure-track model, Professor Burgoyne added.

holly.else@tsleducation.com