Seminar on how to succeed withyour Formas application

Wednesday 27th of February, 14:00-16:00 Sälgen, Umeå

14:00-14:15 Welcome and overview of the Formas open call Caroline, Grabbe, Grants Office

14:15-14:40 The evaluator perspective - Evaluation process and criteria Thomas Palo, Evaluator at Formas

14:40-15:15 The researcher perspective – Learning from some of my failures as a scientistHjalmar Laudon, Forest Ecology and Management

15:15-15:30 Key points for writing a successful applicationCaroline, Grabbe, Grants Office

15:30-16:00 Q&A (all)

Outline of the Formas information seminar

OVERVIEW OF THE FORMAS ANNUAL OPEN CALL

Formas - Annual open call 2019■ Your annual opportunity to apply for funding for the research of YOUR INTEREST.

- No pre-set research questions- Needs to address societal challenges within Formas areas of responsibility The Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial planning

– Research for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development.

■ Three types of grants;

1) Research and development projects

2) Research and development projects for early-career researchers

3) Mobility grants for early-career researchers

■ The call is open NOW and will close on 4th of April 2019 (14:00)

■ Date of decision: 20 November 2019 (preliminary)

You have to choose!

(Only one as main applicant)

Who can apply?

R&D projects■ Main applicant with a

PhD

■ Co-applicants with a PhD

■ No age limit

■ Main applicant invitespotential co-applicantswithin PRISMA

R&D projects - ECR■ Main applicant with a

doctoral degree receivedduring the past 2-8 years

■ 2019 call = PhD between1 Jan 2011- 31 Dec 2017

■ Co-applicants with a PhD

■ Adjusted for sick leave, parental leave, militaryservice etc.

Mobility grants■ Single applicant

■ PhD received within the past three years

■ 2019 call = PhD between1 Jan 2016 and 1 Oct2019.

■ Adjusted for sick leave, parental leave, militaryservice etc.

Research and development projects (all)■ Project limits: Max. 3 years, max. 3 million SEK (starting in 2020)

■ Subject area within Formas priorities

■ Basic or needs-driven research of the highest scientific quality, with potential benefits for society.

■ Inter- and transdisciplinary proposals are encouraged

■ What can be funded?

i) Salaries for researchers, PhD students, technical staff

ii) Operational costs (consumables, equipment, travel, conferences, publication fees, open-access databases, premises)

iv) Equipment and depreciation costs up to 500 000 SEK

v) Co-funding of international projects (EU), focused on research and development

vi) Indirect costs (OH)

The R&D application

■ The application must contain

– Project aims and objectives (7000 characters)– Project description (15 000 characters)– Potential societal value of the research topic and communication with

stakeholders/users (8000 characters)– Budget (and budget specification)– CV and publication lists for the main applicant and participating researchers– Short summaries in both Swedish and English (1500 characters)– Popular scientific summary in Swedish (4500 characters)

■ Appendix J – Illustrations, figures, tables (one PDF, max. 4 MB)

Arial, font size 12

Write in English

Clarity and structure

Addressall criteria

Scientificquality and

societalrelevance

Mobility grants for early-careerresearchers

■ To provide young researchers with the opportunity to learn new tools, work on issueswith a new focus and expand their networks (in a new research environment).

■ 24-48 months (no minimum or maximum amount)

■ 1/3 of the time at the home organisation + 1/3 of the time at the host– Shorter or longer periods of minimum 3 months

■ What can be funded?

i) Salary for the applicant

ii) OH-costs

iii) Costs for premises

iv) Travel expenses and costs for the applicant and family members associatedwith staying at the host organisation

No running costswill be granted

■ Project aims and objectives (7000 characters)

■ Project description (15 000 characters)

■ Potential societal value and communication with stakeholders/users (8000 characters)

■ Budget (salary and OH-costs only) + budget specification

■ CV and publication list

■ Swedish and English short summaries + popular scientific summary in Swedish

■ Appendix G - Description of how the research environments at the home and hostorganisations will contribute to the applicants development, together with a travel plan.

■ Appendix I - A copy of the diploma or doctoral degree certificate (latest 1 October 2019)

■ Appendix L - Letters of invitation from the home and host organisations

■ Appendix J – Illustrations, figures, tables (one PDF, max. 4 MB)

The mobility grant applicationArial, font size 12

Write in English

Clarity and structure

Addressall criteria

Scientific qualityand societal

relevance

Common requirements – all calls■ Accessability and use of scientific data

– Need to publish open access– Need to make research data and metadata open (but meet current

legislations)– All funded projects needs a Data Management Plan (replaces Appendix K)

■ Project should be related to 1-3 of the global SDGs

■ Gender perspectives should be considered where applicable– Gender equality perspectives relevant to the project’s reserach questions– Gender perspectives in the project organisation

■ Statement of ethical considerations and how they will be managed

■ Clear publication and communication plan

Choice of panel

■ 10 panels

■ You may suggest up to three review panels in order of priority.

– Formas has reserved the right to transfer applications to other reviewpanels if needed

■ The expertise in the panels is broad– Ability to evaluate applications within

humanities, the natural and social sciences, as well as research in the areas of health and engineering.

– Ability to assess research quality and societal benefit

Contact information – Formas

For more specific questions regarding the call:

Therese Woodhill, Senior Research Officer, FormasTelephone: +46 (0)8-775 40 10E-mail: therese.woodhill@formas.se

Åsa Frisk, Senior Research Officer, FormasTelephone: +46 (0)8-775 41 19E-mail: asa.frisk@formas.se

Formas Telephone Hotline, 08-775 4005, answers general questions about the call during 3-4 April: kl. 9:00–16:00, closed for lunch 12:00-13:00

For Prisma technical support (https://prismasupport.research.se/user-manual.html/)

Caroline GrabbeGrants Office

27 February, 2019

Key points for writing a successful application

Who is reading your proposal?

Address the entire panel

■ In Formas, the review panels are VERY broad;– Researchers with different expertise– Non-academics, e.g. users of research results

■ Write your application to appeal to ALL members ofthe panel;

- Exiting enough for the generalist

- Detailed enough to convince the expert

Convince the panel already on the first page

What is it about?

What is the problem?

Why bother?

Why you?

What’s novel?

Why now?

The first page needs to convince the (generalist) panel members and get them exited about the project.

Have your reviewer in mind when you write!How will you

solve it?

Your projectshould make a

difference –describe how!

Novelty -Unique and

creative

Feasibility

Can be understood

Clear and conciseaims

Requiredexpertise

What does it take to get funded?

Research environment

Get your message through

Follow the instructions from the funding agency (read instructions, ask questions)

Put the right information under the right heading - STRUCTURE

State your aims – Clear and concise and in the BEGINNING of the proposal

Spell it out:

- Describe the originality and novelty

- Illustrate the expected outcomes

Make sure to have a clear match between the research set-up and your goals

- 3 specific aims → 3 well-defined experimental strategies (work plans)

Formas states ” Assessment is based solely on the information you provide in your application”.

Be specific and stay focused

Only include information relevant to your project

Do not describe your entire research programme – focus on the project and the future aims

Avoid irrelevant or too detailed information

Properly describe your expertise and research environment – in relation to the project

Significance– on multiple levels(local/national/international)

■ Utilize ”State-of-the-art” to illustrate why your research is needed

■ Argue how your project will fill the identified ”gap-of-knowledge”

■ Illustrate how your project will make a change (be specific)

- What kind of change/improvement?

- Qualitative and quantitative (if possible)

- For who?

- When can this change be expected?

- Position your results in the research field and in the ”real world”

■ Write an ”impact storyline” – the vision of your final results!

Societal relevance and communication – equallyimportant as the research in Formas proposals

■ You will be evaulated regarding;– How your proposal addresses important issues in society– How the project can contribute to a sustainable development– How the project design takes the needs of the stakeholders/users into account– How the aims of the research aligns with the call

■ Evaluation of your communication plan;– Description of relevant stakeholders and/or users– Aims and motivation for the communication activities– Concrete and realistic plan for the involvement of stakeholders/

users and how results will be communicated to them– WHAT, WHO, WHY, HOW, WHEN?

Feasibility - CV

■ Use your CV to demonstrate that you;

- Have the expertise required for the project

- Have the right connections/collaborators

- Are a leading researcher in your field

- Are an active member of the research community

- Have the skills to lead

■ If allowed by space, your CV may include a small narrative describing your research goals

and career (track record).

Emhasize your career development

■ When applying for a career grant, be aware that the funder probably aims to select

and support excellent researchers – the future research leaders!

■ So, convince them that you are excellent!

■ Convince them that funding from that particular funder will be essential for your

career (mainly young researchers) and your research.

Feedback – learn from others and yourself

■ Ask someone else to read your application before submission- One expert in your field- One generalist

■ If rejected – analyse the evaluation protocol and revise your application

■ Study successful applications from your research field

■ Use the help offered by Grants Office/your colleagues/the university.

Formas application discussion

■ Take the chance to discuss your draft Formas application with a small groupof fellow researchers and an experienced mentor.

■ Small groups of 3-5 researchers + a mentor

■ Main opportunity in Umeå, Alnarp and Ultuna – 20th of March (13:00-16:30)

■ Alternative dates may be available, let us know your interest in formingalternative groups!

■ Sign up no later than 28th of February (TOMORROW) at:

https://internt.slu.se/formasapplication

When? March 13, 2019Time? 13.00–15.00Where? Hörsal B, Social Sciences

Building

PROGRAMWelcomeErika Sörensson, Grants OfficeInformation about the Annual Open Call 2019Åsa Frisk, FormasWriting a successful application to FormasJonatan Klaminder, EMGHannele Tuominen, Umeå Plant Science CentreQ & A

Formas information meetings at UmU and LU

When? March 15, 2019Time? 09.00–12.00Where? Palaestra et odeum,

Paradisgatan 4, Lund

PROGRAMWelcomeStacey Sörenson, Pro-Vice ChancellorInformation about the Annual Open Call 2019Ann Rodenstedt, FormasEvaluating applicationsAn experienced evaluator explains the evaluation processExperiences of writing a Formas proposalA Lund researcher talks about writing successful applications

Karl Jäghagen

Staffan Lund

Frank Sterner

Lars Erik LindellHallvard Wie

Christer Borglin

Caroline Grabbe (S)

Fiona Reid (VH) Ulf Westerlund (NJ)

Michelle Cleary (LTV)

Grants Office – 2019

Contactname.name@slu.se grantsoffice@slu.se

14:00-14:15 Welcome and overview of the Formas open call Caroline, Grabbe, Grants Office

14:15-14:40 The evaluator perspective - Evaluation process and criteria Thomas Palo, Evaluator at Formas

14:40-15:15 The researcher perspective – Learning from some of my failures as a scientistHjalmar Laudon, Forest Ecology and Management

15:15-15:30 Key points for writing a successful applicationCaroline, Grabbe, Grants Office

15:30-16:00 Q&A (all)

Outline of the Formas information seminar