Behind every funding decision is a panel of experts tasked with reviewing applications and making awards in accordance with the funder’s published values and strategic priorities.
A recent article from the Vivensa Foundation (formerly the Dunhill Medical Foundation) shines a light on this process, looking past the familiar forms and deadlines to the inner workings of research funding awards, offering insider tips for success that are relevant to a variety of funders. It also reveals how membership of a review committee might advance your research career as well as enhancing your own chances of securing funding.
Prioritise clear communication
Sometimes a project is brilliant but hard for people outside the field to understand! Seeing this from the point of a view of a reviewer brings home how essential it is for researchers to write in a way that is accessible and conveys the broader relevance of your work.
Embed the funder’s values
Values are more than just tick-boxes exercises – simply paying lip service to them is not enough. Where these involve emphasis on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and/or Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), it should be clear from the proposal-writing stage how such values are intrinsically linked to, and underpin, your project’s feasibility and impact.
If you are planning on applying for funding from the Vivensa Foundation, consider making use of their Academy Ignition Fund and PPIE Awards, both of which are aimed at the development of inclusive and participatory research projects for future funding bids.
Emphasise outreach and impact
“There’s a strong sense that whatever is funded should ultimately have an impact on the lives of older people.”
Reviewers will look beyond the science itself, assessing whether relevant populations are well considered and how realistic the potential impact is. This involves paying close attention to how you plan to engage the public, such as through outreach events and the use of locations that reach diverse audiences.
Read the original article here.