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Panel insights – Wellcome Trust Career Development Awards

Workshop outline 10:00 -10:30 Setting up/arrivals 10:30 -11:30 Presentation 11.30 – 11.40 Break 11.40 – 12:45 Questions and tailored advice/feedback 12:45 End Summary Presenter: Professor Tracey Loughran (PHAIS) - Co-Chair of the Wellcome Career Development Award Interview Committee (Medical Humanities), 2023-2025 and Principal Investigator on a Wellcome Trust-funded Investigator Awards in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The Wellcome Career Development Award (CDA) is aimed at mid-career researchers who are ready to lead a substantial and innovative research programme that contributes to advancing research related to health and wellbeing. Researchers working on these areas are often unsure whether they fit the Wellcome remit - this is much broader than you might think! This in-depth workshop offers a rare opportunity for researchers at Essex to gain insider insights into the Wellcome Trust CDA scheme. Led by a former co-Chair of the CDA Interview Panel, the session will demystify the application and selection process, provide participants with practical tips and strategies to develop compelling proposals and prepare for the interview stage. There will also be opportunities for tailored feedback on your ideas. In exploring the Wellcome Trust's broad remit and processes, it will also be useful for applicants considering applying to the Wellcome Early Career Award or Discovery Award schemes. Professor Loughran will draw on her direct experience from inside the assessment and selection process, the workshop will cover: • Overview of the Career Development Award scheme • Key criteria used in shortlisting, assessment and interview • Common strengths and weaknesses in proposals • What to expect during the interview process and how to prepare • How to present your research vision, independence, and leadership potential effectively • Q&A with tailored advice from Prof. Tracey Loughran and Kai Yin Low, Research Development Manager for Arts and Humanities (REO) Whether you're considering applying or in the process of preparing your proposal, this workshop is designed to help you align your application with expectations for the Wellcome CDA and increase your chances for success. If you would like more information before signing up, please contact Tracey Loughran (tracey.loughran@essex.ac.uk)

University of Essex Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass: Session 2 - FLF writing seminar

The University’s FLF Masterclass Series runs over three separate sessions and aims to support our early career academics who are considering making an application to UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF), to share good practice, help them understand and navigate the scheme and upskill them in order to maximise their chances of making a successful application. Session 2 (this session) is an FLF proposal writing seminar on what makes a strong FLF application, to include exercises and discussions. Writing a strong FLF sift outline will also be covered. Contributors will include Professor Alex Dumbrell from the School of Life Sciences, Essex’s FLF award holders and Research Development Managers (RDMs). --------x-------- This course is primarily aimed at Essex-based early career academics who are seriously considering making an FLF application in Round 11 (2026), and those supporting their applications. We should note that, regretfully, for Round 11, the University of Essex is unable to support FLF applications from external candidates or internal candidates not on permanent contracts. This course is not suitable for UG or PG students. --------x-------- --------x-------- Please note that this boking is just for Session 2 of the UoE Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass. Session 3 – a FLF-writing workshop – will be bookable separately, and booking details will also be found on HR Organiser (session title: “University of Essex Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass: Session 3 - FLF writing workshop”). Please note that candidates wishing to attend sessions 2 and 3 should also have attended any previous sessions. Overarching aim: To support early career academics who are considering making an application to UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) in order to maximise their chances of making a successful application. To provide an overview of what both UKRI and the University's sift panel are looking for in an FLF application, including a breakdown of the different application sections. To provide examples of good and bad practice in preparing an FLF application (full and sift). To provide direct support from FLF award holders and senior academics who are involved in UKRI and internal sift panels for the FLF. To provide an opportunity for candidates to discuss and ask questions about making a FLF application, and about the University’s sift process. Pre-Work Candidates should be seriously considering making an FLF application in Round 11 (2026), should be familiar with the scheme, and should be in discussion with their DoR, HoD and networks about their application (mandatory). It is also recommended that attendees should have attended session 1 (General Information Webinar / Q&A). Candidates are also encouraged to submit questions about writing an FLF application (or FLF sift application) in advance (by 19th November) so that the contributors can address any FAQ effectively and efficiently; however, this is optional, and there will be ample opportunity for questions and discussions during the session. Beyond this, no formal preparatory work required, but candidates should be actively developing their idea for their FLF proposal. Round 11 is expected to open early in 2026, but please refer to UKRI’s FLF websites and the University’s dedicated FLF webpage to learn about the scheme and our sift process for Round 10 (please note that scheme details and out internal sift process might be modified for future rounds). • UKRI FLF Round 10 website: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/futureleaders-fellowships-round-10/ • UKRI general FLF website: https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/future-leaders-fellowships/ • University FLF website: https://www.essex.ac.uk/research/fellowships/ukri-future-leaders-fellowships

University of Essex Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass: Session 3 - FLF writing workshop

The University’s FLF Masterclass Series runs over three separate sessions and aims to support our early career academics who are considering making an application to UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF), to share good practice, help them understand and navigate the scheme and upskill them in order to maximise their chances of making a successful application. Session 3 (this session) is an FLF proposal writing drop-in session / workshop. This will be a practical session: candidates will receive feedback and support for FLF outlines in progress. The agenda is deliberately quite fluid, but will include: quiet space to develop ideas with support available; interactive discussions with expert support and/or other candidates; one-to-one expert feedback on draft proposals. A draft agenda will be provided to registered candidates closer to the time. Contributors will include Professor Alex Dumbrell from the School of Life Sciences, Essex’s FLF award holders and Research Development Managers (RDMs). --------x-------- This course is primarily aimed at Essex-based early career academics who are seriously considering making an FLF application in Round 11 (2026), and those supporting their applications. We should note that, regretfully, for Round 11, the University of Essex is unable to support FLF applications from external candidates or internal candidates not on permanent contracts. This course is not suitable for UG or PG students. --------x-------- --------x-------- Please note that this boking is just for Session 3 of the UoE Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass. Session 2 – an FLF writing seminar – will be bookable separately, and booking details will also be found on HR Organiser (session title: “University of Essex Future Leaders Fellowships Masterclass: Session 2 - FLF writing seminar”). Please note that candidates wishing to attend session 3 should also have attended any previous sessions. Overarching aim: To support early career academics who are considering making an application to UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) in order to maximise their chances of making a successful application. To provide expert, practical support for candidates actively developing their FLF application ideas. To provide a drop-in space for candidates obtain one-to-one feedback on their FLF draft proposals. To provide a separate, quiet space for candidates to spend uninterrupted time on developing their FLF draft proposals with expert advice close at hand. To provide an opportunity for group discussions so candidates can share experiences, ask questions that may have arisen while developing their proposals, and get expert and peer insight. To provide an opportunity for FLF candidates to meet and develop a network of peer-to-peer support. Pre-work Candidates should be seriously considering making an FLF application in Round 11 (2026), should be familiar with the scheme, and should be in active discussion with their DoR, HoD and networks about their application (mandatory). Candidates should have attended session 2, and are strongly recommended to have attended session 1. Preparatory work: candidates should prepare a 1-page outline of their FLF idea (bullet points acceptable) to develop and discuss during the session (this should be based around the scheme assessment criteria and knowledge gained in sessions 1 and 2). Alternatively, candidates are welcome to bring a more developed draft for feedback. --------x-------- --------x-------- Round 11 is expected to open early in 2026, but please refer to UKRI’s FLF websites and the University’s dedicated FLF webpage to learn about the scheme and our sift process for Round 10 (please note that scheme details and out internal sift process might be modified for future rounds). • UKRI FLF Round 10 website: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/futureleaders-fellowships-round-10/ • UKRI general FLF website: https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/ developing-people-and-skills/future-leaders-fellowships/ • University FLF website: https://www.essex.ac.uk/research/fellowships/ ukri-future-leaders-fellowships