How to improve quality and quantity of proposal submissions through customized bidding strategies

1. How to improve quality and quantity of proposal submissions through customized bidding strategies Chris Kroger, Deputy Director, Research GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Co-convener NZ&P chapter, ARMS

2. Contents • Why to improve quality and quantity? • From an individual’s perspective • From a research manager’s / institute’s perspective • From a country’s perspective • How to improve quantity • How to know when little is more • How to know the target audience / bidders • Research managers as (quiet) leaders

3. Contents, continued • How to improve quality • Targeted: Team approach • Targeted: Individual approach • Outcomes • From an individual’s perspective • From a research manager’s perspective • From an institute’s perspective

4. Why to improve quality and quantity? Individual perspective • Kudos, job satisfaction, job justification, a job! • Collaborations, research expansion, Research manager / institute perspective • Reputation, attraction of quality staff, funding • Kudos, job satisfaction, job justification, a job! • Subtle pressure on government to release funding Country perspective • Small country at bottom of world wants to be among the leading science providers

5. New Zealand at the top of the world (nearly)

6. New Zealand research funding environment

7. New Zealand research funding environment • Frequently only one proposal per research question (program) funded, forcing teams to come together • Decisions made by ministry-appointed panel, rarely including peers • Emphasize on outcome- benefit to NZ Data by Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment 2013

8. New Zealand research funding environment, continued • Research infers that number of bids decreases when success rates go below 15-18% • However, Health and Marsden Fund (see figure) now consis- tently below 10%! (<50% NIH rate)

9. Funding Opportunities

10. Sir Ernest Marsden The Marsden Fund takes its name from physicist Sir Ernest Marsden (1889-1970) who made a remarkable contribution to science both in New Zealand and overseas. As undergraduate he worked with Ernest Rutherford. His skills as a lobbyist and forward thinker ensured the establishment of a department which could support all aspects of farming, New Zealand’s main Industry, thus ensuring science uptake by users.

11. ‘Ministry’ proposals

12. How to improve quantity But why – aren’t there enough proposals swamping the system already? Answer: Target the right Call for Proposals, find the right quantity for it Research managers need to take the lead in identifying opportunities. Your life doesn’t get better by chance, It gets better by CHANGE.

13. Improving Quantity: Ministry Proposals • Analyse Call and it compare with in-house expertise to identify opportunities • Approach teams and line managers, bring together relevant researchers to raise awareness and interest • Identify most suitable team and PI Reject some ideas if necessary • Support team to collaborate with external teams and industry / users

14. Improving Quantity: Ministry Proposals • Reiterate the need of the proposal to match the Call, reiterate again • Depending on need, write or contract writer; but provide researchers with proposal writing training opportunities independently • Project manage process • Facilitate and mediate if required • Encourage to maintain relationships if bid fails

15. Improving Quantity: Ministry Proposals Start writing Submission Call 2-3 months 1-2 months Timeline

16. Improving Quantity: Marsden Marsden Fund: Relatively straight forward for small team projects rewarding science merit • Train, encourage, develop a culture of bidding • Provide exemplars • Celebrate success • Mentor early career scientists • Educate on low success rate: despite it, it is not a lottery (only once quality is ensured ) • Establish a Marsden in-house panel for early and informal feedback on idea

17. Improving Quality Proactive, Strategic, Hands-on Approach • Training + • Encouragement + • Writing support (early, targeted, frequently) + • Understanding the Call of Proposals + • Inclusion of line management + • Project / time management + • Mentoring and guidance =

18. Improving Quality: Priority is Understanding the target audience Different audiences for Ministry and Marsden Calls (and for journal papers!) Understand what they want to get what you want

19. Improving Quality: Team approach (Ministry Call) • More complex proposals, alignment with Call paramount • Once team is assembled, assign lead writer • Possibly write certain (non- science) sections • More time needed to develop general proposal than writing it

20. Improving Quality: Individual Approach(Marsden Call) • Provide mentor and / or sounding board for idea • Encourage to reach out to top international scientists to collaborate in project • Provide long-term support to help researchers develop their track record, and present it effectively • Encourage people to work on science panels, and do so yourself as research manager • Provide writing training and direct support for proposal • Teach to ‘pitch’ your idea

21. Improving Quality: Pitching the idea Selling the proposal • Emphasize the outcome, not the method • Explain the ‘opportunity loss’ if not funded • Who will benefit from research? • ‘Sell’ the PI’s track record and the specific skill relevant to the proposal • Women may need some encouragement to be more assertive in their capability claims

22. Improving Quality: Writing Verbosity is the leading cause of poor writing. • Verbosity is most commonly caused by the wrong assumption that it impresses the reader • Test whether a sentence (paragraph, document) can be written with less words (sentences, paragraphs) Brevity is the soul of wit. unknown

23. Outcomes For individual: • Better research and PI opportunities, control of outcomes, collaborations For research manager: • Less deadline stress, better rapport with researchers For institute: • Increased funding, enhanced reputation, good place to work

24. Outcomes: Relative Funding Increase vs Inflation

25. Summary Research Managers as Leaders of a strong Bidding Culture • Analyse each call and target potential PIs • Guide, mentor, lead the process from beginning to end • Provide training throughout the year • Support track record development • Develop a strong bidding culture with lots of support from RO and others

26. Never allow someone to be your priority while you're just their option. unknown

27. 11th -15th September 2016 www.inorms2016.org