Building and Presenting a Track Record

1. Building and Presenting a Track Record Macquarie Uni, 23 September 2010 Jennie Hudson, jennie.hudson@mq.edu.au John Sutton, john.sutton@mq.edu.au Colm Halbert, colm.halbert@mq.edu.au Jason Davis, jason.davis@mq.edu.au (thanks too to Celia Harris)

2. Building and Presenting a Track Record Note This copy of the slides from this presentation is for informal support and information only and has no official force. Please contact Colm Halbert (colm.halbert@mq.edu.au) for further advice on planning and preparing applications. In the presentation we used examples from some individual grants to illustrate these points about track record: these specific texts have been removed in this version. You can read copies of successful past ARC applications in the University Research Office (C5C East, level 3): pop in, it’s worth looking through a few different examples.

3. Overview I. Narrower Focus • Question F13 in ARC-D applications • F13.5: most significant contributions II. Broader Focus • Building track record: academic • Managing early career: planning

4. Overview • There’s no magical solution for grant success • Do the work anyway, whether you get the grant or not: use the application process as a chance to focus and get started • Take your time, don’t rush in a weak proposal • Be scrupulously and precisely honest and exact, leave no room for assessors’ doubt, explain everything that might look unusual • But tell a convincing (truthful) story about each aspect of your track record, structured in an integrative fashion across the whole proposal

5. 1. Question F13 in ARC-D applications NB Format/ genre changes in 2010 … Overview of F13F13.1 Career & opportunities in last 5 years F13.2 Publications (last 5 years) F13.3 Ten career-best publications F13.4 Further impact & contributions (10 yrs) F13.5 Most significant contributions to this field F13.6 Fellowships only: your skills/ experience; research environment; mobility & choice

6. 1. Question F13 in ARC-D applications F13.1 Your career & opportunities for research over the last 5 years Format choices (c.500 words) • years since PhD • research component of employment • nature of academic post, & time in each role • career interruptions • research mentoring and research facilities • other relevant aspects of career or opportunities for research

7. 1. Question F13 in ARC-D applications F13.2 Publications since 2006 • notes • indexing to grants (table at end of F13.2) • add citation data here F13.3 Ten career-best publications • notes Getting started on citations (for help contact Jason Davis, jason.davis@mq.edu.au)

8. Question F13 in ARC-D applications F13.4 Other evidence of impact and contributions to the field over the last 10 years (c.1000 words!) • Research outputs other than publications • Evidence for quality of all research outputs, and impact of research relative to opportunity and discipline expectations. • Include wide range of research evaluations (…) • Other measures of impact

9. Example: 13.4 Further evidence of impact and contributions to the field over the last 10 years Example #1 • Other Research Outputs (1) competitive grants; (2) publications during and since my PhD; (3) conference presentations; and (4) other professional activities. • Evidence for the Quality of Research Outputs (1) quality of publication outlets; (2) awards, and (3) esteem measures. Example #2 • Research Funding • Selected Keynotes/ Lectures • Editorial & Service • Professional Service • Conference organization • International and cross-disciplinary collaborations • Awards, Outreach

10. Question F13 in ARC-D applications F13.5 A statement on your most significant contributions to this research field (c.500 words!) The old instructions stated: ‘Taking no more than half an A4 page outline your contribution to the relevant field, relative to opportunity, focussing particularly on what makes this contribution interesting and unique.’ …

11. F13.5 Present track record and project as structurally interlocking Your unique contributions to the field (F13.5) should merge with/ reflect: the project aims (section C); the project’s significance; the design and schedule; the justification of budget (E2). Note: ARF/QEII fellowship applicants need to demonstrate explicitly some independent contributions post PhD.

12. F13.5: ‘interesting and unique’ Poor answers Merely list outputs Describe what you’d like to do Duplicate what’s in F13.4 (impact) Fail to set contributions in context Good answers Are neatly structured, showing reflection Focus on what’s rare and unusual Link directly & explicitly to the project

13. Question F13 in ARC-D applications F13.6 For Fellowship applicants only • the contribution you will make to the Project: experience, skills and expertise • the research environment, that is, the facilities and support at your host organisation, including the intellectual environment to support your Fellowship; and • Justify the choice of the proposed host organisation if you intend to remain at your current organisation.

14. Part 2: Building track record: academic aspects • Ways of remaining idiosyncratic • Embrace your particular history • Take time … don’t panic • Work out what you do best • Caution is not necessarily rewarded • Follow intellectual instincts • Sift through lots of advice • Judicious use of models • Keep looking for wider connections

15. Building track record: academic aspects • Developing ‘Impact’ • Work in rhythms: stay visible • Make the systems work for your rhythms • Opportunities and burdens • Groups/ teams • Take advantage of local contingency, but • don’t take local norms as gospel • Websites and Self-archiving

16. Managing early career: planning • Balancing acts: accident, pleasure, learning, contact • teaching and research • supervision and research • admin and research • life and research • Avoiding shame • remember how it can be fun • it’s ok to take some time

17. Early Career: Building a track record • Successful mentors • International postdoc • Saying ‘Yes’ to every opportunity • Applying for awards • Regular conference travel • Building collaborations and networks • Applying for grant funding • Connecting with people at a similar career stage • Developing expertise/reputation: Editing; chairing symposium. • Direction?

18. Building a track record and parental leave. • Learning to say ‘No’ • Periods of productivity leading up to leave • Flexibility to work from home • Hiring excellent staff  • Choosing students wisely • Accepting that gaps are inevitable and okay!

19. Building and Presenting a Track Record Macquarie Uni, 23 September 2010 Jennie Hudson, jennie.hudson@mq.edu.au John Sutton, john.sutton@mq.edu.au Colm Halbert, colm.halbert@mq.edu.au Jason Davis, jason.davis@mq.edu.au (thanks too to Celia Harris)