Support for Research Grant Applications

How we can help...

Research Grants

If you want to increase the chances of being funded you can take one of our self-service, do at your own speed, online Masterclasses, or we can support you on a 1:1 basis through our: 1) Critical friend reviews for those who just need a fresh set of eyes with a highly experienced perspective of what's needed, or 2) longer-term support for anyone fresh to grant applications/having difficulty wrangling all the ideas into a compelling written proposal or just trying to offer something radically different and you need some support to thinking it through.

Or, if you're applying to the ERC, or the Wellcome Trust, or a UKRI scheme with interviews we also offer 3) pre-interview coaching to maximise your performance either as an individual or as a team, who has to be both brilliant individually and present cohesively together! Interview support can be purchased as a standalone, but you'll get a discount (because we already know the work well!) if we've already supported your written bid.

Click on each service description below for full details of what working with us involves:

See all of our online Masterclasses here

Critical friend grant application support

Purchasing this service entitles you too: 5 x Zoom discussions (approx. 45mins each) with you as an individual proposer/your team, to support you in finalising a reasonably mature grant application proposal. In addition we will provide 2 phases of written feedback on the proposal, coordinated with the oral feedback AND support for your response to reviewers if relevant. For further details please click through for a detailed list of everything that is included. As this is a long-term commitment for both parties, please ensure you have contacted us ([email protected]) to check for availability and to receive more detailed information before signing up. We can also arrange for your university to settle the fee directly via Purchase Order via this offline route.

£2238+VAT If paying by corporate credit card [to pay by Purchase Order or personal credit card please contact us to pay at the discounted rate of £2194+VAT]. Please note: we will NOT accept payment by personal credit card where the payee expects to claim the costs back from their university and is therefore simply looking to pass the additional costs of card processing onto our small business... thank you for your understanding.

Concept to Case for Support (and beyond!)

This is a package of longer-term support aimed at PIs/CIs tacking a large grant application for the 1st time and/or anyone feeling particularly "stuck" as to how to get a potentially transformative concept into a grant application. During the 1st phase of our partnership your coach (Dr Becky Steliaros) will support and challenge you in structuring your thoughts, developing an action plan and getting clear on how to put together the most compelling proposal possible. The 2nd phase follows the same structure as our critical friend review service. We will provide comprehensive and detailed feedback, in both written and oral (Zoom hosted discussion) formats to support you in making the proposal documentation as compelling as possible. As this is a long-term commitment for both parties, please ensure you have contacted us ([email protected]) to check for availability and to receive more detailed information before signing up. We can also arrange for your university to settle the fee directly via Purchase Order via this offline route.

£4477+VAT If paying by corporate credit card [to pay by Purchase Order or personal credit card please contact us to pay at the discounted rate of £4389+VAT] Please note 1) we will NOT accept payment by personal credit card where the payee expects to claim the costs back from their university and is therefore simply looking to pass the additional costs of card processing onto our small business... thank you for your understanding, and 2) surcharges will apply to cover the additional costs on in-person mock interviews.

Pre-interview coaching

This process will support you to be as effective as possible in your funding interview. We can't wave a magic wand and guarantee that you will be funded, but we WILL guarantee that you will feel that you are as thoroughly prepared as possible! This coaching process is a partnership. We know what works well at the big questions/strategy level, we know the sort of questions you always need to have strong answers too, the nature of those questions, common pitfalls to avoid, and we know how to help you shape all of your answers so they are as compelling as possible, whilst still being “your” answers, not ours! You and the senior colleagues supporting you, need to contribute specialist research topic knowledge, both in technical terms, and any deeply nuanced cultural norms, known only to those working on a day to day basis within the topic.

£4477+VAT If paying by corporate credit card [to pay by Purchase Order or personal credit card please contact us to pay at the discounted rate of £4389+VAT] Please note 1) we will NOT accept payment by personal credit card where the payee expects to claim the costs back from their university and is therefore simply looking to pass the additional costs of card processing onto our small business... thank you for your understanding, and 2) surcharges will apply to cover the additional costs on in-person mock interviews.

To pay the discounted Purchase Order rate and/or to avoid disappointment if we're already fully booked, please double check via email....

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Any of these services can be purchased as a standalone, but if after we've supported your written bid you ask us to also support your interview preparation you'll get a discount, because we already know the work well! If you know you definitely want BOTH written and discounted interview support, this is administratively easier if handled as one Purchase Order, paid directly by your university. Please ask us for a formal quote to arrange that.

"Well explained, easy to follow. Lots of advice."

____ A Basics of Research Grant Proposals webinar participant

"This has spurred me to engage myself more fully in developing my personal research strategy, gaining a better understanding of the wider policy and research area, what funding opportunities are available and how I can match my ideas to those."

____ Grants Masterclass participant

Hi, I'm BECKY Steliaros, RiF's Principal Coach!

Here's an image of me "in action" leading an extended programme of support for fellowship applicants! I founded Research in Focus (RiF) in 2012 after a 12 year career with the UK Research Councils (during which time I also took a PG Certificate in coaching/leadership/change management & creativity, and an MBA Both were quite a contrast to my electrochemistry PhD!) and I'm on a mission to help researchers get funded!!!

I know how many good ideas don't get funded so I'm here to help if you want to increase your luck, if you're a bit stuck, or your Research Office aren't well sufficiently staffed/experienced to give you the sort of bespoke attention you need to increase your own luck (luck has very little to do with it!)...

When I'm not coaching academics you'll find me exploring with my camper van or at the blunt end of a loaded archery bow ;-)