Abstract

The provision of training on research funding stands as a pivotal objective for support staff. Yet, it can be overwhelming and very time intensive if undertaken alone. However what if you joined together and collaborated with other support staff in similar research centres? This is how the collaborative training initiative, "Guide to Research Funding: From a SFI Centre Perspective," was born. This program, jointly run between the funding support in three different Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centres, each with a distinct research focus, i.e. bioeconomy, geoscience and advanced manufacturing, aims to equip researchers at all career stages with comprehensive insights into various aspects of research funding. By fostering collaboration and capacity building, this initiative enhances the collective expertise and resources available to the Irish research community. It also allows develop a pipeline of applicants for all levels, by empowering researchers to advance in their careers through funding training tailored to their career stage. Simultaneously, it heightens awareness of funding opportunities, propelling the centres toward achieving their cost-share Key Performance Indicators.
Complementing the existing support from central Research Offices within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), this program represents an additional layer of specialized assistance available exclusively to centre members. The program features bi-monthly virtual events, facilitated by the three funding managers who provide introductory information, and guidance. Additionally, external expert speakers are invited and delve into specific funding-related topics. One unique feature of this initiative is the active involvement of researchers from the three Centres who have achieved success in specific funding calls. These researchers share their valuable experiences and offer practical tips to the broader community, enriching the learning experience and facilitating the development of best practices.
The sessions to date have addressed a wide spectrum of crucial topics in research funding, benefiting researchers across disciplines and career stages. Sessions have catered to researchers at various stages of their careers, providing valuable insights into national and international funding schemes, and/or addressing the writing of specific part of the proposals. The programme collectively offers a comprehensive perspective on the landscape of research funding.
These sessions have consistently attracted 40-50 researchers on average, facilitating broad engagement within the SFI Centres' research communities. This collaborative approach maximizes the reach and impact of the training program while reducing the effort required from individual funding managers, ensuring optimizing their time allocation for other critical tasks. Most importantly, it harnesses the power of internal expertise from across the three Centres, making specific funding call experiences accessible to a wider audience. This collaborative model exemplifies the spirit of knowledge sharing and cooperation within the SFI Centres, ultimately strengthening Ireland's research landscape.
In selecting the Oral 30 Minutes format, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of our collaborative training initiative. This extended format allows for a detailed overview of the Research Centres landscape and operations as well as the exploration of the training program's objectives, structure, and impact. We hope to inspire fellow professionals in the research community to consider similar collaborative approaches for advancing research funding training.