Frequently Asked Questions A Guide for Applicants on eligibility and suitability for the MQ Fellows Programme A. General What is the scientific remit that will be considered for this award? Applications are welcomed from all disciplines that pertain to mental health research, including studies relevant to the cause, treatment, or prevention of mental illness. Are awards limited to applicants from specific countries? The awards are not country-limited. MQ Fellows Awards are open to individuals from any country. Can I complete the application form in my native language? Application forms must be completed in English. What are the deadlines for the programme? Date Event Note April 16th 2015 Thursday (17:00 BST) Stage 1 application deadline Statement of Intent application forms are due at MQ office on or before close of business, London time. May 8 th, 2015 Thursday Stage 1 application receipt confirmation If you have submitted an application and not received an email from MQ by this date, it is your responsibility to contact MQ. June 26 th, 2015 Thursday Stage 1 selection Applicants will be notified of the committee s decision by 26 th June 2015. July 23 rd, 2015 Thursday (17:00 BST) Stage 2 Invited Proposal deadline
August 7 th, 2015 September 11 th, 2015 12 th and 13 th October, 2015 Stage 2 application confirmation Stage 2 selection and Invitation to interview. Stage 3 Invited Candidate Interviews If you have been invited to submit a Stage 2 Invited Proposal form and not received a personal email from MQ by this date confirming receipt of your proposal, it is your responsibility to contact MQ. Candidates will be notified of the committee s decision regarding progression to stage 3 by September 11 th, 2015. Submission of a Stage 2 Invited Proposal will be taken as confirmation that Candidates are available to attend interviews conducted on these dates in London, UK. When should my proposed project start? The proposed start-date should be within 6-months of notification of an award. B. Am I a suitable candidate? I am clinically qualified and my salary exceeds the award amount. Is this programme relevant to me? Yes. The award can be used to support full or partial salary OR it can be used for other research purposes. If your salary is funded elsewhere, an MQ Fellows award could support experimental costs, and/ or salary for a research assistant. I am a social scientist / medical humanities scholar. Is this programme relevant to me? Yes. The MQ Fellows programme is open to all disciplines, including social science and the medical humanities. Indeed, two of the previous Awardees are conducting projects that draw heavily on epidemiology research. I have previous applied to the MQ Fellows Programme; can I still apply? No. Previous applicants are not eligible for the 2015 Fellows Programme. If you have previously applied to the MQ Fellows Programme, you are automatically excluded from further applications. Any applications submitted by previous years Applicants will be rejected. Am I at an appropriate career stage to be suitable to apply for this Programme? The MQ Fellows programme supports early career researchers investigating key questions that will improve the quality of life of people affected by mental illness. Applicants will have made an outstanding start to their research career as demonstrated by their research results, publications and career track record to date. 2
Researchers need to be fully committed to this path and at a career stage that demonstrates this commitment. We are seeking applicants who are establishing their independence. Applicants will be able to demonstrate that they are either newly independent or will be independent by the time the Awards are finalised, i.e., 31 October, 2015. Applicants must: Be early career researchers establishing their independence: o With a PhD, DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent awarded before October 31 st, 2013, o By 31 October 2015, have accumulated 2-6 years (whole-time-equivalent) research experience equivalent in nature to postdoctoral research, o Be in an independent position on October 31 st, 2015 and have held one for less than three years on that date, o Applying for an MQ Fellows Award for the first time. Please note that if you have previously applied to the MQ Fellows Programme, you are automatically excluded from further applications, o Provide their ORCID identifier. Be able to demonstrate in their submitted application: o That their proposed project addresses a question relevant to mental health, such as the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness, o Consideration of interdisciplinarity. Be eligible to enter the UK for an interview and to participate in annual meetings, if (s)he is not a British national. Applicants are responsible for obtaining their own visa, if required. Complete and submit their application in English. * Am I too junior? We are seeking Applicants who are establishing their independence. This Programme is aimed at early career applicants will be newly independent at the time of the award. Applicants are expected to hold an independent position on October 31 st, 2015. The MQ Fellowship is not a post-doctoral position and not suitable for someone who has recently completed their PhD, DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent. Applicants must have been awarded a PhD, DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent by October 31 st 2013. Applicants are expected to have completed sufficient research and attained sufficient maturity since then to be developing independence. Applicants are expected to have begun making important contributions through their research and publications. Applications need to be able to demonstrate that they are either newly independent or will be independent by the time the Awards are finalised ie. 31 st October, 2015. * Am I too senior? This Programme is aimed at early career applicants who are emerging in their independence at the time of the award. Applicants need to be able to demonstrate in their application that they are seeking support that will enable them to complete the transition to independent researcher status. Indications that you are too senior for the programme include: 3
have research funding exceeding 250,000 per year (excluding FEC/ indirects), in addition to full salary. have held for more than 3-years a position equivalent to lecturer (UK) or assistant professor (US). * What do you mean by independence? We mean intellectual and leadership independence. We are looking for people who are approaching the challenging problems of mental health with a fresh approach. Applicants will be able to demonstrate that they are forging their own areas of research, no longer reliant on a supervisor. Indications that you are showing intellectual and leadership independence include: holding another Fellowship or grant in your own name having research projects and publications with a range of teams and senior researchers, not principally with one senior figure * What do you mean by independent position? Job titles vary substantially between disciplines and internationally. In the UK, independent positions include lectureships and clinical lectureships. In the USA, independent positions include associate professorships. Successful applicants may be due to begin an independent position by 31 st October 2015, and will not have held one for longer than three years on that date. * What do you mean by date DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent was awarded? We mean the date that the qualification was awarded, i.e. after the viva and corrections. * What do you mean by postdoctoral research? Some people s career trajectory is undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree (i.e., DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent), postdoctoral research, independence, and onwards. However, some people follow a different trajectory, and conduct postdoctoral-level research before their postgraduate degree, particularly if they are a clinician. If you are in the latter category you should include this in your calculation for question B4 ( whole-time-equivalent research experience equivalent in nature to postdoctoral research ). Postdoctoral research typically takes place as part of a defined period of mentored advance training. Often, but not always, it is through a funded position on a project grant, with concrete duties to that project. People undertaking postdoctoral research are generally already competent researchers, although may be still learning particular techniques. They have more independence than during a PhD or equivalent qualification, but typically have an advisor/ supervisor and have not yet attained full independence. Postdoctoral researchers are generally publishing several papers, including first author papers. As career pathways are different across disciplines and specialties, it is up to the applicant to demonstrate that (s)he is at an appropriate career stage for this award. Applicants need to be able to demonstrate in their application that they are seeking support that will enable them to establish their independence. 4
Successful applicants will make clear how the MQ award will help them achieve success during the career transition process and continue to make meaningful contributions to advances in mental health research. If you have further questions about your eligibility, please contact MQ directly. Examples: An Applicant may have recently obtained their first appointment as early career faculty and need funding for staff and materials, or, an Applicant may be expecting to begin an independent position before 31 st October, 2015 and need funding for research costs. What is whole-time-equivalent? This is sometimes referred to as full-time-equivalent. In this context, we are asking you to work out how much of your work time was spent on research. This is so that we can compare across different career pathways. In particular we want to have parity between people whose careers have been full time in research, those whose roles have included clinical duties or substantial teaching or administrative responsibilities, and those who have had a career gap due to, for example, parental leave, caring responsibilities, or for health reasons. What qualifications are required? Applicants will have been awarded a PhD, DPhil, DClinPsy, MBBS, MD or equivalent before 31 st October 2013, and will have completed postdoctoral research by the time of an award. The Programme is open to basic scientists, clinically qualified researchers (such as medical graduates, clinical psychologists and nurses), social science researchers and medical humanities scholars. Applicants will have made an outstanding start to their research career as demonstrated by their research results, track record and career to date. I am looking for funding as a postdoctoral researcher, is this award appropriate for me? This Programme is not suitable for funding postdoctoral researchers. Rather, it is aimed at applicants who are establishing their independence. I have a position/fellowship that provides me with full salary support. Am I eligible to apply? Yes. In this case, funds may be used for research assistance staff and/or direct research costs. I am clinically-qualified at what stage of my clinical career would it be suitable for me to apply? Clinically-qualified applicants (medical graduates or clinical psychologists) balancing a clinical career and a research career will normally be expected to have completed their specialty clinical training and must be accredited or licensed to work in their country/region. They are expected to have 2-6 years (whole-timeequivalent) research experience equivalent in nature to postdoctoral level research. Applicants may recently have obtained their first academic appointment (such as an entry-level faculty position) or may need to fund their own salary in order to establish their own laboratory or clinical research programme. Please note that there is no obligation to request salary support from the award. I am a social scientist / medical humanities scholar at what stage of my career would it be suitable for me to apply? 5
Career pathways vary across disciplines. The onus is upon the Applicant to demonstrate that (s)he is at the appropriate career stage and how an MQ Fellowship would further their research career. For the social science and medical humanities career paths, Applicants at the appropriate career stage might currently hold a post-doctoral position or be within the first three years of a lectureship. Awardees are expected to devote a significant amount of time to the proposed research, and when reviewing submissions, attention will be given to Applicants overall research portfolio and other commitments. Applications from contract researchers will be accepted, but must make a strong case for how an MQ Fellowship would enable progression in a research career. Applicants should bear in mind that there are innumerable possibilities for how the finances could be used. If Applicants have a funded position with a restricted amount of research time, one possibility might be to request salary support for their research team and/ or other direct research costs. Interdisciplinarity is a key requirement for applications. In considering whether or not they are at an appropriate career stage, social science Applicants should consider the extent of their collaboration with those of other disciplines. N.B. Applicants should consider the language used to describe projects. Terms with specific meanings that are also used in common parlance should be used with care and defined appropriately. Social scientists and medical humanities scholars with queries about eligibility are encouraged to contact the MQ office. What do you mean by medical humanities This is sometimes referred to as health humanities and is a burgeoning field, particularly in the UK. We take a broad view of the field s scope, and define it as academic research into the social, cultural and historical contexts of health and disease. Relevant to MQ, is medical humanities research where a direct clinical impact is anticipated. As with all applicants, those from a medical humanities background need to demonstrate their commitment to interdisciplinarity. I have other commitments and/ or hold other grants. Is that a problem? No, that is not a problem. MQ Fellows are expected to devote a significant amount of time to research and particularly to the proposed research. However, it is expected that Fellows may have additional teaching or clinical duties. MQ expects Fellows to be able to spend approximately 80% of their working week on research. I have had a career break, will you take this into consideration? Yes. Due allowance will be given to those whose careers have been affected for personal reasons, such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, or long-term sick leave. Please include this in the calculation of how much whole-time-equivalent research experience equivalent in nature to postdoctoral research. 6
Can I apply with a co-applicant? Applications must be from a single researcher only no joint applicants or co-applicants are permissible for Fellowships. Project collaboration is encouraged however and we ask that all committed or proposed collaborations are recognised and described in your application. I am not from the UK and/ or do not work in the UK. Am I eligible? Applications can be from any country in the world and can be based in any country in the world. Candidates invited to submit a full proposal are required to be eligible to enter the UK for an interview, and both Awardees and Mentors are required to be eligible to enter the UK for annual meetings. If visas are required, applicants are responsible for obtaining their own visa. What is an ORCID identifier? ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. It supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognised. In particular, your identifier records your education, employment, funding, and publication ( works ) history. Your ORCID digital identifier must be included, so if you have not already registered with ORCID, please do so now.. For more information, please see http://orcid.org. Applicants without an ORCID identifier are not eligible to apply. C. Funding Can I request my salary on the award? Yes. Applicants who are looking to fund their own salary are eligible to apply and can request their salary on the award. The host organisation will determine the appropriate salary for the individual, commensurate with the skills, responsibilities and expertise necessary to carry out the role. The salary must not exceed respective salary ranges of the host country (e.g., NIH salary cap). Salary support may be requested for the full duration of the award or for part of the award. MQ appreciates that transition funding often requires creative and flexible solutions, and we ask that you clearly explain your salary request in the budget form of the application. Applicants may request research leave via the award, which in some countries will allow applicants who are university staff to be released from their teaching and administrative duties so they can undertake an uninterrupted period of full-time research. Will my other current funding affect my eligibility? Applicants are asked to report other funding sources and to share the full budget for their proposed research project. We do expect full disclosure of current and committed funding sources. Investigators who are fortunate to have other substantial funding commitments (full salary support plus research support in excess of 250,000/year; excluding FEC/ indirects) are asked not to apply and will not be considered to be appropriate for this Programme. 7
What do you mean by indirect costs? In the UK, charities do not support full economic costing (FEC) of grants. Typically charities pay directly incurred research costs and some directly allocated costs, but do not pay indirect costs 1. Indirect costs are non-specific estimated costs, including estates costs, library costs, finance and HR costs. Of directly allocated costs, MQ will support salary costs where these are not otherwise covered, and specific fees for to the use of centralised equipment essential to the project, such as imaging or animal housing. On occasion other directly allocated costs can be included. The application form requires that applicant s projected grant funding is declared, excluding salary and indirect costs. In this context, please calculate the total projected funding for 2016, and subtract from it any funds for salary and for indirects; provide the resulting figure in the application. D. MQ expectations of awardees What expectations do MQ have of awardees? Awardees will agree to participate in the MQ community of researchers, including in MQ Science Meetings, which take place approximately once a year and include discussions about research progress. Additionally, investigators may be asked to advise the charity on research questions, research advocacy and public education initiatives. MQ seeks to build momentum in the community and requests that funded investigators and their Mentors join them in this effort. However, MQ fully respect that time focused on research is the primary role of an MQ awardee. In accepting the MQ Fellows Award, Awardees will embrace opportunities to interact with MQ, our advisers and other stakeholders during the year and at the annual MQ research meeting to facilitate our aims to build for the future. MQ Fellows and their Mentor are expected to communicate regularly to discuss the project as appropriate. MQ Fellows will be expected to submit an annual research report, and Mentors will be asked to provide comment on the report submitted. MQ Fellows are expected to devote a significant amount of time to the proposed research. MQ expects Fellows to be able to spend approximately 80% of their working week on research. E. Interdisciplinarity What do you mean by interdisciplinarity? We are committed to catalysing multi-disciplinary approaches to transforming mental health. By this we mean projects and people at the intersection of disciplines and approaches, whose work crosses traditional 1 For more, see the Association of Medical Research s response to the RCUK review on FEC: AMRC. (2008). AMRC Response to RCUK Review on FEC (pp. 1 11). Retrieved from http://www.amrc.org.uk/sites/default/files/doc_lib/2008 Research Councils UK review on Full Economic Costing.pdf 8
boundaries between disciplines. We also mean interdisciplinary work that promotes the sharing of information and knowledge across boundaries. How do I demonstrate my commitment to it? Applicants can demonstrate their commitment to interdisciplinary work in many ways. This could be through selecting a Mentor from another discipline with suitably complementary background or skills. Alternatively, it might be through addressing a research question that spans two or more disciplines or using methodologies from different disciplines. It is up to Applicants to argue how their career and proposed research is interdisciplinary. Terminology and language use Applicants should ensure that their application is readable to those from a range of scientific backgrounds. Thus, all terms should be appropriately defined, whether a clinical term, or a social science term with both technical and everyday meanings. F. Mentor Do I need to name a Mentor? At Stage 1 of the application, it is not necessary for Applicants to name a Mentor. However, they are encouraged to begin considering the kind of mentor they will seek and who might be an appropriate Mentor.. At Stage 2, Applicants must names an appropriate Mentor in order to be considered. Stage 2 applications must include a letter from this proposed Mentor. This is a key criterion for eligibility. Who is eligible to be a Mentor? At Stage 1, Applicants are encouraged to begin considering the kind of mentor they will seek and who might be appropriate Mentor. By Stage 2, Candidates must specify who their mentor will be, and their proposed mentor must write a letter of support for the Candidate. Applicants are encouraged to use the opportunity of the MQ Fellowship to begin a new mentoring relationship. The proposed Mentor should therefore be someone with whom the Applicant has not previously worked. The Mentor should not be a current or former supervisor. Mentors must be established independent investigators. (S)he should possess a strong track record in both research and mentoring. Applicants should give careful thought to their choice of Mentor. (S)he can be from your institution or another institution, and is expected to provide guidance during the application process as well as throughout the award. The field of research of any named Mentor must be relevant to mental health, although they can be of a different discipline to the Applicant. You may choose a Mentor outside of your discipline in order to increase the inter-disciplinary aspect of both this project and your career. 9
You should have only one Mentor named on the application. The Mentor should not be the same person as the Referee. Mentors are encouraged to view their support and mentorship as part of a longer-term commitment to help Applicants realise their career aspirations to be an independent investigator. If an award is made, MQ will provide the corresponding Mentor with modest funding ( 1,000) to support meetings and travel with the Fellow and other collaborators. Mentors will be invited to participate in the MQ research community and will be asked to provide comment on the annual research report submitted by the Fellow. Can someone be a Mentor for more than one Applicant? Yes. There is no restriction on this. G. Referee Who should I choose as a referee? You can choose who provides the reference. (S)he should know you. This person should be an established independent investigator with a strong track record in research leadership. Can someone provide references for more than one application? Yes. There is no restriction on this. H. Host institution Is my institution eligible? MQ recognises that good research takes place in supportive environments and will assess applications accordingly. The host institution should be well-recognised in the field and provide strong support for independent research. MQ will accept applications naming either non-profit or for-profit Host Institutions, providing that these criteria can be met. MQ reserves the right to request additional information to assess institutional eligibility. 10