Eileen Kaner, Professor of Public Health & Primary Care Research and Director of the Applied Research Collaboration for the North East and North Cumbria (ARC NENC) [1], and Umesh Kadam, Professor of General Practice and Public Health [2] Research, are co-chairs of the Postdoctoral funding committee [3]. Here, they share what the committee looks for when shortlisting applications.
Successful Postdoctoral Award applicants present a clear career plan, original research ideas, and a well-structured project. They also build a strong support network by selecting diverse mentors and supervisors and securing backing from their contracting organisation, and partner organisation, if applicable. This combination is what we call ‘Person, project, place (mentors and environment)’ and ‘Training and development’. Strong applications integrate these elements effectively while demonstrating a commitment to working with people and communities.
Below, we summarise the key principles of writing an excellent application for a Postdoctoral Award.
Good applications have common characteristics
The Postdoctoral Award supports researchers from various disciplines and career stages, from early-career statisticians to senior sociologists and clinical trialists. While applications may look different at first glance, successful ones share key traits:
- a clear research vision and career trajectory
- distinctive ideas with an independent direction
- a well-justified training plan
- strong mentorship and institutional support
These qualities help applicants stand out during the shortlisting process.
Tell us why you need this award
A strong application explains why this award is the right next step in your career, rather than simply another project grant.
We want to know:
- what difference would securing an award make to your career, and why now?
- how will an award build on your existing experience and what new skills will it enable you to gain?
- how will it develop your research partnerships within the NHS, public health or social care, charity organisations, industry or other organisations?
The training plan is important; get it right
A thorough training and development plan is central to your application. It should consider the range of skills you need to gain to progress to the next stage of your academic career. Not just the technical know-how to complete your project.
We want to see evidence that you have assessed the gaps in your skillset, and what your needs are in further developing your abilities to build capacity, lead a team, communicate with a range of audiences using different media, or build up aspects linked to working with diverse people and communities in research.
Supervisors and mentors
Your choice of supervisors and mentors should align with your career stage. We have no view on whether an applicant should continue to work in the same institution with the same research team and supervisors, or whether an applicant should move to gain new experiences. What matters is your justification, why you are working with these individuals, and how they will support your career development beyond the project itself.
What we look for in organisational statements of support
The institution you apply to does not determine the strength of your application. We often see applicants from the same institution have near-identical ‘cut-and-paste’ statements of support. These generic statements are not helpful to you. We want to know more about the specific support your institution will give you, such as:
- is there an offer of funding or support for a PhD studentship?
- is there an explicit commitment that your award-funded research and training time will be protected?
- at the end of the award, what is the likelihood of you being offered a substantive post?
The committee is aware that not all organisations can similarly afford additional funding, therefore, it’s important to note that this support is considered in context and in relation to each applicant.
Your research project
Your project forms the foundation of your training and career development. NIHR funds research in all aspects of applied health and care research, so ensure your proposal aligns with our remit for personal awards [4] when writing your application.
We look for applicants who base their project within the existing evidence-base and who can justify why the work will add to knowledge and benefit patients and the public. For most applications, this means you will have undertaken a detailed literature review.
Your project does not need to be directly based on your doctoral or other recent work. However, we do expect you to demonstrate some degree of continuity with your existing research experience or justify clearly why you are opting for a change in direction.
Your CV
The committee looks for researchers who show clear career progression and leadership potential. We understand that people can have pauses in their research careers, work part-time due to caring responsibilities or have less time for research in practitioner-based roles. Some may have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’ve had career breaks or non-traditional research roles, highlight these rather than seeing them as a weakness. The committee assesses your achievements within the time and opportunities available to you.
Rather than comparing applicants with 10 years of postdoctoral experience to those just starting, we evaluate your trajectory within your field. We consider your publications, grants, impact, and academic contributions in the context of your discipline and experience.
Working with people and communities
Finally, engaging with diverse people and communities is essential in all health and social care research. This should not be an afterthought but an integral part of shaping your research from the outset.
Strong applications show:
- how lived experience has informed the research design
- a diverse and inclusive research team
- a commitment to maximising public and patient benefit
A well-prepared application demonstrates a clear research vision, career progression, and strong mentorship and institutional support. It also shows a genuine commitment to working with people and communities. By focusing on these elements, you’ll create a compelling case for why this award is the right next step in your research journey.