Navigating the funding maze: Insights and strategies for success

The INTERDEM Academy identified that Early Career Dementia Researchers (ECDRs) want further support and advice on applying for research funding. You can read the full article here: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.13530. This inspired three dementia researchers, ranging from early to mid career levels and from three different countries in Europe, to write about their experiences on navigating the funding application process.

Golnaz Atefi, Netherlands

Golnaz Atefi is a PhD candidate at Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University. Her project was part of the Marie Curie DISTINCT consortium, focusing on dementia and technology. Throughout her PhD, Golnaz applied for numerous grant opportunities, not all of which were successful. However, the grants that were approved resulted in approximately €40,000, which was used either directly for Golnaz’ research or for research conducted at her center. This includes around €30,000 in travel and personal grants, €3,000 from organizing solo fundraising, and €6,500 from co-organizing a group fundraising activity. with the support of this fund, Golnaz had the opportunity to present her research at major conferences in her field in Romania, Finland, Switzerland, Lisbon, Cyprus, and Argentina, as well as travel for secondments in spain, Finland, and Sweden. these were extremaly valuable experiences that greatly enriched her PhD through networking, intrdesciplinary collaborations, and broade knowldege exchange in dementia care, digital health and behavioural science.

“Applying for funding as an early career researcher can be both challenging and rewarding. Here are a few insights from my experience that might be helpful to my peers during this process:

Knowledge is power: Expanding our awareness of available opportunities, identifying those relevant to us, and understanding where we have the best chance to apply are all important. For example, many conferences offer bursaries, early career awards, or publication awards, two of which supported my travels. Erasmus grants also provide funding for students, staff, and PhDs and helped support three of my international secondments. There are also opportunities such as the Euron Fellowship, Interdem Fellowship, and Alzheimer’s Netherlands Fellowships, among many others depending on your field, location, and institution. If you are a Marie Curie scholar or alumnus, mini grants are available. Many universities offer grant writing workshops to support researchers through the application process. If such resources are unavailable, experienced and supportive colleagues can provide valuable feedback. Finding them can be the first step toward success.

Sharing is Caring: Supporting each other as peers can make the funding process feel less competitive and isolating, and it might even lead to better results. I once shared a grant opportunity with a colleague in a slightly different field and encouraged her to apply. She received the grant and later invited me to co-author a project with her. So, while grants can offer indirect benefits, peer support is always a direct win! Of course, this also involves networking and learning how to identify, communicate with, and plan collaborations with peers. They don’t have to be colleagues we’ve known for years. If there aren’t many colleagues around, conferences, workshops, task forces, and networking events provide great opportunities to connect with others who share our interests and to build new professional networks.

Securing Mentors: Before seeking external validation, it’s important to first be convinced that the research idea is original, impactful, and fundable. It should feel right internally. The next step is to ensure that the chosen mentor is the best fit for the project. I want to emphasize the power of an effective email in communicating this. Clearly outlining the originality of the idea, shared values, the potential impact of the collaboration, and how the project aligns with the mentor’s expertise improved my chances. This also means tailoring proposals to match the mentor’s interests and expertise, demonstrating how their involvement benefits them and aligns with their goals (e.g., whether through publications, visibility, or institutional objectives). Reaching out to a potential mentor isn’t just about seeking support; it’s also about offering them an opportunity to contribute their expertise, enhance the international profile of their centre, and potentially shape future collaborations.

Preparing Proposal: For me, it worked well to base the proposal partly on my specific interests and expertise and partly on areas where I lacked experience but where my proposed mentor excelled. This approach helped me conceptualize the project with supporting evidence and outline potentially interesting results that my mentor could help achieve.

Highlight Your Achievements and Prepare for Rejections: Not every application will be successful, and rejection is an inevitable part of the process. It can be discouraging, but persistence is essential in the competitive world of research funding. Rather than seeing rejection as a setback, it helps to view it as a learning opportunity. Seeking feedback, understanding the reasons behind the decision, and applying that knowledge to strengthen future applications can make a significant difference. Each revision improves clarity, alignment with funding priorities, and overall impact (though I must admit, rejection always hurts). It’s also important to highlight your achievements, including publications, presentations, secured funding, or even positive feedback from colleagues or supervisors. However, relying too much on external validation can be limiting. Internal validation and intrinsic motivation are equally important for long-term resilience and success.

I wish my peers the best of luck as they continue their journey!”

Magdalena Opazo Breton, UK

Dr. Opazo Breton is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine. She has multidisciplinary training in sociology (undergraduate), two master’s degrees in economics and a PhD in economics. She specialises in causal inference, econometric modelling, and public health policy evaluation and has been awarded a Medical Research Council Skills Development Fellowship in 2019, a University of Nottingham Research Fellowship in 2024, and an NIHR Advanced Fellowship in 2025. She has published extensively on topics including smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption. She has supervised undergraduate, master’s, and PhD student research projects and supported colleagues on their fellowship applications (two successful). She is an Associate Editor for the Addiction Jornal and has recently been appointed to the NIHR Public Health Research Funding Committee:

“Securing research funding in the dynamic research world is not easy, but i will highlight som key points i believe have helped me in my fellowship applications.

Tailor your proposal to the funder and funding call: Once you have decided on your research idea, look for potential funders. Attend webinars and find people who have been awarded the fellowship. The idea is to get to know your funder very well so that you can adapt your research project to match as many aspects of the call as possible.

Build a network of mentors and collaborators: Even though fellowships can be very lonely and sometimes feel like you are back in your PhD, it is important to find collaborators. You will need at least one mentor, but sometimes, having more than one can better suit the objectives of your research or your different research components. Some funders even ask for more than one mentor. Therefore, think carefully about people that would be good to have among your stakeholders. Think about people with different skills that can support your research and help you create a team around your research topic. This group will be fundamental in the latest stages of your fellowship and will allow you to be in a strong position to apply for future research grants.

Embrace Patient and Public Invovlement (PPI) and Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in your proposal: These two topics have become essential in fellowships in the last few years. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) used to be necessary primarily for NIHR fellowships, but UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fellowships are also starting to incorporate it. Find opportunities to attend PPI workshops. Talk to your PPI leads. Discussing your proposal with PPI groups can be very helpful in making it accessible to a broader audience and relevant to the people you ultimately want to impact. Similarly, consider incorporating Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) components into your research: can you look at population subgroup differences? Can you consider EDI when selecting your team?

Have an ambitious training and development plan:

An essential part of a fellowship is the training plan. Be ambitious and look for courses around the world. The pandemic made learning from the best much easier, and many courses can now be done asynchronously (or you can always ask if you can do it asynchronously). This is your opportunity to gain the best skills for delivering a really ambitious research project.

I am sure there is more to this than these four points, but to me, these would be the basics for producing a research project that is attractive to your founder and will help you make a step change in your academic career.”

Cassandra Dinius, Ireland

Dr Cassandra Dinius is jointly appointed between Health Research Charities Ireland and Rare Disease Clinical Trial Network as a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Liaison Officer. Her role involves expanding patient, family, and public involvement in rare disease research. Cassandra is passionate about promoting access to science for all people. Her academic background includes a PhD in cognitive ageing and subsequent years working in non-pharmacological interventions for older adults, focusing on brain health and well-being. Cassandra is particularly interested in societal views on health and ageing and enjoys collaborating with diverse teams to advance the relevance of research:

“When seeking research funding, having camaraderie can be invaluable. Assemble a support network, including at least three types of individuals: those who have successfully received funding, early career researcher peers who are also applying, and people with lived experience of the issues you propose to address.

Build Your Support Network: Reach out to people in your network who have successfully received funding. Ask for their input and tips and see if they are willing to review your application. For extra motivation, this means you’ll need to complete your application well in advance of the deadline!

Engage with Impacted Communities: Connect with the people directly affected by the issues you aim to address. For example, if you’re seeking funding for Dementia with Lewy Bodies research, engage with those living with the disease. Community organizations like the Alzheimer’s Society and university research offices often have dedicated staff to facilitate these connections.

Begin by assessing your comfort level and consider enhancing your science communication skills to build confidence in these interactions. When you meet with people who have lived experience, actively share your ideas and invite their feedback. Listen attentively to their perspectives and integrate their insights into your research. Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) not only enhances the relevance of your research but also demonstrates to funders that your work will have a practical impact.

Align with the Funders’ Ethos:

Thoroughly read the application and understand the ethos of the organisation providing the funding. Reflect on how your goals align with their mission. Be direct in your responses—this is not the time to be coy. Write exactly to the prompts provided and use complete sentences. For instance, if the application asks how attending a conference will benefit you, respond with, “Attending the X conference will benefit my professional development by…”

Manage the Application Process: Applying for funding can be daunting and evoke a range of emotions, from hope and enthusiasm to feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome. Recognise that these emotions are a natural part of the process. Like many skills, your ability to write successful funding applications will improve with practice. Dive in, stay persistent, and keep refining your approach.”

A huge thank you to the three academics who shared their insights! Remember, every application is a learning experience. Good luck with your future bids!