Giving it back

It is hard to believe, but it is now almost a year since I got the fantastic news that my Future Leaders Fellowship application (Round 8) had been successful. I had promised myself that I would share some of my learnings with future applicants — whether or not I got the Fellowship. So here I am, writing up what I should have put together already a year ago. Apologies for the delay, but time and energy turned out to be limiting resources after a whirlwind of a year.

Why a recipe?

I have decided to structure this guiding post as a cooking recipe. Now, remember that you are free to ignore all of it — there are many paths to success. This is just my personal experience, and some context is probably key to share upfront.

I am a biomedical scientist, with a strong passion for advancing a quantitative approach to understanding and treating diseases of aberrant cell communication.

As I was applying for the FLF, I still had 1.5 years left of my Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship. I had started this fellowship at UCL; however, halfway through, I got an opportunity to start my independent lab at the MRC PPU in Dundee, so I moved.

This meant that, by the time I was given the opportunity to apply for the FLF, there was only one month to go to submission — a place had just been freed up as another candidate was successful with a separate fellowship application.

In other words, because I had not yet arrived at the University of Dundee when the internal FLF candidate selection took place, my actual application journey was very unusual and perhaps excessively stressful for the same reason. But hey, I got it — so here is the wisdom I can share!

My success was really all down to ensuring that all the below ingredients were in place when I got the opportunity. You will hopefully get the opportunity with plenty of time to secure all ingredients if you do not have them already.

My FLF ingredients list

1. A strong vision

This is key. Practise articulating your vision out loud and imagine being an external listener. Ask yourself:
“So what? Why fund this? Who cares?”
If you can give a convincing and pithy answer, you’ve nailed it.
Think beyond your own research agenda:
Is it clear that your vision has the potential to be transformative in terms of understanding and/or application?
Is it clear how the delivery of your programme will add value to UK R&D?
Hint: check key strategy documents from UKRI and the UK Government to understand what their priority areas are and how you may contribute — be specific.
Be prepared to articulate the kind of (big) change — in research and in your career — an FLF will enable 4, 7, 10+ years from now.
Final tip: think of ways in which your interdisciplinary research vision naturally ties in with aspects of research culture that UKRI care about (e.g. highly interdisciplinary project, team science, recognition of diverse skillsets, and career development for trainees).

2. Prior impact in research and beyond

What have you done so far to evidence your future leader potential?
This is tough — but you need to demonstrate credentials in research and beyond:
Demonstrable research impact
Engagement with research culture, open science, and related efforts — not as box-ticking, but because you care about doing better research
Strong examples of how you support team development, inspire leadership, and ensure a welcoming and open environment
Familiarise yourself with the FLF Development Network and the ways you’ll benefit from it — be genuine and specific.

3. A realistic plan

You’ve got your vision — now, how are you going to deliver it?

The plan must be realistic and convey long-term potential.
Consider:
Key experiments/models and who/what is needed
Short-, mid-, and long-term deliverables
Clear work packages/aims — are they independent enough to allow progress if one fails?
Success measures
Risk management strategies
Above all, show how your plan can only be delivered through the FLF mechanism:
The long-term support, skill-building, and integration you propose wouldn’t be possible via multiple, smaller grants.

4. Big picture overview

Know your field inside-out.
Why is your research competitive?
What makes your programme unique?
Are you sure you’ve considered all alternative methods/approaches?
Acknowledge strengths and limitations — it builds trust.

5. The right host institution

The ideal host should offer:
The right research culture
Tangible support for you and your team
A lab and office are fine — but the bare minimum.
The stronger their support, the more they demonstrate belief in you as an investment.
Show why this institution is the one to help you deliver your vision.

6. Strong collaborators

Similar to the host institution, your collaborators must:
Provide support in areas where you’re less experienced
Offer tangible, ideally in-kind support
Their letters should be genuine and personal — showing real belief in you.
Don’t name-drop — symbolic collaborations will hurt your application.
Articulate how you’ll manage the collaboration:
Site visits?
Virtual meetings?
Exchange arrangements?
Fit this into your justification for resources, too.

7. Good mentor(s)

You’ll need mentors for both your career and your FLF journey.
Think about the type of mentorship you need:
Expertise? Support navigating identity and career? Strategic advice?
For example, I chose a female mentor who shared my cultural background. Her experience and understanding were key.

8. Supportive colleagues

You’ll need them — inside and outside your institution.
Get feedback from:
Colleagues outside your field — your panel may be generalist
Experienced reviewers — ideally with UKRI panel experience
Ask colleagues to read your application with a devil’s advocate lens.
Share your rebuttal letter. Do mock interviews — many, not just one or two.
Accept feedback, even when it stings. You need this to improve.
One of the biggest mistakes? Not being open to feedback, or leaving it too late.

9. A robust budget

Get your costings right — early.
Work closely with your research finance team.
Justify everything clearly.
Be aware of conditions on large requests, e.g. capital equipment may require a business case (I had to write one!).

10. Successful prior application examples

Learn from others — especially recent ones.
What patterns do you notice in strong applications?
Vision
Impact
Clarity
Don’t copy, but do take inspiration.

Assembling the proposal

Once you have your ingredients, you’ll need to mix them just right.

Write with clarity of thought — not easy!
Be prepared to go through 10+ versions before submission.
You won’t be able to cover everything — there’s an art to selecting what matters most.
Every paragraph should support one or more FLF assessment criteria — memorise them and cut anything that doesn’t help.
Reviewers understand the space limitations — so think creatively:
Use visuals
Be concise
Get others to help prune unnecessary details

The interview

If you get this far — congratulations! You’ve already done brilliantly.

Use the month before your interview strategically.

Don’t stop at two mocks — do several.
Assign different focus areas to each practice session.
Your slides must be crystal clear — ideally, your vision is self-explanatory.
I reworked mine completely after the first mock!
Practise your 5-minute pitch relentlessly — but don’t sound like a robot.
My non-English-speaking mother was visiting the week before my interview. I dragged her on long walks along the Tay river and delivered my pitch on repeat.
Be authentic, passionate — and prepared.
Study UKRI’s interview guidance and example questions. They may not ask them word-for-word, but the themes will appear. Prepare answers in advance.

Final thoughts

I wish you all the best of luck — you’ve got this!

Giving It Back