Reflection on your research journey is key. My research spoke back to me through the stories of others, especially their childhood experiences. Those moments inspired my children’s book, blending academic insight with personal reflection. The genuine impact we hope to make often pushes us to be creative and innovative, and that’s where both meaning and competitiveness in an application can emerge. Don’t hesitate to reach out; people are more welcoming than they seem, although it may take time. And finally, be realistic with your ambitions; a year goes quickly!

If you can, balance academic, social and policy impact by thinking about all the different stakeholders who can benefit from your work – there are probably more than you think!

Give yourself as much time as possible for the application and if you can, get feedback from people who aren’t familiar with your work to ensure you’re communicating well to a new audience. Twelve months is not a long time, be realistic about what you can achieve and how it will work towards what comes next!

Applying for a Fellowship is an invaluable opportunity to establish yourself as an independent researcher and to demonstrate how your work can generate meaningful social impact. The key to a strong application is having a clear research vision that builds logically on your previous experience while showing potential for growth and innovation. Always seek early mentorship and feedback from experienced fellows or supervisors – I found this immensely helpful in shaping my proposal. While the process involves several stages and is extremely competitive, it provides a unique chance to define your research identity and showcase your impact. The effort required is significant, but the rewards for professional development and career progression make it truly worthwhile.

Reach out to people for help in thoughtful ways that recognise the different support that people in your networks may be able to give according to their commitments and experiences. Lots of things can be helpful, from proof reading to big picture strategy, and everything in between. The research office at your school/college/university is a key resource, build relationships with the knowledgeable and skilled professional services staff that work there.

Advice for future applicants: After going through several years of stressful period in your PhD, you deserve to have some time to enjoy life and reap rewards for all the hard work you put into your PhD. For that, this postdoc fellowship would be an ideal opportunity. More importantly, it would provide you with ample resources including material and intellectual support. You will get the opportunity to work with experts in the field while sharing their knowledge and experience. In addition to establishing yourself in your own academic discipline, the fellowship will help you to maximize the societal impact of your doctoral research. Even if you are an international from a lower-and middle-income country background, like me, I can assure you that it is worth giving it a try despite being a highly competitive fellowship scheme.

The application process takes some time but is worth persevering with as it can help you clarify your goals. Getting all the documents in order requires a bit of teamwork, so most important thing is finding mentors (I have two from different disciplines) who are a good match and who understand what you want to do.

Ask friends and colleagues for feedback on your application. I’m immensely grateful to friends for pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal.

Probably the most important piece of advice for me would be: download all forms and start drafting your application well in advance (4-6 months). Don’t just drop ideas but start filling the forms in. Preparing an application under time pressure adds a lot of extra stress not just for you but also for your colleagues. At the same time, clarify exactly how your institution will be able to support you and when it would best for them to receive your drafts. Always expect that someone somewhere is going to forget about your email, request, or form that they need to submit or send to you. Never assume that your colleagues will remember about the external deadlines. Despite their best intentions they will inevitably be overwhelmed by other grant applications and other commitments. Be as proactive as possible throughout the process.

Something that I have not done but should have was clarifying my access to the library. I took it for granted that as a Research Fellow I would have full (or at least workable) access to the library. On my first day I experienced a shock when I found out that my employment status didn’t allow me to use any digital resources without which I am not able to do my research. If it is not resolved I will need to access other university’s libraries through my friends’ accounts. Either way: this is unnecessary stress that I wish I had clarified months ago.

In your proposal, focus on the potential impact of your thesis findings at a research, policy and practice level and spell out at each stage how you will be achieving this. Consider how your research stands out, contrasts with and adds to existing knowledge. Again, make this very clear to an audience who are unlikely to be familiar with your area of study. Ask your institution for copies of previously successful ESRC fellowship applications and review these alongside your own. These don’t necessarily need to be close to your area of research but is very helpful to double check your understanding of what is being asked for at each stage. Finally, have one or two others with knowledge of your research area to read through your application, for example, your PhD supervisor and prospective ESRC mentor.

While navigating post-PhD life can be stressful, try to enjoy the application process itself. Regardless of the outcome, it is a phenomenal exercise to work through how you want to level up the research that you have put a good portion of your life (and likely your heart and soul) into.  It is an incredible privilege to have the support of mentors and peers to assist in the process and a valuable learning experience.

Make sure to contact the relevant departments and contacts at your chosen institution that will help you with your application early to give them as much time as possible to complete the documents required.