Research grant and fellowship Interview training and support

'We offer a personal, individually tailored and educationally focussed journey of excellence.'

A quality presentation to an evaluation panel for a research grant application needs to communicate your scientific ideas/intentions in a manner that is clear, to-the-point, convincing and easy to understand. The presentation must also address the judging criteria.

During the interview session you also need to be at ease, as well as fully prepared in answering all questions directed at you by a broad interview panel. You must speak clearly and convincingly in a manner that both experts and non-experts can understand.

At Whitehorne, our research grant and fellowship interview support is quite personal and individually tailored to each applicant, catering to their own strengths and weaknesses.

The support is directed towards candidates who:

• Want to be fully prepared at interview and also feel at ease within themselves during the interview

• Want to be able to deliver a clear and powerful presentation

• Want to be prepared for any type of question (including unexpected and potentially irritating questions)

• Want to be able to answer all questions in a crisp, direct and informative manner; and

• Who want to learn new skills that they can take away and use in their everyday working lives within the scientific arena

The method of delivery is via personal ‘one-on-one’ online training sessions with either Fire Sanders or Willem Bouma, both qualified and experienced senior trainers. Both Willem and Fire have experience working with all panels and areas of research, and have worked with a host of  applicants and institutions throughout around Europe and beyond.

Our in-depth and focussed coaching/training is optimised for both face-to-face interviews as well as virtual/online interviews.

As part of our support, applicants that we support will also receive:

• Strategic advice and assistance in the development of presentation content, and in-depth preparation for the question and answer component of the interview.

• Critical review and feedback on the presentation delivery (identification of potential weaknesses/advice on how to remedy them). We critically read all proposals and give thorough feedback on weaknesses and issues that we find.

• Feedback on potential areas of concerns (criticism) from reviewers in order to better prepare for the Q&A session.

• 'Homework' tasks to better prepare for all potential Questions that may be faced at the interview, minimising the chance that the applicant receives an unexpected question at interview that they are not prepared for.

• Q&A Practice sessions.

• Presentation, communication, interview and life skills coaching.

• Mentoring and personal development coaching.