First edition of 'Postdoc Perspectives & Picnic' with tips & tricks for successful grant applications
17 postdocs met over lunch to listen to three presentations by fellow researchers. Minghan Hu (D-MAVT, formerly D-MATL), Tanner Jankins (D-CHAB), and Alexander Henkes (D-MAVT) detailed their experiences on successfully winning a postdoc fellowship.
SNSF Ambizione Grant, SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship, ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellowship, … Applying for funding grants can be very bureaucratic and unnerving. MaP invited three postdocs to talk about the application procedure, the interview, and on how many grants they had applied for. They detailed what they had learned during the process and shared valuable tips.
For those who could not attend, here are three of the tips:
- Tailor your proposal to your audience / evaluation committee. Check on the grant website whether you are addressing a general scientific audience or a specialist from your field.
- Practise the interview on the channel it will be conducted. If it is going to be on zoom without any slides, then that's exactly how you should do the mock interviews.
- Don't just prepare your research elevator pitch. Some people may ask about details in your CV or previous leadership experience. Be prepared for this kind of questions, too.
After the presentation, the attendees enjoyed pizza and salad offered by MaP.
First MaP Postdoc Perspectives & Picnic
Dr. Tanner Jankins received his PhD from the Scripps Research Institute in 2022. He received the SNSF Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in July 2023. His research focuses on reversible catalytic reactions for chemical waste valorization at the Department of Chemistry (D-CHAB), where he works under Prof. Bill Morandi. He is currently applying for independent positions in the USA and Europe. Dr. Minghan Hu recently received the SNSF Swiss National Science Foundation Ambizione grant. He will focus his future research on microrobots at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), where he will soon start his own junior group under Prof. Brad Nelson & Prof. Salvador Pané i Vidal. Until July 2023, he was a postdoc in Prof. Lucio Isa’s group (Soft Materials and Interfaces). Dr. Alexander Henkes received his PhD from the Technical University of Braunschweig in October 2022. He received the ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2023, starting in September. His research focuses on artificial neural networks and neuromorphic computing for physical simulations at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), where he works under Prof. Dr. Laura De Lorenzis. Networking is important - and so is eating. The event concluded with pizza and lunch and people getting to know each other.
