Career Development Awards - Frequently Asked Questions

Applicant background

• How do you define 'practitioner' for this award?

  We have a very broad definition of ‘practitioner’ and welcome applications from people who work:

  • In the voluntary sector or community interest companies
  • In local authorities and manage active case loads
  • In provider organisations delivering adult social care
  • In desk-based positions in adult social care departments.

  If you’re unsure whether you are eligible, please contact sscr-training@york.ac.uk.

• I want to apply but don’t have a background in adult social care research. Does it matter what academic discipline I’m from?

  These awards support applicants from a range of disciplines who wish to transition into a career within social care research. We are interested in understanding what different backgrounds bring to adult social care research. 

  It is important that your research supporter has a strong background in social care research to ensure that you are able to make the transition and build links with the social care research community

  For more information on what the panel will be looking at, see ‘My research/career path is focused in an area that intersects adult social care with another discipline (i.e. health research or children’s social care). Am I eligible?’

• My research/career path is focused in an area that intersects adult social care with another discipline (i.e. health research or children's social care). Am I eligible?

  The SSCR is ultimately commissioned to fund research and career development activities in adult social care in England. However, we recognise that there may be areas of research where adult social care overlaps with others (i.e. study of the welfare or needs of adult carers of children in the social care system, discharge to assess, etc).

  In these cases, the panel will want clear assurance that the applicant’s long-term interests are in adult social care. This will need to be supported by the applicant’s training aims and development goals. Applications must have an overarching alignment with the adult social care remit of the SSCR and this should be fundamental to the application rather than incidental. Applications with a narrow focus on adjacent disciplines are unlikely to be funded.

• Are mid-career researchers eligible for this funding?

  Yes – this award is open to all career stages, including mid- or senior-level researchers. A CDA provides an excellent opportunity for researchers further into their careers to undertake activities to prepare them for future leadership positions, fellowships or research funding. 

• I want to improve my skills as a social care researcher but don’t want to be a research leader in the future. Can I still apply if leadership isn’t my end goal?

  Yes. While we do want to support prospective research leaders and encourage applicants to consider future NIHR funding opportunities where appropriate, we recognise that there are many potential career pathways and want to support applicants on the route that’s best for them. We do want to see that the applicant is thinking about their future adult social care research career, but this does not need to culminate in research leadership. 

• I’m based in Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland. Can I apply?

  Yes, providing that your award includes comparative work with social care practices and services in England. Applications with a sole focus on social care in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland are out of scope. 

Contacting the Research Support Service (RSS)

• Is there someone I can talk to about my award plans?

  We are collaborating with the Research Support Service: Specialist Centre for Social Care (RSS) who can offer advice and guidance on your award plans. 

  Even if you don’t need RSS advice right away, it’s best to get in touch as soon as you can so that you can be matched with an advisor in a timely manner.

• What support is the RSS able to provide?

  Advisors at the RSS can act as a supportive, constructive ‘critical friend’. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • Helping you frame your career to date and articulate your research ambitions
  • Sense-checking your application plans and reviewing your CV
  • Appraising plans for public, practitioner and community involvement in your award plans
  • Supporting you to build links and networks in social care research
  • Ensuring that your activities and training are connected, and that you have thought about feasibility and the clear links to your future career plans

  It is still up to the applicant to put the necessary effort and consideration into their application, but the RSS can offer expert and confidential advice to ensure it is the best it can be. 

Application forms and budgets

• Do I need to provide a covering letter?

  No. We request a CV (maximum 4 pages) and your application includes a section for a short personal statement, but a covering letter is not required and will not be factored into the panel’s decisions. 

   

• What costs do I need to include for attending the SSCR and trainee conferences?

  As background, we plan to provide at least two opportunities per year for SSCR awardees to meet in-person – either through a specific trainee conference or the SSCR conference. The trainee conference will be a bespoke training day with our cohort of students, research trainees, career development award-holders and alumni, with networking and specialised training. Awardees will also have valuable opportunities to present and network at the annual SSCR conference.

  Dates for future conferences aren’t set in stone but will generally fall in the Spring and Autumn, located in or near one of our member cities (York, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and London). While there are no registration or entry fees, applicants are asked to cost their travel and accommodation and should budget for attendance at two 2-day SSCR events in a UK city for each year of their award. 

• Do I need approval from my line manager?

  Yes. The application includes a short section for your line manager to give their approval and confirm how they plan to support you and your links to the SSCR during your award period.

• If I change organisations during my award can I take my funding with me?

  This is possible in principle but will need to be discussed with SSCR well in advance of the move. It’s important to note that funding cannot be distributed to an individual and the awards must be managed by an overarching organisation. 

Award content and plans

• Are there particular types of training and development activity the panel want to see?

  We are open to funding a broad range of development pathways and encourage applicants to outline and justify the best types of activity for their career needs.

  Successful awards are likely to include personalised plans which are feasible within the time and resources given, and which can clearly demonstrate how and why this activity will support the applicant to advance their social care research career. 

• What kind of support is my ‘Career Development Supporter’ expected to provide?

  Support can come in lots of different forms. This could be a mentoring arrangement, opportunities to speak about your awards in meetings, a bespoke package of regular supervision/mentorship  meetings to ensure things are on track, or facilitation of broader academic or practice networks.  The exact plan of support will depend on the applicant and the supporter, but the panel will want to see that this is convincing and clearly outlined. 

  When we review applications, we want to see that the applicant has the time and ability to undertake the work and won’t be left to get on with things without support from those committed to helping them. We want to ensure that you can carry out the activities you plan to and having a strong support system helps you to achieve this.

• Are you expecting outputs?

  Not necessarily, but we do expect applicants to have clearly defined deliverables they can accomplish by the end of their award. If applicants have committed to activity which includes an output (i.e. submitting a doctoral fellowship application, undertaking a scoping review, etc), then this will be monitored during the lifetime of the award.

• Can I apply for buy-out of my time so I can work on fellowship or grant applications?

  Time to develop applications can form part of an award but it cannot be the sole focus. CDAs are designed for individual career development so the panel will expect to see a comprehensive package of training and/or development work alongside any buy-out time to write. 

Links to the SSCR

• Do I need to have existing links with/partners from SSCR members to apply?

  You don’t, but we do want to see evidence that you plan to get involved and build your networks in the broader landscape of social care research throughout your award. We welcome applicants who make a clear statement about engagement with SSCR during and after their award.

   

• I work in an SSCR member organisation and/or have previously received CDA funding. Am I eligible?

  Yes, but you would be considered an ‘internal’ applicant if you are already aligned with the SSCR, either through existing membership or funding. Internal applicants will need to clearly identify the funding routes that have already been explored and why a CDA is the most appropriate option for their proposed activity. There is a short section in the application form to outline this.

  The exception here is where you can demonstrate significant current distance to the core SSCR membership at your institution (i.e. you’re based in an adjacent department with no or limited links to the School).

Other questions

• I’ve got a question that’s not covered here. Who can I ask?

  Please contact us via email: sscr-training@york.ac.uk