Staff Profile

Introduction

As Head of Research Funding Development, my role is to lead and manage the University's Research Funding Development Team in supporting academic staff in obtaining funding for their research.

The Research Funding Development Team provides:

• advice on funder strategy;
• information on funders' forthcoming plans and opportunities;
• support for large and complex funding applications;
• visits and information sessions from funders;
• 'in house' funding information and training sessions;
• advice on finding funding;
• advice on preparing funding applications;
• lay review of funding applications.

Please do contact me if you think I or the Research Funding Development Team can help in any way with your research funding.

Please also contact me if you are interested in applying to a funding opportunity that has limited application numbers per university.

Background

I obtained a PhD in plant molecular biology and biochemistry at the University of Sheffield in 2004. My research focused on the responses of the crop plant, maize, to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

I then joined the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine strategic research team, where I worked to support the development and implementation of the Faculty research strategy. I joined Imperial's new Faculty of Natural Sciences as Strategic Research and Development Manager in February 2006 and worked with the Faculty Principal to develop and implement the Faculty's research strategy. My major projects in this role included the establishment of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, development of the Faculty's imaging strategy and the preparation of complex funding applications. I also managed the Faculty's submission to RAE 2008.

I joined Newcastle University in March 2008 as Research Funding Development Manager for the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering. In this role, I managed the team that worked to support the Faculty's academic staff in maximising their research funding.

I was appointed to the position of Head of Research Funding Development in October 2018 and in this role I lead and manage the University's Research Funding Development Team in maximising the University's research funding portfolio. 

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
PhD Plant Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
PRINCE2 Foundation Qualification in Project Management

The Research Funding Development Team delivers a range of bespoke funding training courses.  We also facilitate regular sessions delivered by our research funders.

Please contact myself or any member of the team to find out more.