Josine Stallinga's letter to The Scientist explains how younger researchers can better position themselves for government funding in the future by winning small nongovernment grants. The letter was in response to The Scientist article "Finding new money", which explains how researchers need to look to nongovernment funding opportunities to get results in tough times.

Apply outside the box

Unfortunately, the challenges described in the article,1 which details nongovernment-funding sources, are typical for younger researchers. Smaller, often private, grants could serve as a crucial stepping stone to help junior staff build experience, seniority, and a robust research track record. Let\'s encourage younger researchers to "apply outside the box," and provide them with the right support to do so.

Junior faculty should not have to face the complexities of grant hunting alone, and the valuable guidance of research administrators and senior faculty cannot be underestimated. Involving postdocs in writing grant proposals rather than research papers, or actively involving junior faculty in both the proposal development as well as other important elements of the funding process, are just two examples of how relevant experience and insights can be fostered.

Moreover, when pursuing funding opportunities themselves, junior faculty should seek advice of senior faculty before they spend considerable amounts of time to prepare their proposal. Another proven method is to study historic data—what was funded in the past often proves to be a good indicator of future outcomes.

Josine Stallinga
Elsevier Science & Technology
Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
j.stallinga@elsevier.com

References
1. C. Milano, "Finding new money," The Scientist, 23(4):70–72, April 2009.

Letter published in The Scientist, June 2009.