Building an outstanding track record for successful grant application outcomes

A researcher's track record indicates achievement, experience and research skills. It demonstrates the researcher's capacity to carry out a proposed study and a summary is usually required by various research funding bodies. The track record includes research outputs (such as journal publications, books and book chapters, technical reports, guest editorships, patents, commercialised products and services, and start-ups), scholarships, prizes, invited talks, previous or ongoing research grants, media interviews, networking and collaboration, capacity building (mentorship, training, undergraduate and postgraduate supervision), conference presentations, professional membership and activities, research training and education and internships. A few of the elements of a researcher's track record are further discussed below:

• Journal publication: It is imperative that researchers communicate the outcomes of their research in reputable journals. This has to be seen and counted to contribute to knowledge and benefit the scientific community in their area of specialisation. However, researchers must be aware of predatory journals that do not provide adequate review or critique of manuscripts submitted for publication. Such journals only demand article publication fees and offer bogus promises of publishing manuscripts within a few days of submission. The publishers of these predatory journals usually send unsolicited invitations and predominantly target early-career researchers and/or researchers from developing countries. Researchers should contact their research librarians to gain insights into reputable journals. As a rule of thumb, publishing in journals indexed by reputable databases would be of great benefit, especially as regards one's research visibility.
• Conference presentations: Conference presentations provide an avenue for disseminating research outcomes to live audiences with the expectation of direct feedback that can enhance the overall outcome of one's research. Conference could be local, domestic, regional or international. Conference attendance could lead to opportunities for networking, scientific collaboration and improving researchers’ verbal communication skills. It is therefore important to attend and keep a proper record of conference attendance. Researchers must, however, be aware of predatory conferences, which often offer below-par program quality in exchange for hefty participation fees.
• Book chapters and books: Books and book chapters represent other means of communicating research outputs to different audiences. Doctoral theses could be converted into books or book chapters. Writing a book or book chapter takes time, and finding the right publisher could be a daunting task. Predatory publishers should, however, be avoided by all means. Note that some reputable publishers actively solicit book and book chapters projects. Researchers with the required expertise could avail themselves of numerous opportunities.
• Scholarships, prizes, awards and grants: Securing competitive scholarships for undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral studies is an indicator of a researcher's competitiveness. Prizes awarded based on their involvement in research that demonstrates a researcher's contribution and engagement with their community need to the listed as part of one's track record. The “size” of the prize or the monetary value of grants that have been secured does not matter, however. What matters is the ability of the researcher to identify suitable opportunities that can positively impact their career.
• Membership of professional societies: Membership of at least one professional body comes with various benefits, ranging from staying abreast of the latest development in one’s area of interest to continuous professional development and capacity building. Professional bodies often also serve as useful sources of funding opportunities. The cost of professional membership could be high for researchers from developing countries, but some professional bodies offer membership fee waivers. However the prospective member may need to request this proactively in some cases.

Conclusion

Building research track records through genuine contribution to knowledge via publishing research outcomes, professional contributions, networking, collaboration, engagement and contributions to the community takes time and proper planning. When grant writing, the contribution and impact of the track record should be emphasised rather than just listed in a similar manner as found in many resumes. It is important that researchers keep a proper record of their achievements, research skills and experiences, since this will facilitate writing their track record statement when the need arises. 

Dr. Olumide A. Odeyemi (University of Tasmania, Australia; Honorary Senior Research Fellow, HeTA Food Research Centre of Excellence, University of Birmingham, UK) is a multi-award-winning research scientist and research support specialist.