This is the third in a four-part series that demonstrates how the Vivensa Foundation is making an impact. You can catch up on part one here and part two here.
As the UK’s only charitable funder focused entirely on supporting the research and social innovation needed for ageing well, we want to see the ageing research sector filled with talented and committed people. That’s why we put in extra time and care to support and develop the careers of those in the field.
While we fund across the whole research career span, we provide more opportunities for those at early to mid-career stages. For example, we fund PhD studentships, early career post-doctoral fellowships, clinical research fellowships, starter grants for clinical lecturers, and postdoctoral innovation fellowships.
When researchers, clinicians and community innovators are funded by us, they get to work closely with a funder who wants to see them thrive. We spoke to some current and past award-holders to hear what they think makes the Vivensa Foundation stand out in its approach to capacity building.
Help with big career steps
Dr Lucy Beishon, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Leicester, started her journey with the Vivensa Foundation through our Research Training Fellowship exploring the benefits of brain training. “The fellowship gave me hands-on, day-to-day experience of the practicalities of research. It opened up a number of training opportunities for me,” shares Lucy.
She’s since gone on to receive Vivensa Foundation seed funding to design and pilot more joined up services for older people in mental health settings. The transition from Early Career Researcher to Principal Investigator has been a rewarding one for Lucy. She gives credit to her relationship with the Vivensa Foundation. “ I’ve loved being funded by the Vivensa Foundation both times. It’s just such an enjoyable experience working with them,” she says. “I love how personable it is, they know everybody they fund by name. I’ve grown my career with them and they’ve watched me grow up as a researcher as well.”
Over the years, the Vivensa Foundation’s support has seen Lucy move through several big career steps. “All of the Vivensa Foundation funding I received has led onto other things. I’ve subsequently got an NIHR academic clinical lectureship and have been awarded an advanced fellowship,” she explains. “These are big career steps that I wouldn’t have been able to make without the Vivensa Foundation. They are really strong in capacity building in ageing-related research.”
A one-of-a-kind innovation fellowship
Dr Mark Crook-Rumsey, a cross-centre postdoctoral researcher based at King’s College London and Imperial College London, was one of our Innovation Fellows in Healthy Ageing. Run in partnership with Zinc, this fellowship allows researchers to immerse themselves in the world of health-tech startups.
Through his fellowship, Mark worked with three startups. This allowed him to gain hands-on industry experience and apply his academic knowledge to solve real-world problems in ageing. Through these placements Mark uncovered clarity on what he wanted to pursue in his career. “In academia, you’re often shown just one path—PhD, postdoc, then a permanent position. This fellowship gives you the space to explore different options,” Mark explains.
The programme is structured yet flexible. It allows fellows to remain involved in their academic roles while engaging with startups part-time over the course of a year. “The Vivensa Foundation was incredibly supportive from the start. They’re genuinely interested in helping academics apply their research in a business context,” Mark emphasises. “When I spoke with them, I knew right away that they understood my academic background and could help me transition into the startup world. Their support was crucial.”
Offering career advice early
Dr Keir Yong, based at UCL, is a Vivensa Foundation Senior Research Fellow looking at improving the detection and diagnosis of dementia-related visual impairment. He came across the Vivensa Foundation during his PhD and kept in touch despite not being successful in his first application. “The Vivensa Foundation takes a personal touch with their support and for me it goes back years,” shares Keir.
The Vivensa Foundation saw him as an individual who could make a difference to older people’s lives through research. During his early career, Keir got one-on-one support from the Vivensa Foundation team. They advised him on how to develop his proposals even when he wasn’t successful. “They took the time to talk to me and learn the scope of my research,” says Keir. “I could have a conversation with them during periods where I wasn’t formally supported by any of their awards. They knew my work aligned with their priorities.”
Our support to Keir went beyond helping him to develop research ideas and also included career planning advice. “Arguably they did more for me understanding how my career progression might work at my university than any other organisation,” described Keir. “And that was at a point where they hadn’t even awarded me any funding.” Our advice enabled Keir to have the right conversations to set his intentions as a researcher within the university.
Apply for Vivensa Foundation funding
We care strongly about capacity building and take a personal approach to supporting the careers of our award-holders. Whether it’s through funding, mentorship, networking, or career development opportunities, the Vivensa Foundation will help you find your role within the ageing-related research community.
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