LUBS PGR Training Workshop - Grant review and panel
Leeds University Business School welcomed PGRs to the workshop to demystify research funding and equip the next generation of researchers with the skills to succeed as future research leaders.
The workshop forms part of the 'Embedding Inclusive PI Leadership in Doctoral Training' project, funded by Research England and led by Xingjie Wei, Associate Professor in Business Analytics and Machine Learning at the Analytics, Technology and Operations Department, Leeds University Business School.
Following the first workshop on inclusive PI leadership and grant success, this session turned its focus to one of the most opaque parts of a research career: how funding decisions are made.
The afternoon opened with lunch and networking, giving PGRs the chance to connect with peers and speakers before the programme began. Three talks then guided participants through the full funding journey, from internal opportunities to national fellowships and the review process itself:
Jennifer Rodley- introduced the internal funding and scholarship opportunities available within LUBS, including the Scholarship for Publication, which supports PGRs to turn a thesis chapter into a published journal article. She explained eligibility, application routes, and how decisions are made.
Fadi Junaid - mapped the wider funding landscape for PGRs and early-career researchers. He covered the LUBS Postdoctoral Fellowships, ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships, and international mobility schemes, alongside the support available across LUBS. His central message was the importance of engaging early with mentors and the research support teams around you.
Xingjie Wei - then took participants behind the scenes of the grant review process, explaining the journey from expression of interest through to funder approval, the distinct roles of peer reviewers and selection panels, and the criteria reviewers use to assess applications.
The workshop concluded with two interactive activities: "Design Your Dream Project," which surfaced the common weaknesses that reviewers encounter repeatedly, and a mock reviewer exercise in which PGRs scored and deliberated on proposals themselves.
The real value of the workshop lay in moving PGRs from passive applicants to active, informed participants in the funding system. By stepping into the role of reviewers, students gained genuine insight into how panels read, score, and debate applications: knowledge that is rarely visible from the outside and that directly strengthens their own future proposals.
Participants left with a practical, real-world understanding they can apply to where to find funding suited to their career stage, how internal scholarships and fellowships work, what assessment criteria reviewers prioritise, and the common pitfalls that weaken otherwise promising applications. The mock review activity gave students first-hand experience of the trade-offs and judgment calls that shape funding decisions, building both their critical evaluation skills and their confidence to apply.
Our current PGR, Mimisha Gadhia, shared:
The discussion around how to apply for funding, what options are available to PhD students, how panels assess applicants, and the 'unspoken' knowledge that often sits behind successful applications was incredibly valuable. These kinds of assumptions and hidden insights (what I like to call 'nuggets') can make a real difference to outcomes. Thank you for creating such a useful and generous space to share them.
Beyond the technical knowledge, the session reflected the Business School's wider commitment to building a positive and inclusive research culture. The discussions were open, reflective, and collaborative, with PGRs engaging deeply and learning as much from one another as from the speakers.
At Leeds University Business School, we believe that supporting our PGRs to navigate research funding is about far more than securing a first grant. It is about equipping them with the insight, confidence, and inclusive leadership skills to become the empathetic, effective, and visionary research leaders of tomorrow.
