First steps

When it comes to funding, it’s important to fail

In academia, there is arguably nothing more important than knowing where your next grant is coming from. With funders devising more—and more serious—tactics to manage demand, not to mention the worrying prospect of being hired and fired based on metrics, the pressure on researchers to get it right first time is mounting. Time writing grants that don’t get funded is increasingly viewed as time wasted.

Yet, since taking over as editor of Funding Insight six months ago, I have heard time and again that practice makes perfect. The same message was echoed repeatedly during the process of putting together this first issue of the Funding Insight magazine, which is to be published every six months.