113 attendees were online for a wonderfully informative and interactive session on “Finding Research Funding” held on 15 September. Professor Srinath Perera, Director for the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) and chair in Built Environment and Construction Management in the School of Engineering Design and Built Environment at Western Sydney University, led a very interactive webinar on finding research funding. Panellists were Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga, chair in Disaster Risk Management at the University of Huddersfield, UK, and Suzanne Wilkinson, Professor of Construction Management and Associate Dean (Research) in the New School for Built Environment.
Professor Amaratunga highlighted the need to build partnerships and a solid team of experts as a key to successful research funding; “you cannot do this on your own”. Dilanthi recommends starting locally and build from there to regional, national, and international authorities. Professor Wilkinson concurred highlighting “confidence in a team to deliver something of value”. Getting the right combinations to match with the funding agencies requirements is key.
Both panelists discussed their career and reminded attendees that careers go in phases. Patience was emphasized; many times, there are down times so use these times to find interesting colleagues of which CIB can be an incredible network. Advice from both Dilanthi and Suzanne also included to seek internal advice from your university’s research office. We (as researchers) become content experts, but we need advice on the mechanics of research.
Please join us for our next ECR & Programme Committee events:
14 October 2021: “Becoming a Better Reviewer”
30 November 2021: CIB Meet the Editor-in-Chief Mohan Kumaraswamy BEPAM
