Alice Mockfors in black and white on a red background and a pin with
Peer Story

Landscape Ecology and Managing a Research Grant

Keeping up with Alice Mockford. Besides talking about her Boost Fund journey, Alice gave insights about her research: How biodiversity loss and climate change threaten insect ecosystem services, and how greenveins management can support beneficial insects.

In an exciting development for 2024, our colleague Dr. Birte Seffert embarks on a nationwide tour to meet with the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows across Germany. The Keeping Up with the Boost Fellows series aims to shine a spotlight on the journeys, challenges, and achievements of our Fellows. 

This trip took Birte to the beautiful Baltic Sea shores, with Fellow Alice Mockford at Kiel University’s Department of Landscape Ecology.

Besides talking about her Boost Fund journey, her challenges and her achievements, Alice gave insights about her research: How biodiversity loss and climate change threaten insect ecosystem services, and how greenveins management can support beneficial insects.

First up was meeting Tim Diekötter, the Head of the Department of Landscape Ecology. Over coffee, he and Alice shared tips for grant applicants:

  • Secure your PI’s guidance for the writing process – crucial for a top-notch application.
  • Stay informed (as best as possible) – Alice found the Boost Fund webinar especially useful for clarifying questions and all selection criteria.

While visiting the Botanical Gardens Kiel, the climate chambers and lab where she conducts her experiment, Alice talked about her work as an ecologist and gave tips to get and manage a research grant.

 

As a landscape ecologist, what is your preferred work environment?

I appreciate the variety of work environments and scientific work. In my department in Kiel, we have a range of experimental facilities available from climate chambers, to climate controlled glasshouses, and experimental fields for controlled experiments.  Once the weather is nice, I enjoy going to the field for observational studies.  Both represent their own challenges and can sometimes be stressful with long working hours. By the end of the field season, I appreciate going back to the lab or focusing on the analyse, and vice versa.

How is it to manage this grant as an international researcher who came to Germany as a Postdoc?

The KT Boost Fund is my first grant. I am very grateful for the support of our excellent secretary, as well as Kiel University´s third party funding administration. My PI also fosters a great working environment; from offering his time and contacts for cooperation to our weekly team meetings, which are a great opportunity to discuss ideas with colleagues.   

»…give it your all and utilise your passion for your subject in writing the proposal because once submitted it is out of your hands.«

Do you have a piece of advice for writing a first grant application?

Being my first grant application its hard to say. But for the KT Boost Fund, I had the research idea for several years already. This helped me not only to formulate it concisely but also to show a sense of urgency, I felt I really put my all into it. I know many people say to be careful about that, but for me, feeling inspired by the topic was important in the writing process. So I would say, give it your all and utilise your passion for your subject in writing the proposal because once submitted it is out of your hands.

The KT Boost Fund is a joint program of GSO and the Klaus Tschira Foundation for postdoctoral researchers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. It offers flexible funding for risky and interdisciplinary research on the way to academic independence. Funding can be used to hire staff, buy equipment, or build collaborations – tailored to the research project.