Thank you for your interest in the Science Leadership Collaborative!
The application for this year’s program has been closed. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a notification when the application for the next cohort is open.

Application Guideline
Please read this section carefully as you complete the application form. The application can only be submitted online through slc.theconversation.com
Before completing the online form, all applicants should check that they comply with the eligibility requirements and ensure all necessary information is presented in the application. These requirements are strictly adhered to and applications without all the necessary information, or evidence to show the assessment criteria are met, will be rejected.
The application form consists of the following sections:
- Summary
- Eligibility criteria check
- Contact details
- Applicant career summary
- Current and main research project alignment with the SLC themes
- Organizational and/or department support/Letter of Permit
- References
- Application Declaration
Successful applicants will be talented Indonesian early-to mid career researchers (ECRs) who are ready to develop their independence and have the potential to become leaders in their field Underrepresented groups, including women, ECRs with disabilities, ECRs from disadvantaged regions, ECRs with an origin from an ethnic tribe / indigenous people, are encouraged to apply.

The Conversation Indonesia seeks for Indonesian ECRs with:
A doctorate degree conferred within 10 years
A doctorate degree conferred within 10 years
A clear scientific track records
A clear scientific publication records or patents or proof of excellence in the four research themes: marine/ocean science & coastal development, climate change, health and medicine, and community resilience
An affiliation with institutions based in Indonesia
An affiliation with institutions based in Indonesia
*doctoral candidates and postgraduates with an exceptional track record of scientific production and patents are welcome to apply.

The Conversation Indonesia recognizes there are diverse research career paths, as well as the challenges of managing a research career alongside other personal commitments. When reviewing applicants’ eligibility and research experience, The Conversation Indonesia will take into consideration time spent outside the research environment (e.g. time away due to personal reasons such as maternity, paternity, or other caring responsibilities; ill-health, or working in a non-research environment/role such as industry or structural position).
Furthermore, where applicants have taken formal periods of maternity, paternity, or extended sick leave, the Conversation Indonesia will assess potential implications to the applicant’s availability to complete the whole duration of the SLC. Each case will be considered individually, and the employing organization may need to confirm that the applicant qualifies for this personal provision. Supporting documents may be requested for individual cases at the TCID’s discretion. The TCID reserves the right to consider individual requests outside of the outlined policy in exceptional circumstances.
The SLC scheme is designed to support applicants towards an independent research career. Participation in similar capacity-building programs (such as fellowships or training) and attracting other grant fundings, in addition to the SLC, strengthen your career. Subject to regular disclosure to the TCID, it may be permissible for applicants to participate in other programs or hold additional research grants. The TCID expects that participation in other programs should not compromise the ability to attend and deliver tasks of the SLC agenda.
Assessment Criteria
The primary considerations are listed below. Successful applications should be strong in all respects of the following:
past achievements, research career to date, publication record, likely contribution to the research fields and beyond, degree of independence and/or potential, and how the SLC will further the individual’s independent career.
importance and scientific merit of the proposed research and clarity, quality and originality of the current main project, feasibility and definition of the research plan, likely contributions to the research fields and beyond.
How the proposed research and/or professional portfolio of the applicants fit the four research themes (marine/ocean science & coastal development, climate change, health and medicine, and community resilience) and will address the global and national challenges.
How the SLC will strengthen the individual’s capacity (as part of their career trajectory) and contribute to building capacity in the applicant’s permanent organization and his/her academic/professional networks; and what value it will add to strengthening the capacity of the field of research in Indonesia and beyond.
applicants that demonstrate behaviours and capacity for collaboration, research leadership, and systems influence, with the following proven/potential competencies: influence, creating the learning space, collaboration, innovation, growth mindset, self-awareness, adaptability/resilience, strategic and system thinking, team management and culture of mentoring, research entrepreneurship, and science communication.

Review and Selection Process
- All applications to the SLC will be assessed by the TCID and its implementing partners (CARI, CommonThread, Fraendi, RQ Genesis), and the Packard Foundation.
- There are five application activities, which are divided into three stages, to assess and review an applicant’s credentials and suitability to the SLC.
- Application form, portfolio assessment, and references check
- StoryMatcher selection of success patterns
- Group Observations
- Innovation Capability Assessment
- Final Panel Interview
Both successful and failed applicants will benefit from the application and selection processes through a closing debrief at each stage.
Please be assured that the TCID specifically requests anyone involved in reviewing applications to consider them in confidence.
There will be a routine process of due diligence undertaken with all successful applicants. Due diligence will begin after successful applicants have been notified and must be completed before the SLC starts.
25 February 2022
Opening date of application
between 25 February-10 April 2022 as part of the application process
StoryMatcher selections
10 April 2022
Closing date of application
April 2022
First-round announcement and the invitation to Group Observations
April 2022
Group Observations
April 2022
Second-round announcement and the invitation to Innovation Capability Assessment and Panel Interview
April 2022
Innovation Capability Assessment
April 2022
Panel Interview
May 2022
Selected Participants announcement
Application Form Guideline
Enquires about this scheme can be made using the contact details below. Before contacting us, please check whether your question is answered by the Application Guideline. If not, please email slc@theconversation.com.
Please quote your application reference number in all correspondence to the TCID.
As part of your application, we invite you to take time for yourself and identify your own preferred ways of working and being successful as a scientist. Your choice of these success stories will inform our selection for the programme along with the other criteria mentioned. Through the story selection, we want to understand how you aspire to work and what type of successful scientist you wish to be.
We have collected many success scenarios in the form of short stories. We want you to read these stories and to select those that you can fully identify with. Please be advised that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers. What we want to understand from you is your way of deciding or setting priorities.
Practically, we ask you to register at the dedicated StoryMatcher platform with this link: https://fraendi.shala.us/dashboard/signup/?circle=39. Please use the “register by email” function, and use the same email address you used for the application form. You will be asked to confirm your email address with a link sent to that email address. You can then log into the platform where you will enter an SLC StoryMatcher environment, please check the “to do” function and start the StoryMatcher selections with the blue “start” button.
You will find up to five stories that you can read. Take your time and read the story well before you select it. Put yourself in the shoes of the main person telling the story and only select a story that really resonates with you. Once you have selected a story, you cannot go back to it again.
If none of the five stories are interesting for you, please use the “reshuffle” button at the lower right corner of the proposed stories, and you will read different stories.
You can select several stories, one after the other. After three or more stories have been chosen by you, the system will stop the process and give you the message that your storyline is complete.
You can then see a “results” button under the header “done” that will play the storyline back to you for your own reference. That is it! You have now completed the SLC StoryMatcher process and can log out. As from March 22 onwards, we will provide a short summary of how you might be perceived in your work through the stories you selected. This will give you feedback for your own development on how you deal with decisions in your life and work, and what considerations seem the most prevalent in this. We’ll offer you a few possible interpretations from the stories and invite you to confirm the one that feels the most appropriate for your self. We’ll inform you per email once these results will be available, you will see them as the “results” from your StoryMatcher after you log in to the link again.
Please note that data and information regarding your application for the Science Leadership Collaborative will be shared by the TCID with its implementing partners (such as CARI, CommonThread, Fraendi, RQ Genesis), and the Packard Foundation for program management as well as SLC’s monitoring and evaluation purposes.
You may also be contacted by present and future selected third parties or partners granted access to the dataset by the TCID, such as independent evaluators, consultancy groups, career development organizations, or governments. You may be contacted for reporting and evaluation purposes throughout the course of SLC and after its completion.
Submission
You can only submit one application. Please complete the form carefully. Once submitted, you cannot modify your application.
Uploading Files
Please check the size and format of the files you intend to upload. The system will only accept PDF documents of no larger than 1 MB.