Dr. Anita Halder on Grant Writing, Marie Curie Fellowship & Building an Academic Career

Decoding Phase Transitions – the DPT Podcast || Ep.21 || Guest: Dr Anita Halder 🇮🇳🇮🇪 In this episode of the DPT Podcast, I speak with Dr Anita Halder — physicist, computational materials scientist, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at SRM University-AP, India. A central theme of this episode is grant writing. One important line from this conversation is: “Getting grants is quite probabilistic.” We discuss what this really means for young researchers — that success in funding is not simply about having a good idea. It also depends on proposal clarity, timing, reviewer fit, institutional support, scientific vision, outreach, impact, and persistence. Highlights from this Episode: ✨ Challenges during PhD ✨ Writing a Marie Curie Fellowship proposal ✨ Reapplying after not getting funded the first time ✨ Receiving a Marie Curie Fellowship with a 100% score ✨ Moving to Dublin for postdoctoral research ✨ Returning to India for a faculty position ✨ ANRF funding and building an independent research group ✨ The art of writing research grants ✨ Advice for students, PhD applicants, postdocs, and young researchers 🎙️ About The Guest: Dr Anita Halder is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at SRM University-AP, India. She is a computational condensed matter physicist and materials scientist. She completed her B.Sc. in Physics from Serampore College, followed by her M.Sc. and PhD in Physics from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata. Her research career later took her to Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher and received the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research interests include first-principles electronic-structure calculations, transition-metal oxides, strongly correlated electron systems, Mott-Hubbard physics, magnetic anisotropy in heterostructures, crystal-structure prediction, two-dimensional materials, and the use of machine learning for discovering materials with desired properties. 🎖️Her work has been recognized with several awards, including the INSPIRE SHE award from the Department of Science and Technology, India, the IUCr Young Scientist Award, the S. N. Bose Prize for Innovation in Theory, the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, and more recently, ANRF funding (ECRG). Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=7IuU7-wAAAAJ&view_op=list_works Webpage: https://www.srmap.edu.in/faculty/dr-anita-halder/ LinkedIn: 🔗 Resources & Links: Serampur College: https://seramporecollege.ac.in S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences : https://www.bose.res.in Trinity College, Dublin : https://www.tcd.ie Marie Curie Fellowship : https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships Sefano Sanvito : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefano_Sanvito Raman Charpak fellowship : https://www.cefipra.org/PgmMF.aspx?p=RC Andrea Droghetti : https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o7RSz_cAAAAJ&hl=it Tanusri Saha-Dasgupta : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanusri_Saha-Dasgupta The DPT Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Amazon Music, and all other major podcast streaming platforms. 👋 Connect with Sananda Biswas (Host): YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@SanandaBiswasPhD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sananda-biswas-PhD/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sananda.biswas.phd 🔔 If this conversation resonates with you, please like, share, and subscribe. ⏱️ Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction 03:21 – Early Life, Schooling & the Role of Family 12:09 – Why She Chose Physics in College 17:13 – The Decision Not to Lose a Year 20:47 – Facing Language Challenges in College 23:20 – Struggles and Lessons During Bachelor’s 29:39 – Master’s or Something Else? Thinking About the Future 31:59 – Joining the Integrated PhD at S. N. Bose National Centre 35:55 – Master’s Days: Coursework, Growth & Adjustment 38:43 – Moving from Master’s to PhD Research 44:10 – Difficult PhD Years and How She Navigated Them 50:04 – Her PhD Research in Computational Materials Science 01:01:41 – Applying for Postdoctoral Positions 01:05:13 – Writing the Marie Curie Fellowship Proposal 01:10:13 – Moving to Dublin for Postdoctoral Research 01:11:49 – Research Interests During Her Postdoc Years 01:12:23 – Reapplying for the Marie Curie Fellowship 01:14:38 – Practical Tips for Marie Curie Fellowship Applicants 01:17:07 – Research Journey at Trinity College Dublin 01:20:25 – Why She Decided to Return to India 01:29:05 – Joining SRM University-AP as Faculty 01:30:57 – Current Role and Responsibilities as Assistant Professor 01:33:48 – How Master’s and PhD Students Can Contact Her 01:36:27 – Current Research Interests and Future Goals 01:41:50 – The Art of Writing Successful Research Grants 01:48:41 – Challenges Faced by Women in STEM 01:52:53 – Fun Trivia with Dr Anita Halder 01:59:53 – Final Thought