The Grant: Recent Episodes

Niels Tudor-Vinther

Getting EU funding for your research project idea is great, but the process from project idea to submission of the full proposal is rough and tough. 20.000 proposals are submitted every year and every single one of these preparations goes through many challenges. Most of these challenges have the same overall characteristics, that can be minimized or eliminated by being aware of them already when starting the proposal process. This podcast is for proposals preparers looking for tips, tricks, advice or just an audible pad on the shoulder to deal with the unavoidable tough work

Episode site

In this episode I bring together two vantage points on EU proposal writing: exprienced grant proposal writer Diana Huber and expert evaluator Christine Cieslak. We explore the permanent tension for a proposal writer: focus on creative storytelling or technical aspects - and why the answer isn’t either/or but a disciplined both/and. Diana argues that strong proposals begin before writing with ecosystem scanning, coalition building, and policy alignment, then translate end-user needs into a narrative evaluators can actually follow. She stresses reading the EU policy backbone (from the Lisbon Treaty onwards) and co-creating with stakeholders so the story is recognisable, relevant, and implementable - rather than buzzword-heavy fiction.

From the evaluator’s chair, Christine underlines how evaluators look for clarity, truthfulness, and fit: answer what is asked, avoid empty jargon, don’t “fake it”, and choose the right funding line. We discuss Erasmus+ complexity (centralised vs. decentralised lines, word-count limits), myths about “secret tricks”, and the risk of AI-generated prose that can’t be implemented or may breach GDPR. The practical bottom line: define what you will do, why it matters, how you’ll deliver it with your partners—and write so an informed non-specialist can see the logic in limited space.

Time codes:

00:01:50 Introduction

00:05:26 Fly in

00:08:30 From the proposal writer’s view

00:23:26 From the evaluator’s view

00:37:33 The middle ground

01:16:01 Advice

01:26:28 The tougest challenge

Episode site

In episode #2 of this RM Framework Series, I have Anna Royon-Weigelt (ZWM - Center for Science and Research Management in Germany) in the virtual podcast studio to outline the current state-of-the-art in research management across Europe. We exchange on how research management roles differ widely between institutions and countries - pre-award vs. post-award boundaries, “third-space” identities, and the reality of leading laterally without formal authority. We also look at the training landscape: rich but fragmented, with overlapping offers, uneven quality signals, and a lack of shared terminology that makes recognition and mobility harder than they should be.

We discuss the practical anchors that help bring coherence without forcing uniformity using competence frameworks and learning outcomes to design modular, context-sensitive training; clarifying role profiles to match skills with tasks; and strengthening communities of practice so isolated research management professionals have peers to learn from. This podcast episode is focused on what already works in Europe and how institutions can use those elements now to professionalise research management in a way that fits their context.

Time codes:

00:02:42 Introduction

00:07:07 Fly in

00:14:02 Defining the profession

00:19:01 Current training landscape

00:29:47 Challenges and gaps - RM Framework contribution

00:45:03 Towards a common framework

00:51:19 Reflections

Episode site

In this episode, I sit down with Viltaré Platzner, Head of the Centre of EU Projects at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, to talk about the human side of research management. We unpack the real day-to-day: reading people, building trust with PIs and partners, handling silence and conflict in consortia, and staying resilient when Horizon proposals miss by a whisker. Viltaré shares her route into RM, the reality of covering the full project life cycle in a small team, and why empathy, curiosity and boundary-setting matter as much as technical skills.

We also take a frank look at professionalisation: how the European competence framework for research managers helps map skills—but can feel abstract or “de-humanised” compared with lived practice. From hiring (often juniors) and mentoring under tight resources, to retaining talent that private consultancies try to poach, Viltaré lays out the Eastern/Central European context, the role of supportive leadership, and why community (EARMA, peer networks) is a lifeline. The episode ends with practical advice: make time for reflection, keep learning, and find your people

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00: 04:10 Fly in

00:06:40 Personal skills in practice

00:24:25 The competence framework

00:43:37 Hiring and training challenges

01:01:25 Reflections and advice

01:06:22 The toughest challenge

Episode site

It is time for another episode in The Widening Series where I have science journalist Thomas Brent as co-host. For this one we have invited Katarzyna Walczyk-Matuszyk - coordinator of the wideraAdvance Facility and long-time advocate for widening participation in EU research - into the virtual podcast studio. Together we zoom in on what dissemination and exploitation (D&E) really look like in the context of widening countries, where visibility, reputation, and research impact are often still being established. We discuss why D&E strategies can’t be one-size-fits-all and how adapting them to the national and institutional context is vital.

We also of course have a look at the wideraAdvance Facility project, which supports organisations in strengthening their proposal quality and post-grant impact activities. Thomas shares insights into storytelling and audience targeting, while Katarzyna speaks to the importance of building local ecosystems that can sustain EU-funded innovations. Whether you’re a new institution trying to get into Horizon Europe or a coordinator wondering how to bring your Widening partners into the spotlight, this episode offers concrete tools and reflections to help you get D&E right.

Time codes:

00:01:50 Introduction

00:05:38 Fly in

00:06:43 Project introduction, background and motivation

00:21:53 Core activities and services

00:49:53 Structural challenges in Widening countries

01:01:28 Outcomes, policy impact and future potential

01:13:39 Outro

Episode site

In this fifth episode of the Research Management Shorts Series, I continue my conversation with Stephanie Harfensteller, EU Research Coordinator at FIR an der RWTH Aachen, to explore how you embed sustainability and impact thinking in research strategy. Stephanie shares how her institute aligns all EU funding efforts with a long-term goal: enabling value-creating circular economy systems. She unpacks how impact isn’t just a requirement from the EU, but a guiding compass for institutional strategy, shaping everything from project selection to researcher engagement.

We talk about how FIR an der RWTH Aachen incorporates social and environmental dimensions into seemingly technical projects - like finding gender impacts in multimodal transport - and how research managers can act as translators between policy and science. Stephanie also shares concrete strategies for research intelligence: how to identify calls with higher success rates, how to balance strategic fit with academic freedom, and how long-term impact grows from well-aligned project portfolios. It’s a must-listen for research managers aiming to move from compliance to purpose-driven impact.

Time codes:

00:02:00 Introduction

00:04:23 Incorporating impact goals

00:13:31 Strategies for outcomes

00: 25:15 Strategies for outcomes

Episode site

In this episode of The Grant, I’m joined by Juan Luis Rodrigues Quintero from RTDS Group to dive into a sometimes underestimated element of EU proposals: intellectual property (IP). Juan brings practical insights from years of proposal writing and implementation support, showing how IP is about much more than legal jargon - it’s about safeguarding your innovation and ensuring your consortium has a clear, credible plan for results exploitation. We explore why so many IP sections fall flat and how to make sure yours doesn't.

We also reflect on how freedom to operate, access rights, and foreground/background IP must be considered from the start and not just when the grant is secured. Juan shares the kind of red flags evaluators notice in poorly written IP sections and how strategic thinking here can support your impact narrative. Whether you're an SME, coordinator, or support team, this episode will help you move beyond templates and think IP from a real implementation perspective.

Time codes:

00:01:57 Introduction

00:03:16 Fly in

00:05:52 Why IP matters at the proposal stage

00:13:40 When and how to start the IP conversation

00:32:41 Building a robust IP strategy for your proposal

01:02:32 Key lessons and recommendations

01:09:30 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this new episode in The Implementation Series, I have invited in Nicole Schmidt from EUTEMA to share her insights on consortium meetings. These meetings are rarely just about reporting—they’re where the real dynamics of a project come into play. Nicole brings her long-standing experience in proposal writing and project implementation to the table, reflecting on how roles are clarified (or blurred), how partners position themselves, and how the soft skills of coordination make all the difference.

Our conversation highlights that consortium meetings are human systems in action: they are where trust is built, conflicts surface, and alignment is forged. Nicole shares practical tips on structuring agendas, reading the room, and balancing technical content with relational dynamics. For anyone who has ever wondered why some meetings feel energising and others draining, this episode offers both insights and strategies to make consortium meetings a real driver of collaboration.

Time codes:

00:01:33 Introduction

00:05:29 Fly in

00:09:53 What a consortium meeting looks like

00:20:31 Planning

00:37:56 The formal agenda: key elements

01:10:29 Involving external stakeholders

01:21:26 Project culture starts here

01:28:22 Advice

01:30:51 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this third episode of our SME Series, I speak with Alicja Grzegorzek Carrascosa, an experienced EU funding professional and consultant, about one of the most complex and under-discussed topics in implementation: financial rules, and especially the lump sum model. We unpack how the lump sum rules - designed to simplify - can have the opposite effect for beneficiaries, particularly SMEs and newcomers trying to find their footing in Horizon Europe.

Alicja shares real-world examples of how lump sum reporting affects project planning, flexibility, and internal budgeting. We talk about the administrative burden, the risk of rigid work plan structures, and how a lack of clarity from the Commission can leave even experienced coordinators confused. This episode is an honest, practical conversation about what happens after you win the grant - and why we need to speak more openly about implementation bottlenecks and financial stress points in EU projects.

Time codes:

00:02:14 Introduction

00:05:45 Fly in

00:12:23 Understanding the shift to lump sum funding

00:33:43 Project implementation pitfalls

00:42:51 Best practices & workarounds

00:49:08 The toughest challenge

Episode site

The Grant and the RM Framework project funded under Horizon Europe has joined a partnership. Over the next 1½ The Grant will support the consortium developing 15 podcast episodes in its own dedicated series exploring and sharing project activities.

This episode kicks off the collaboration series. I of course have the project coordinator Nik Claesen, Managing Director of EARMA, in for this introductory episode to the project. He shares the background of the project and where this project fits into the work consolidating the research manager position across Europe. The project will develop guidelines and a handbook for trainings and capacity building within research management and we have a conversation about the elements that the project covers.

The aim with this series is to demystify what it means to professionalise research management. It’s not just about systems and templates - it’s about aligning values, roles, and ambitions across the entire institution. Whether you’re setting up your first project support team or rethinking an existing structure, this series will seek a shared language and practical entry points. Over the project period I will be inviting in consortium members and stakeholders to explore the project activities and give an insight into the results.

Time codes:

00:02:35 Introduction

00:07:45 Fly in

00:12:14 Background and former projects

00:22:18 Introduction to the project

00:49:40 Expectations

Episode site

In this fourth episode of the Research Management Shorts Series, I continue my conversation with with Stephanie Hafensteller, EU Research Coordinator at FIR an der RWTH Aachen, to dive into capacity building and training in EU research management. Stephanie shares how FIR’s model, where PhD candidates leave after four-and-a-half years, has sparked the need to preserve and structure institutional knowledge around EU funding. Instead of relying on person-based, peer-to-peer learning, the institute is building modular training approaches that include video guides, best practice repositories, peer coaching, and one-to-one support - ensuring continuity and growing strategic capacity within the institute.

We also discuss the value of investing in both researchers and administrative staff. Stephanie makes a strong case for continuous learning as an organisational strategy - arguing that EU funding requires more than ad-hoc solutions. From internal toolkits and knowledge management platforms to partnerships with training providers like the national contact points, the institute now offers tailored training options to match different learning styles. Finally, Stephanie outlines how fostering entrepreneurial skills supports spin-outs and start-ups, making the institute a launchpad for both excellent research and real-world innovation.

Time codes:

00:02:09 Introduction

00:07:32 Training modules

00:21:50 Investing in training

00:28:58 Entrepreneurial skills

Episode site

In this second half of the episode "How to Fail a Proposal" together freelance consultant Marie Prouteau. Last week we talked about the conditions as a proposal writer. Here we dig into what it really means to fail an EU funding proposal. Departing from a fantastic viral LinkedIn post Marie made on failing proposals, we go beyond the emotional rollercoaster of proposal writing and into the weeds of technical, structural, and strategic mistakes that can derail even the strongest ideas. From overlooking the call text to forgetting to prioritise impact, we exchange the classic slip-ups we’ve all seen – and made – in our careers. We talk about the seductive pull of buzzwords, the misuse of jargon, and how poor storytelling often breaks a proposal long before the submission button is hit.

But we also offer ways forward. We talk evaluators, partner dynamics, and how trust, motivation, and timing can make or break the proposal process. Marie explains how visual clarity, positioning, and attention to small originalities – like interdisciplinary links or citizen science – can elevate your application when competition is fierce. Most importantly, we reflect on how the consultant’s job often becomes one of people management: aligning egos, calming nerves, and keeping the team moving toward a common goal.Time codes:

00:02:06 How to fail perfectly at EU proposals

00:28:27 How to not fail — practical tips

00:36:49 The toughest challenge

Link to the episode website

Link to Marie's LinkedIn post

In this episode, I have the great freelance EU grant consultant Marie Prouteau in the virtual podcast studio, who was one of my first guests. Some time ago she made a popular LinkedIn post on how to utterly fail a proposal inspired - this inspired the theme of our discussion. We use her post as a starting point to explore the emotional rollercoaster of writing EU funding proposals - from the buzz of securing a new assignment to the inevitable panic that sets in two weeks before submission. Marie shares honest reflections on physical and mental exhaustion, the rush of adrenaline, and the unglamorous reality of managing late-stage chaos, unclear partner responsibilities, and acronym-heavy titles. We exchange on how even experienced grants consultants get caught up in the same traps.

But this isn’t just a technical conversation - it’s a human one. We dig into the toll this work takes on our well-being: the burnout, the solitude, and the pressure of being solely accountable for a proposal’s quality. Marie talks about the post-submission crash, the difficulty of setting boundaries, and why deadlines just after the holidays feel particularly cruel. This episode is both a warning and a comfort: a reminder that if you’ve ever found yourself writing from a hut in Sri Lanka or frantically formatting at 2 am, you’re not alone.

Time codes:

00:02:06 Introduction

00:08:29 Fly in

00:14:39 The life of a proposal writer

Episode notes

In this episode of The Grant Podcast, I sit down with three inspiring guests - Christina Achilleos (Founder & Director, InnoEUsphere), Alessandro Carbone (Owner, T-Hap), and Andreas Stefanidis (President, Academy of Entrepreneurship & Educational Association of Athens) - to talk about PM Agora, a grassroots initiative created by and for EU project managers. PM Agora isn’t funded. It’s not tied to an institution. It’s a voluntary community that exists because these three persons saw the need to connect, support each other, and improve how we manage EU projects in practice.

They share how PM Agora grew from a common interest and care for EU project managers into a structured initiative that gathers and facilitates in-depth exchange and knowledge-sharing. From templates and training to safe spaces for open discussion, the initiative is redefining how professional development can happen in the project world - especially in regions where institutional support is limited or missing entirely. We dig into the upcoming event in October, how it is structured and what is the added value.

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:04:20 Fly in

00:06:43 Motivation and background

00:13:56 The initiative in a nutshell

00:21:22 What happens at PM Agora?

00:43:03 Why this matters now

01:00:06 Reflections, future vision and call to action

01:04:52 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this solo episode, I dive deep into one of the most challenging yet crucial parts of proposal development: finding a coordinator. After years of working across EU R&D funding as an NCP, proposal consultant, and industry representative, I’ve realized that identifying and securing the right coordinator can make or break a project. Whether you're early in your planning phase or already knee-deep in writing, if you don’t have someone ready to lead, your proposal risks falling apart. I share typical scenarios and the types of organisations (like universities, RTOs, or SMEs) that often hesitate to take on this role—and what you can do about it.

I walk you through the intelligence work needed to identify experienced coordinators: how I use CORDIS, LinkedIn, Google, old contacts, and even ChatGPT to build leads. You’ll hear about mapping projects, digging through call topics, and finding patterns among recurring consortium players. I also talk candidly about what to do when you do find someone—how to reach out, what to say, and how to prepare. And finally, I stress the importance of collecting and structuring your own data (in GDPR-compliant ways) so you don’t start from scratch next time. It’s a practical, battle-tested roadmap that I use daily—and now it’s yours.

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:05:03 Fly in

00:07:06 Setting the scene

00:09:30 What can you do?

00:16:15 How to identify projects

00:25:47 Identify the contacts

00:30:28 Getting in contact

00:37:23 Your own data

00:42:26 The toughest challenge

⁠Episode site⁠

In this episode of The Grant Podcast, I continue the Research Management Shorts Series together with Stephanie Harfensteller from FIR an der RWTH Aachen. This time we zoom in on networking. We are sharing the lessons we have both learned the hard way - how years of info-meetings and matchmaking event attendance and unstructured contacts eventually shaped a more structured approach to building networks that actually made sence to our organisations research ambitions. We discuss the importance of conceptualizing your network strategy, mapping different types of networks (thematic, organizational, and influence-based), and identifying the roles that connectors, policy insiders, and topic experts play.

We also break down the practicalities: where to be present, how to be resource-efficient, and what signals tell you if an event is worth your time. From brokerage events and working groups to leveraging your partner network and tapping into the growing European community of research managers (EARMA), this episode offers a guidance for turning networking from an activity into a strategic asset. Whether you're new to the Brussels scene or an experienced research manager, this conversation helps clarify what networking is really about - and how to get better at it.

Time codes:

00:01:51 Introduction

00:03:08 Conceptualizing your network approach

00:23:56 Connecting with funding agencies

00:27:31 Research management networks

00:32:09 Content network

Episode site

In this episode I have a talk with Erik Eklund from the Strategic Department of the Municipality of Umeå to explore how a local government can work strategically with EU funding. Erik shares how his team approaches EU projects not just as funding opportunities, but as tools for building long-term local capacity and driving political and organisational development. We dig into how Umeå aligns its project portfolio with actual needs, strengthens cross-sector collaboration, and avoids the trap of disconnected, one-off applications.

In our conversation Erik shares how they have managed to build an approach with ecosystem thinking - bringing in universities, regional actors, and municipal departments around shared agendas. He also gives an honest view of the challenges: working across silos, maintaining internal momentum, and connecting projects to the bigger picture. This episode is for anyone in the public sector who wants to move from reactive grant writing to proactive, mission-driven funding strategies.

Time codes:

00:01:42 Introduction

00:03:49 Fly in

00:06:33 Background

00:14:00 Strategy

00:24:17 Industrial symbiosis initiatives

00:50:45 Lessons and reflections

01:01:25 The toughest challenge

In this episode I am joined by Director Ana-Marija Špicnagel to unpack the dynamic between consultants and clients in the EU proposal space. From proposal writing to project management and reporting, consultants play a vital role - but the relationship can be delicate. Ana-Marija offers an honest and reflective take on how trust is built, how expectations are managed, and why good consulting is as much about chemistry and timing as it is about technical expertise.

The episode covers the full consultant lifecycle: identifying the right fit, setting clear scopes, managing feedback loops, and navigating tensions between control and support. We reflect on the value of long-term collaboration over one-off contracts. This is a great episode for grants consultants with a thoughtful conversation on how to create healthier, more productive partnerships in the world of EU-funded projects.

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:08:02 Fly in

00:14:05 Consultant-client relationship

00:40:48 Translation as a core competency

00:52:03 Ana-Marija's three pillars

01:13:32 Final reflections and advice

01:22:14 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this episode I have Stephanie Fulda, Head of Communication at the RTO nova-Institut, to explore the RTO perspective of communication and dissemination in EU-funded projects. Stephanie shares how her team supports Horizon Europe consortia through tailored dissemination strategies, impactful engagement, and creative content development. With decades of experience and a strong track record in bioeconomy-focused initiatives, nova-Institut’s communication team plays a key role in ensuring project results are not just published—but understood, shared, and used.

In the discussion we cover both the proposal and implementation phases, highlighting challenges such as copy-paste dissemination plans, the need for stronger internal collaboration, and effective engagement through channels like LinkedIn. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of working closely with partners, maintaining flexibility, and continuously learning from data-driven social media monitoring. We add some practical examples and thoughtful insights to give some essential takeaways for communication professionals and coordinators alike striving to increase project impact in EU research and innovation.

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:04:20 Fly in

00:07:22 About Nova Institute

00:13:50 Proposal development phase

00:31:30 Implementation phase

01:01:00 Tips, tricks, do's and don't's

01:05:52 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In episode #178 of The Grant, we continue the Research Management Shorts series by focusing on how to build an effective organizational framework for research management teams. Niels is joined again by Stefanie, who walks us through the process of shaping team roles, navigating silos, and building strong internal collaboration. The episode underscores the importance of strategic role distribution, complementarity, and allowing space for new team members to co-develop work dynamics organically.

The conversation also dives into timeline development, the value of agile methods, and how to create quick wins without losing sight of long-term goals. Stefanie shares how breaking down strategy into manageable projects and involving wider institutional resources can ease implementation. Internal communication and inclusive processes are key, with real-world examples of using feedback loops, Teams channels, and collaborative knowledge systems. The episode is packed with hands-on lessons for small, evolving teams working to structure research support from scratch.

Time codes:

00:00:36 The Grant Meet-Up sound bite

00:04:25 Introduction

00:05:30 Who's doing what?

00:13:39 Working with a timeline

00:27:18 Frame for internal communication

Episode site

This is the second episode in my SME Series that I do together with Alicja Grzegorzek Carrascosa - an expert in legal and financial management of EU projects — to explore the tricky subject of freelancers and their eligibility under Horizon Europe. She unpacks what it really means to classify someone as a freelancer under personal costs, clarifying that the European Commission uses the term "natural persons" rather than "freelancers." Alicia highlights key eligibility rules including supervision requirements, IP rights, teleworking policies, remuneration structures, and the critical need for accurate time recording.

In the episode we dig into practical examples and explains how national employment laws may clash with Horizon Europe’s rules—especially in countries like Spain, where false self-employment is heavily scrutinized. Alicia provides hands-on advice for SMEs and freelancers alike, stressing the importance of contract clauses, clear remuneration terms, and the value of working with experts. The discussion is not only about compliance but about minimizing audit risks and making strategic decisions for smooth project implementation.

Time codes:

00:02:05 Introduction

00:04:54 Fly in

00:06:21 Freelancer eligibility and project costing

00:23:07 Practical advice for freelancers

00:34:51 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this Widening Series episode, my co-host Thomas Brent and I explore how EU Widening measures are implemented in practice and the impact they can have on research excellence and collaboration. This time we have two guests: Katalin Oborni from the HETFA Research Institute in Hungary, and Viltaré Platzner from Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. They share hands-on experiences with the Widening projects STREAM IT (focused on gender equality in education), FrontSeat (smart industries), and FreeTwin EV (digital twinning for electric vehicles).

In this conversation we zoom in on how these projects foster international research partnerships, improve research management, and elevate institutional capacities. Our guests highlight practical challenges and lessons in designing and running widening projects — from building balanced consortia and managing expectations of non-widening partners, to using Twinning and Hop-on schemes to gradually break down barriers. We also discuss how Widening fosters trust-building, learning exchanges, and leadership growth among Widening countries. An honest conversation about the R&D politics of Widening, its future, and the nuances of post-communist institutional legacies adds depth to this rich and personal exploration of an evolving EU policy space.

Time codes:

00:02:05 Introduction

00:05:12 Short in the Widening initiative

00:11:02 Introduction to the projects

00:22:10 The Widening perspective - in proposal and project

01:06:11 Take-aways and experience

Episode site

For a long time I have wanted to present the funding schemes from EUREKA, because they have very popular funding schemes for SMEs. I managed to get Camilla Del Latte from the EUREKA Secretariat onboard - and even for an in-person recording in Brussels back in April 2025.

Unlike many EU programmes, EUREKA is built on intergovernmental collaboration, allowing countries to co-fund innovation projects outside of traditional EU structures. Camilla takes us all through three EUREKA key funding schemes: Eurostars, Innowwide and Fast track to EIC Accelerator. We run schematically through the structure of the programmes, target grous, how to apply, evaluation regime, what happens when funding is received and finally of course some do's and don't's.

Excellent for everybody approaching the EUREKA funding schemes!

Time codes:00:01:49 Introduction

00:04:39 Fly in on EUREKA

00:10:24 EU and EUREKA

00:16:55 Structure of programme

00:38:57 Target groups

00:40:08 How to apply

00:54:46 Evaluation

01:09:09 When receiving funding

01:12:01 Do's and don't's

01:16:29 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In the closing bonus episode, Casper and I dive deeper into what separates good communication from great. We explore cultural nuance, consistency in tone, creative content delivery, and the irreplaceable value of trained communicators. Using real-life metaphors and practical examples, the duo push for a shift in mindset: from vanity metrics to real engagement, from generic posts to emotionally resonant messaging. It’s a compelling call to prioritize storytelling and impact over automation and shortcuts.

Episode site

In the final Communication Shorts episode, Casper and I take stock of everything covered in the 12-episode series. Through a lively, reflective conversation, we revisit the four communication pillars: strategy, media engagement, newsletters, and social media. The episode explores why communication should not be treated as an afterthought or junior task but as a core, strategic function in EU projects. They underline the importance of storytelling, consistent messaging, and internal buy-in—while challenging listeners to consider the real value of professional communication expertise.

Episode site

In this episode I have invited back Ilaria Rudisi, a senior EU funding consultant, to explore how researchers can successfully prepare proposals for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Ilaria takes us through the entire proposal development process — from evaluating the feasibility of the research idea to building a competitive, impact-driven narrative. She further shares practical insights from her extensive consulting work, emphasizing the importance of early planning, clear articulation of impact, and understanding the expectations of the evaluators.

Listeners will gain an in-depth understanding of the structure and requirements of MSCA proposals, including how to write the B1 and B2 sections, define work packages, plan budgets, and address ethics and risk. The conversation also touches on the psychological and strategic dynamics between researchers and consultants, and why MSCA is not a good fit for everyone. This episode is a hands-on guide to building competitive proposals and a reality check for researchers who might be overconfident about the strength of their ideas.

Time codes:

00:01:42 Introduction

00:05:24 Fly in on MSCA

00:11:42 Preparation

00:32:24 Shaping of proposal concept with researcher

00:42:19 Pen to paper

01:19:15 Submission

01:29:10 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In the first episode of the new SMEs Series, I sit down with Alicja Grzegorzek Carrascosa (Co-founder of Polite Europe) to tackle one of the most complex issues facing SMEs in EU projects: understanding eligibility rules. The episode digs into the distinctions between SME owners and employees, how their time can be charged in projects, and the two main reimbursement routes — actual costs and unit costs — while highlighting the critical impact these choices can have in audits.

Alicja gives a detailed understanding of real-life scenarios across EU countries (including Spain, France, and Belgium), how holding structures and grey zones complicate compliance, and why it's vital to document decisions and consult with project officers, National Contact Points, and auditors. The episode offers not just clarity but also strategies for de-risking participation in EU projects — a must-listen for SME owners, grant consultants, and public facilitators supporting them.

Time codes:

00:02:14 Introduction

00:06:20 Fly in

00:08:19 SME eligibility issues

00:20:07 Practical advice for SMEs

00:31:44 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this second half of The Grant’s Innovation Fund introduction, Irene Larroy from EY shares with us the complex application and evaluation landscape of one of the EU’s most ambitious funding instruments for decarbonisation. In this second part we go through step-by-step the grant application process—what documents are required, how feasibility studies and financial modeling fit into the process, and what it takes to calculate eligible costs using the dreaded Excel templates. Irene shares hard-earned insights into what makes proposals successful (or not), especially in relation to key documents like the GHG emissions calculator and the financial maturity documentation.

The episode also examines how Innovation Fund proposals are evaluated: from the role of expert panels to the five core evaluation criteria—degree of innovation, GHG reduction, project maturity, replicability, and cost-efficiency. Bonus points, controversial scoring issues, and evaluation fairness across sectors are addressed with practical advice for applicants. Finally, we have a look at what happens after winning the grant, including negotiations, financial close, and the grant agreement phase—plus a few project success stories to bring it all to life.

Time codes:

00:02:06 How to apply

00:16:54 Evaluation

00:46:59 When receiving funding

01:00:38 Do's and don't's

01:07:32 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this Funding Scheme episode of The Grant, I invite Irene LaRoy, Innovation Fund expert and Partner at EY, to give us all an intruction to one of EU’s flagship funding programs: the Innovation Fund. We look into why the European Commission launched theInnovation Fund as part of the European Green Deal — aiming to decarbonize heavy industry by directly supporting the construction of large-scale facilities. Irene explains the unique structure of the programme, including the different project categories (small, medium, large, pilot, and clean tech manufacturing) and the heavy focus on industrial-scale deployment rather than research.

The episode sheds light on how Innovation Fund projects are evaluated, how relevant costs are calculated, and why financial close is a crucial milestone. It highlights theInnovation Fund’s distinctive character: it’s financed through the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and operates with stringent technical and financial demands. Finally, we look into why applying for the Innovation Fund demands strategic commitment, top-level management buy-in, and an intricate balance between innovation, technical readiness, and financial solidity.

This is a double episode. In this first episode we dig into why the EU Commission established this initiative, the structure of the programme and the target group and stakeholders. Very instructive for everybody who is approaching the funding scheme.

Time codes:

00:01:50 Introduction

00:07:44 Fly in on Innovation Fund

00:09:26 EU background for the funding scheme

00:14:25 Structure of the programme

00:50:56 Target groups

Episode site

Together with Stephanie Harfensteller, EU Research Coordinator at FIR an der RWTH Aachen, I am launching the first episode of the Research Manager Shorts Series.

In this first one we discuss how research support units can be strategically developed within institutions. The conversation explores what it takes to set up and scale research management—from convincing leadership to creating internal awareness of the function’s value. Stephanie shares her experience establishing the research management function at research institute, how she identified internal "pain points," and how she framed these challenges as strategic opportunities that aligned with broader institutional goals.

The episode highlights how professionalizing research support is not only about writing better proposals but about improving long-term sustainability, compliance, and impact. Topics include building internal visibility, tailoring support to researchers' actual needs, and working across silos to embed research strategy into the daily rhythm of the organization. Whether you're starting from scratch or scaling an existing support structure, this episode offers practical insights on transforming research management into a strategic asset.

Time codes:

00:02:45 Introduction

00:05:46 First motivation

00:09:48 Management commitment

00:14:07 Considerations before starting - Motivation

00:22:25 Considerations before starting - Challenges

00:28:32 Connection with overall organizational strategy

Episode site

In the second half of this Implementation Series double episode on communication and dissemination, my two guests Anna-Maria Czarny and Maëla Barçon from Hanse-Parlament move into unfolding dissemination in EU-funded projects. They unpack what dissemination really means, how it differs from communication, and why the two must work in sync. The discussion includes concrete strategies like using targeted knowledge platforms, printed materials for traditional audiences, and tailoring approaches to each project’s specific socio-economic environment.

The episode also explores operational best practices—from organizing partner collaboration and indicators, to planning events that meaningfully present project results. My dear guests share candid stories, such as how a single presentation led to EU-level recognition, and why printing a book might still be your best dissemination tool. The conversation wraps up with useful do's and don'ts, like staying flexible, knowing your target groups, and never sidelining dissemination just because “you’ll do it later.”

Time codes:

00:01:41 The dissemination activities

00:28:38 Synergies

00:31:50 Organisation, collaboration and formalities

00:46:30 Do's and don't's

00:51:41 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this Implementation Series episode, I dig into the nuts and bolts of communication and dissemination within EU-funded projects. Returning guests Anna Maria Czarny and Maëla Barçon, both project managers at Hanse-Parlament, to share their hands-on experiences and practices. We discuss the essential distinctions between communication (engaging audiences and promoting activities) and dissemination (sharing project results and knowledge), while highlighting the common confusion and overlap between the two.

This nice conversation covers everything from classic tools like newsletters, social media, and websites to innovative tactics such as QR code marketing, localized web pages, and dynamic visual content. The episode offers detailed advice on setting up an effective communication strategy, organizing indicators, building partner engagement, and creatively involving target audiences. It's a practical, behind-the-scenes guide for anyone implementing EU-funded projects who wants to go beyond boilerplate templates and make an actual impact.

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:05:50 Fly in on communication and dissemination

00:14:49 Communication activities

00:23:14 The communication & dissemination strategy

00:32:42 Communication activities (continued)

Episode site

In this episode of The Grant Podcast, I dive into the role of CENSEC, Denmark’s national cluster for defense, space, and security, and how it facilitates access to EU funding, particularly the European Defense Fund (EDF). The conversation highlights the strategic importance of clusters in fostering innovation and collaboration among SMEs, research institutions, and government bodies. We explore the shifting landscape of defense funding in Europe, especially following Denmark’s recent reintegration into EU defense collaborations, and how this has impacted the availability of resources and support structures for organizations seeking EDF funding.

The discussion also underscores the historical reluctance towards defense funding in Denmark anmd Europe and how perceptions are rapidly changing in response to geopolitical threats. The episode further delves into CENSEC’s initiatives, including its EDF Best Practice Group, which brings together grant winners, EU regional offices, the Ministry of Defence, and industry players to share insights and improve Denmark’s performance in securing EDF funding. A key focus is on strategic alliances, where experienced grant recipients mentor newer entrants to enhance participation in EU-funded defense projects. The conversation also touches on the unique challenges of EDF funding—such as its tender-like complexity, stringent co-financing requirements, and the necessity for government backing in applications. Finally, we examine the evolving European defense ecosystem, the increasing role of private-sector investments in security research, and why strengthening Europe’s defense innovation capabilities is now a crucial priority.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:06:32 Fly in on CENSEC and EDF

00:08:51 CENSEC

00:31:37 Facilitating EDF

00:59:50 Recommemdations

01:03:03 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this episode of The Grant, I dive deep into the European university alliances through the lens of YUFE – Young Universities for the Future of Europe. Guest Maria-Valerie Schegk, Secretary General of the YUFE Alliance, shares her insider perspective on how YUFE evolved from a bold vision sparked by Emmanuelle Macron’s Sorbonne speech in 2017 into a vibrant, cross-border collaboration of 10 young universities. From joint degrees and lifelong learning initiatives to engaging citizens and nurturing early-career researchers, YUFE exemplifies how university alliances can drive systemic change in European higher education.

The episode also unpacks the broader landscape of the 65 European university alliances, spotlighting both the opportunities and the immense amount of alliances suddenly operating. We explore the tensions between Erasmus+ funding and the growing ambition of alliances to operate across research and education. Maria-Valerie and I offer candid reflections on funding sustainability, institutional commitment, and the strategic shift from project-based thinking to long-term integration. If you're curious about the future of European universities—and how they’re navigating complex Brussels dynamics—this conversation is for you.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:05:39 Fly in on university alliances

00:11:29 YUFE and Its mission

00:28:27 European universities alliances

00:38:30 The research funding challenge

00:53:44 The role and impact of alliances

01:04:37 Policy and future perspectives

01:16:32 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In the final episode of this batch of the Communication Shorts Series, we dive into how to measure and refine social media engagement strategies. We stress that social media is an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time announcement, requiring consistent monitoring and response. The episode explores how to track audience interactions, respond to comments effectively, and use real-time data to adjust communication strategies. The hosts also address ethical considerations when prompting audience engagement, cautioning against superficial tactics that may appear disingenuous.

The discussion extends to community building and conversion optimization. We emphasize the value of turning passive followers into active participants by fostering discussions and encouraging meaningful interactions. The episode also includes insights on how to respond to criticism professionally, the benefits of repurposing past content in timely contexts, and how AI tools can enhance engagement tracking. Ultimately, this episode rounds out the series by offering a strategic approach to maintaining and growing digital influence in the EU funding communication landscape.

Time codes:

00:02:53 Introduction to monitor, analyze and learn

00:03:41 Monitor and respond

00:15:22 Analyze performance

Episode site

This episode focuses on crafting compelling, concise, and engaging messages for social platforms. Casper stresses that the first two sentences of a post are crucial, as they determine whether an audience will continue reading. We recommend using attention-grabbing hooks such as surprising statistics, provocative questions, or emotionally compelling statements. The discussion also covers structuring posts with simple, direct language while avoiding technical jargon that might alienate a broader audience. Additionally, we highlight the importance of a clear call to action to drive engagement and conversions.

Beyond text, the episode explores the role of visuals in amplifying a message’s impact. Whether using images, infographics, or videos, we discuss how visuals enhance readability and make posts stand out in crowded feeds. We also touch on the algorithmic advantages of using faces in social media posts and the growing relevance of AI-generated content. The episode concludes with practical tips on how to integrate text and visuals seamlessly to maximize audience retention and interaction.

Time codes:

00:02:54 Introduction to engaging and concise language

00:04:01 Use an engaging hook

00:12:43: Keep it concise

00:16:23 Use visuals

00:25:54 Encourage engagement and include calls to action

Episode site

In this episode, we explore how to leverage social platforms effectively to communicate EU funding projects. We discuss the importance of viewing social platforms as tools rather than media, emphasizing strategic audience engagement over mere visibility. Further, we highlight how to use relatable language, compelling narratives, and audience-specific messaging to increase impact. Additionally, the episode underscores the significance of platform-specific content adaptation, where different channels require different tones and messaging styles to resonate with their respective audiences.

The conversation also delves into timing and audience targeting as key factors for effective communication. Casper explains the benefits of strategic posting, emphasizing when professionals engage most actively on platforms like LinkedIn. We also discuss hashtags, how to research effective tags, and the importance of mirroring the communication style of your audience to build credibility. Ultimately, the episode provides a structured approach to making social media a strategic asset rather than a passive broadcasting channel.

Time codes:

00:02:45 Introduction

00:04:36 Fly in on How to get attention on social platforms

00:06:15 Use social platforms as tools rather than media

00:12:23 Know your audience

00:17:57 Timing can be crucial

00:29:51 Use hashtags wisely

Episode site

In episode #160 of The Grant Podcast, I kick off the new Widening Series, focusing on the Widening Programme under Horizon Europe. Co-hosting this series is Thomas Brent, a former science policy journalist and Widening expert, now working at CERN. Together, we dive into why the Widening Programme exists, its objectives, and how it addresses the research and innovation gap between high-performing and low-performing EU countries. Our guest for this first episode is Ian Gauci Borda, Malta’s National Contact Point and Programme Committee member, who provides a comprehensive introduction to the programme’s structure, goals, and challenges.

This episode unpacks the origins of Widening, exploring how it was designed to increase participation from underrepresented EU countries in Horizon Europe while maintaining excellence standards. We also examine the political debate surrounding its future, including proposals to move Widening funding to the Cohesion Fund and the resistance from the EU-15 widening countries. Ian shares insights on the impact of Widening so far, key funding instruments like Teaming, Twinning, and ERA Chairs, and how some countries like Cyprus have successfully leveraged the programme to strengthen their research capacities.

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:06:04 Fly in on the Widening Programme

00:09:56 Introduction to the Widening Programme

00:20:40 Structure of the Widening programme

00:29:28 Experiences in the programme

00:48:51 Perspectives for the programme

Episode site

In episode #159 of The Grant Podcast, we continue our deep dive into EDF proposal writing, focusing on the writing phase, submission process, and key strategic considerations. Joined again by Margherita Volpe from Zabala Innovation Europe, we explore how to structure the nine key sections of an EDF proposal, balancing technical precision, market research, and compliance with EU security policies. We discuss the challenges of coordinating inputs from work package leaders, ensuring strong innovation potential, and aligning with national security priorities.

This episode also delves into common roadblocks in EDF proposal writing, including the diplomatic challenges of consortium collaboration, handling budget structuring, and managing the strict submission process. Margherita shares practical tips on securing Ministry of Defence approvals, avoiding repetition in lengthy proposals, and overcoming industry-specific barriers to cooperation. If you’re working on an EDF funding application, this episode provides crucial insights to help navigate the complexities and submit a competitive proposal.

Time codes:

00:01:43 The writing phase

00:19:40 The sections - one-by-one

00:39:53 Submission

00:43:57 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In episode #158 of The Grant Podcast, I take a deep dive into proposal writing for the European Defence Fund (EDF) — one of the most complex and competitive funding schemes in the EU. I have invited Margherita Volpe from Zabala Innovation Europe, to explore the key steps in developing a winning EDF proposal, from concept development and consortium collaboration to budget structuring and securing Ministry of Defence declarations. Given the highly structured nature of EDF calls, we break down what sets them apart from Horizon Europe proposals and why strategic alignment with EU security priorities is crucial for success.

This episode also uncovers the unique challenges of EDF applications, including the strict eligibility criteria, funding mechanisms, and the necessity for transnational cooperation. Margherita shares insider knowledge on navigating EDF’s regulatory landscape, maximizing funding rates, and the critical role of SMEs and midcaps in defence innovation. Whether you’re an experienced grant writer or new to defence funding, this discussion provides essential insights to help you craft a competitive EDF proposal.

Time codes:

00:01:42 Introduction

00:05:24 Fly in on EDF

00:11:02 Preparation for the writing phase

00:36:26 Shaping of proposal concept with consortium

Episode site

This episode focuses on making newsletter content engaging and impactful. The first step? Crafting an attention-grabbing subject line that makes recipients want to open the email. The right balance of intrigue, clarity, and action-oriented language can significantly boost open rates.

Beyond the subject line, we discuss structuring content effectively by maintaining a mix of short and long sections, serious and light pieces, and ensuring each newsletter is varied but structured. Writing in an engaging, personal, and relatable tone is another key element that fosters connection with readers. Finally, the episode highlights the importance of visuals—using images, videos, and infographics to break up text and enhance comprehension.

Time codes:

00:03:02 Introduction on final touches

00:04:21 Optimize for mobile

00:11:51 Proofread and edit

00:17:01 Track and analyze performance

Episode site

This episode focuses on making newsletter content engaging and impactful. The first step? Crafting an attention-grabbing subject line that makes recipients want to open the email. The right balance of intrigue, clarity, and action-oriented language can significantly boost open rates.

Beyond the subject line, we discuss structuring content effectively by maintaining a mix of short and long sections, serious and light pieces, and ensuring each newsletter is varied but structured. Writing in an engaging, personal, and relatable tone is another key element that fosters connection with readers. Finally, the episode highlights the importance of visuals—using images, videos, and infographics to break up text and enhance comprehension.

Time codes:

00:02:54 Introduction to catchy content

00:03:47 Use a catchy subject line

00:12:11 Write balanced and engaging content

00:23:06 Incorporate visuals

00:30:07 Include clear calls to action

Episode site

In this episode, we dive into the foundational aspects of launching a successful newsletter. The discussion kicks off with the importance of defining a clear purpose—whether it’s to inform, engage, or drive action. Without a well-defined objective, a newsletter risks becoming just another email in a crowded inbox.

We also explore the critical role of knowing your audience and segmenting them to tailor content effectively. A strong communication strategy requires sticking to a consistent format so that readers know what to expect each time. Lastly, we highlight the importance of revisiting and refining your strategy over time to avoid losing focus and ensure continued effectiveness.

Time codes:

00:02:54 Picking the winner

00:04:39 Introduction on click on your newsletter

00:06:38 Define your purpose

00:18:02 Know your audience

00:23:58 Maintain a consistent format

Episode site

The topic of gender balance in EU funding is more relevant than ever, and in this episode, we take a deep dive into the challenges, progress, and ongoing efforts to ensure equal access to funding opportunities. My guest, Anne-Charlotte Joubert, EU Affairs and Funding Expert at Euro-BioImaging and founder of WonderFund, shares her insights on how gender imbalances persist in the funding ecosystem and why addressing them is crucial for innovation and economic growth. From the European Commission’s early initiatives to today’s structural challenges, we explore how policies and funding mechanisms are shaping the future for female researchers and entrepreneurs.

Together, we discuss the gender funding gap, the Commission’s role in promoting equality, and the initiatives making a real impact, including Anne-Charlotte’s work in supporting women entrepreneurs and researchers. With concrete data, inspiring success stories, and practical steps for change, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in diversity, inclusion, and fair access to research and innovation funding. Whether you're a researcher, policymaker, or investor, this conversation sheds light on how we can build a more equitable funding landscape.

Time codes:

00:02:14 Introduction

00:06:04 Fly in on funding and gender

00:08:06 The gender funding gab

00:25:55 Work and initiatives

00:45:06 Need for collaboration

00:54:35 Getting involved

00:56:16 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this second part of the double episode on the ERC interview, we dive into the crucial second stage of the ERC application process - the interview. Yasmin Wachs, Senior Consultant at Enspire Science, demystifies what happens when candidates face the ERC panel. From understanding the online format to tackling strict time management, Yasmine shares essential insights on how to navigate the high-stakes moment that can make or break an ERC grant application. She provides expert advice on structuring a compelling presentation, managing stress, and handling tough questions from the panel with confidence.

Beyond the interview itself, this episode also explores what happens after the panel discussion - how applicants receive feedback, what to do if the funding doesn’t come through, and why reapplying can be a strong strategic move. Whether you’re preparing for an ERC interview or simply curious about the funding process, this discussion offers valuable takeaways on mastering the final stage of ERC funding.

Time codes:

00:01:49 The interview itself

00:17:00 After the interview

00:30:07 Recommendations

00:33:57 The toughest challenge

Episode site

In this episode of The Grant Podcast, I delve into the intricacies of preparing for an ERC (European Research Council) interview. My guest, Yasmin Wachs, Senior Consultant at Enspire Science, brings over a decade of expertise in guiding researchers through the ERC grant process. With firsthand insights into what makes a proposal stand out, Yasmin offers invaluable advice on crafting a winning narrative, tackling high-risk, high-gain research, and mastering the art of pitching complex ideas under strict time constraints.

Yasmin shares practical tips for researchers to prepare for this pivotal stage in their ERC journey, including insights on panel dynamics, effective communication strategies, and the importance of embracing conceptual risks. Whether you're new to ERC grants or seeking to refine your approach, this episode is a must-listen for anyone aiming to secure funding for groundbreaking research.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:04:05 Fly in on ERC Interview

00:10:45 Preparation for the interview

Episode site

In this episode of The Grant, I explore the dynamic partnership between Heatflow, a tech-driven SME specializing in advanced thermal management solutions, and the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), a leading Danish research organization.

The discussion dives into how collaboration between SMEs and RTOs drives innovation, turning groundbreaking concepts into market-ready solutions. Featuring guests Paw Mortensen, Managing Director of Heatflow, and Ellen Hedegaard, Business Manager at DTI, the episode examines the benefits of leveraging EU funding, additive manufacturing technologies, and the vital role of aligning shared goals to tackle energy efficiency challenges in industries such as data centers and automotive.

Listeners gain insight into how Heatflow and DTI work together to navigate complex EU funding landscapes, developing cutting-edge solutions that reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. From their ongoing projects to fostering innovation in sustainable technologies, the conversation highlights the power of strategic partnerships in achieving long-term success. Whether you're an SME looking for guidance or a researcher aiming to enhance industry collaboration, this episode offers valuable lessons in turning ideas into impactful outcomes.

Time codes:

00:02:14 Introduction

00:05:21 Introduction to Heatflow

00:12:55 Introduction to Danish Technological Institute

00:23:32 Strategic funding collaboration

00:53:00 Recommendations

01:03:21 The toughest challenge

Episode site

The final episode in this series focuses on the critical role of relationship-building in successful communication strategies. The hosts highlight the importance of following up after sending a press release, emphasizing that persistence (when done respectfully) often makes the difference between a missed opportunity and a published story. They discuss how to make interactions with journalists easy and valuable by being prepared, responsive, and available to clarify or expand on details when contacted.

Casper shares insights on fostering long-term relationships with journalists through consistent, meaningful interactions, such as commenting on their work or inviting them to relevant events. The discussion also touches on creative ways to build rapport, including the use of humor and personalization to maintain interest. This episode equips listeners with actionable strategies to turn press pitches into lasting professional relationships, ultimately ensuring sustained media coverage for their projects.

Time codes:

00:03:02 Introduction: Build relations

00:04:01 Be available for questions

00:09:20 Build relationships with journalists

00:18:21 Follow up without being pushy

Episode site

This episode dives into the foundational principles of effective communication for EU-funded projects, starting with the critical need to understand your audience. Casper shares strategies to identify what resonates with both journalists and their readers, emphasizing the importance of knowing not just your direct audience but also the broader public they serve.

The conversation highlights the art of crafting a compelling narrative that connects your project to societal benefits, human impact, and broader relevance. Using relatable examples, the hosts explore how to move from technical jargon to accessible, impactful language that grabs attention. They also discuss how to pitch the intrinsic value of a project and explain why it deserves public and media interest.

This episode is an essential guide for anyone looking to refine their approach to project communication, providing tools to bridge the gap between complex ideas and the broader public.

Time codes:

00:02:53 Picking the winner

00:03:57 Introduction: How to sell your project to the media

00:06:38 Know your audience

00:13:24 Craft a compelling story

00:22:07 Highlight the impact

Episode site

In this episode, the focus shifts to the tactical aspects of communication, starting with the importance of defining a unique angle for your story. The hosts discuss how to distill a project’s complexity into a sharp and focused narrative that cuts through the noise. Casper introduces the concept of leading with conclusions—putting the most interesting and relevant details up front—and the value of adopting a journalist’s perspective when crafting messages.

The conversation also delves into the technicalities of writing a press release that grabs attention, covering everything from structure and language to the inclusion of visual assets like photos, infographics, and charts. By making the story visually appealing and accessible, communicators can amplify their chances of media engagement. This episode is packed with practical advice to sharpen messaging and improve the visibility of EU-funded projects.

Time codes:

00:03:02 Introduction: Captivating angles, language and multimedia

00:03:21 Identify unique angles

00:09:45 Use clear and accessible language

00:18:00 Prepare a strong press release

00:24:17 Provide multimedia assets

Episode site

Since Russia initiated its full-scale attack war on Ukraine the European Commission has changed its discourse 180 degrees on funding defence and security industries. It already started with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 where the Commission started up the European Defence Fund, but with the full-scale war the Commission has ripped off the plaster fully from the realization that we need to be able to protect ourselfes. The EU as a peace project has to be able to defend itself.

Terma is a Danish 800 employee large company focused on aerospace, defense, and security specialized in in advanced technologies and solutions for global defense, space, and security markets. It provides high-tech systems such as radar, self-protection equipment, mission systems, and software for military, civilian, and industrial use. I invited their man on Brussels, Severin Schnepp, into the virtual podcast studio to fold out the changing conditions for the defence sector in EU funding, the available funding schemes and not least how Terma is using their Brussels office.

Time codes:

00:02:05 Introduction

00:04:50 Fly in

00:14:52 A bit of history

00:23:21 Funding schemes

00:35:33 Funding strategy

00:51:10 Boots on the ground in Brussels

01:18:30 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Digging into the Brussels bubble is an important part of this podcast initiative. Simply: I want to fold out to the community across Europe how different organisations work within the Brussels eco-system and fold out why it can be beneficial to be present in Brussels

INESC is a large Portuguese private research organisation. It has been present in Brussels for a few years and is quite ambitious in relation to connecting their research teams to the Brussels plug. Ricardo Migueis is the Head of Office at their INESC Brussels Hub and he is one of these persons that have been in Brussels for ages and know the in’s and out’s of how to work the city.

Of course I had to take him into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about how INESC is approaching Brussels. And when you put to old Brussels rats together there is a lot to talk about. In other words this is a double episode and in the first half we dug into the reason why they have a Brussels office, how it functions and the important connection back home. Here in the second half we move into lobbying and project

Time codes:

00:02:07 Lobbying

00:16:22 Project facilitation

00:19:01 The Insider Podcast

00:28:33 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Digging into the Brussels bubble is an important part of this podcast initiative. Simply: I want to fold out to the community across Europe how different organisations work within the Brussels eco-system and fold out why it can be beneficial to be present in Brussels

INESC is a large Portuguese private research organisation. It has been present in Brussels for a few years and is quite ambitious in relation to connecting their research teams to the Brussels plug. Ricardo Migueis is the Head of Office at their INESC Brussels Hub and he is one of these persons that have been in Brussels for ages and know the in’s and out’s of how to work the city.

Of course I had to take him into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about how INESC is approaching Brussels. And when you put to old Brussels rats together there is a lot to talk about. In other words this is a double episode and in the first half we are digging the reason why they have a Brussels office, how it functions and the important connection back home.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:07:16 Fly in on INESC

00:16:35 Functions and organisation

00:42:43 The connection home

Casper Ravnsted-Larsen is an old contact from Brussels. He is a journalist and has been working on a generic communication strategy outline for organisations. We decided to build a podcast series rolling out this strategy in short and concise episodes with concrete examples.

With this I also want to get closer to you, dear listener. We want to get your feedback and for you to share your experience and insights on the topics we discuss because it adds depth and reflection to the benefit for all. So, what will I do?

Maybe you noticed my LinkedIn post with a mug? You can win that mug. The next five months we will release episodes in this series. And every month we choose the best comment or question posted on LinkedIn to win an exclusive The Grant mug. You can’t buy this mug – you can only win it.

And even better! By the end of the series we will make a listener panel episode where all five winners of the mug will be invited for a podcast recording where we discuss and exchange on communication strategy within EU R&D funding.

Now, lets get going. In the first three episodes we focus on building the strategy. You have just listened to the first two episode where we looked into defining objectives, defining audience, creating key messages and choosing communication channels. In this third and final episode in this batch of episodes we zoom in on importance of measuring and evaluating the effectiveness, importance of adapting and iterating and finally some focus on training your team.

If you want to follow our script while listening, you can find that on the episode site. You find the link in the episode notes where you listen to your podcast

Time codes:

00:02:53 Introduction: Measure, learn and adapt

00:05:38 Measure and evaluate effectiveness

00:12:35 Adapt and iterate

00:20:08 Train your team

Casper Ravnsted-Larsen is an old contact from Brussels. He is a journalist and has been working on a generic communication strategy outline for organisations. We decided to build a podcast series rolling out this strategy in short and concise episodes with concrete examples.

With this I also want to get closer to you, dear listener. We want to get your feedback and for you to share your experience and insights on the topics we discuss because it adds depth and reflection to the benefit for all. So, what will I do?

Maybe you noticed my LinkedIn post with a mug? You can win that mug. The next five months we will release episodes in this series. And every month we choose the best comment or question posted on LinkedIn to win an exclusive The Grant mug. You can’t buy this mug – you can only win it.

And even better! By the end of the series we will make a listener panel episode where all five winners of the mug will be invited for a podcast recording where we discuss and exchange on communication strategy within EU R&D funding.

Now, lets get going. In the first three episodes we focus on building the strategy. You have just listened to first episode in this batch of three on how to define objectives, identify your target audience and doing a SWAT analysis. In this second episode we zoom in on creating key messages, communication channels, content calendar and two-way communication.

If you want to follow our script while listening, you can find that on the episode site. You find the link in the episode notes where you listen to your podcast

Time codes:

00:02:54 Introduction

00:04:04 Create key messages

00:11:34 Choose communication channels wisely

00:16:00 Develop a content calendar

00:22:38 Engage in two-way communication

Episode site

When you podcast you sometimes need to shake things up and try to do things differently. I have launched a short format some time ago, but it needed some rethinking. So here it is: my first shot at serving you vibrant short podcast episodes with strong engagement.

Casper Ravnsted-Larsen is an old contact from Brussels. He is a journalist and has been working on a generic communication strategy outline for organisations. We decided to build a podcast series rolling out this strategy in short and concise episodes with concrete examples.

With this I also want to get closer to you, dear listener. We want to get your feedback and for you to share your experience and insights on the topics we discuss because it adds depth and reflection to the benefit for all. So, what will I do?

Maybe you noticed my LinkedIn post with a mug? You can win that mug. The next five months we will release episodes in this series. And every month we choose the best comment or question posted on LinkedIn to win an exclusive The Grant mug. You can’t buy this mug – you can only win it.

And even better! By the end of the series we will make a listener panel episode where all five winners of the mug will be invited for a podcast recording where we discuss and exchange on communication strategy within EU R&D funding.

Now, lets get going. In the first three episodes we focus on building the strategy. Here in the first out of three we run through defining objectives, identifying target audience and doing a SWAT analysis. On the episode site you will find our script so that can follow our discussion. You find the link in the episode notes where you listen to your podcast

Time codes:

00:02:36 Introduction of the series

00:10:02 Building a communication strategy

00:11:30 Define clear objectives

00:17:39 Identify your target audience

00:29:30 Conduct a SWOT analysis

This podcast episode is a collaboration between the AIRinVET project and The Grant.

Getting applied research stronger integrated into vocational education is of key importance in moving education and industry closer and develop a stronger understanding between them.

The Erasmus+ project AIRinVET has through its two-year duration focused on transforming vocational education through applied research. The project has developed tools and frameworks that equip Vocational Education and Training centers to collaborate effectively with SMEs, bridging gaps between education and industry while driving innovation and competitiveness.

In the virtual podcast studio, I have three of the core partners: Barbara van Ginneken from Katapult, the Netherlands, Maëla Barçon from Hanse-Parlament, Germany and Iñigo Mujika from Tknika, Basque Country, Spain. We have a conversation about the challenges that the project addresses and dig into the tools and results that have come out of the efforts.

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:05:04 Fly in on the AIRinVET project

00:08:34 Setting the scene: why applied research in VET?

00:12:42 The project in a nutshell

00:19:40 Diving deeper: challenges and innovations

00:42:31 What's next?

00:45:59 Hard learnings and positive surprises

Episode site

The AI Series is a popular initiative. Of course, because many of you are sponges that want to get as much information, guidance and critical mass on how to use the Large Language Models. In the first five episodes in the series my dear guests Rita and Kristjan have been taking us through different corners of this new technology and in the last round we had a double episode focusing on the critical points of the chatbots.

Now, finally, it is time for the perspective of the funding administrator. Rosie Afia-Ford is Senior Innovation Fund Manager in Caribou Digital which is running the Mastercard Strive programme. She wrote a blogpost on exactly the topic of how the chatbots are changing the world for funding administrators. Of course, Rita, Kristjan and I had to get her into the virtual podcast studio.

It became a wonderful conversation about new opportunities for beneficiaries, the responsibilities of funding administrators and the challenges they are facing with these new technologies.

Time codes:

00:01:48 Introduction

00:10:45 Fly in

00:13:02 Funding administrators' perspective on AI

01:06:06 Balancing innovation and fairness

01:25:13 Rethinking funding mechanisms

Episode site

The Grant are many things. I try to help with advice, insights, how-to’s, don’t’-do’s and generally give a voice to the community. But The Grant is also opening up on practicalities. How are actual projects working when they are running. And this week is a peak into an Erasmus+ project

Through my daytime-work I am involved in an Erasmus+ project called WIN4SMES focused on securing enough heads and hands in the future for manufacturing SMEs. And of course I am instrumentalizing The Grant in the project: I recorded an episode when we had the kick-off meeting in April in Hamburg and we will be recording an episode everytime we have a partner meeting.

In October we met for a partner meeting and a train-the-trainer session. The programme was arranged as an internal partner course with guidelines on how to set up and run a local collaboration between vocational training schools, industry and universities. Hence, the focus of this project podcast episode is on the train-the-trainer as a concept. This became a nice conversation about how to set this up and the complexity of carrying it out.

Time codes:

00:01:57 Introduction

00:03:04 Project in a nutshell

00:08:32 Train-the-trainer - role in the project concept

00:25:43 Train-the-Trainer and COVE

00:38:42 Practical examples

00:43:50 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Opening up the Brussels bubble is always fascinating. Especially when looking into the section of the bubble that is close linked to shaping and forming work programme content - short and long-term.

EFFRA – or European Factories of the Future Research Association – is one of the European Partnerships. This means that the organisation is feeding input into the Horizon Europe work programmes and have their own section – Made in Europe.

Chris Decubber is one of my contacts that goes way back. Probably 15 years. He has been an advisor for EFFRA since it was inaugurated in 2009 which of course means he has an extremely solid knowledge about how to facilitate strategic positions for the manufacturing industries vis-à-vis the EU R&D Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Hence, he has been on my list of preferred guests for a while.

So here it is. We have an interesting conversation about the work EFFRA does, their role in the eco-system and how they work with the input for the work programmes. Great content!

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:05:58 Fly in on EFFRA

00:16:29 Mission and structure

00:34:05 EFFRA in the EU funding system

00:52:01 Consultation between EU Commission and members

01:16:44 Membership involvement

01:27:07 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Reporting to the EU Commission in a funded project is an art in itself. From the face of it, it looks like a fairly simple part of implementing a project, but of course it is not. The complexity of implementing the projects combined with the number of partners and being on top of regulation and formalities all adds to this task being something that anybody should prepare solidly for.

Thanks God you all got The Grant to give a helping hand! In The Implementation Series I am doing everything I can – together with guest experts - to give everybody input, information and critical mass on how to carry out an EU funded project. I managed to get the wonderful Serena Cogoni, Horizon Europe Expert, into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the in’s and out’s of periodic reporting.

This is a double episode and last week we kicked off zooming in on what is exactly the requirements of periodic reporting, how to prepare yourself and your administrative systems and the first periodic reporting itself. In this second half we dig into the elements of the final reporting including the relationship to the project officer, the online reporting submission system, strategies to develop a compelling final report and not least some tips and do’s and don’t’s.

Time codes:

00:02:05 Final reporting

00:16:50 The online submission system

00:25:04 Strategies for a compelling final report

00:40:11 Learnings and do's and don't's

00:41:28 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Reporting to the EU Commission in a funded project is an art in itself. From the face of it, it looks like a fairly simple part of implementing a project, but of course it is not. The complexity of implementing the projects combined with the number of partners and being on top of regulation and formalities all adds to this task being something that anybody should prepare solidly for.

Thanks God you all got The Grant to give a helping hand! In The Implementation Series I am doing everything I can – together with guest experts - to give everybody input, information and critical mass on how to carry out an EU funded project. This week and the next the wonderful Serena Cogoni, Horizon Europe Expert, takes us all through the in’s and out’s of periodic reporting.

In the first half of the double episode we zoom in on what is exactly the requirements of periodic reporting, how to prepare yourself and your administrative systems and finally Serena runs through the first periodic reporting itself. Exactly what you need if you are implementing an EU project!

Time codes:

00:01:50 Introduction

00:07:33 Fly in

00:12:22 Understanding Horizon Europe reporting requirements

00:25:26 Preparing your systems

00:45:43 The Interim reporting

Episode site

The AI Series is a popular initiative. Of course because many of you are sponges that want to get as much information, guidance and critical mass on how to use the Large Language Models. And the first three episodes in the series have been showered in enthusiasm since my dear guests Rita and Kristjan have very actively incorporated the tools in their workflow as proposals preparers.

Now, we need some critical voices on this series and we agreed in the last episode to try to get a proposal evaluator and an outspoken critic about the LLMs. So, here it is: independent consultant and Horizon Europe evaluator Maria Daniela Angione and Erasmus+ proposal and project expert Daiana Huber shares their concerns and critical points-of-view in a very nice discussion about the Chatbot-regime.

Last week in the first part of the double episode Maria Daniela gave an insight into the evaluator perspective on this development. In this second half criticism rams up with Erasmus+ expert Daiana Huber sharing why she considers the LLMs a mirage and why she thinks it makes proposals and projects less worth. And then we have a lovely discussion about it! This is fantastic!

Time codes:

00:02:06 Five critical points on AI

00:16:34 Discussion

01:06:37 Final words

Episode site

The AI Series is a popular initiative. Of course because many of you are sponges that want to get as much information, guidance and critical mass on how to use the Large Language Models. And the first three episodes in the series have been showered in enthusiasm since my dear guests Rita and Kristjan have very actively incorporated the tools in their workflow as proposals preparers.

Now, we need some critical voices on this series and we agreed in the last episode to try to get a proposal evaluator and an outspoken critic about the LLMs. So, here it is: independent consultant and Horizon Europe evaluator Maria Daniela Angione and Erasmus+ proposal and project expert Daiana Huber shares their concerns and critical points-of-view in a very nice discussion about the Chatbot-regime.

In the first part of the double episode Maria Daniela is giving an insight into the evaluator perspective on this development and Rita and I had a chance to ask into how the evaluators navigate this new landscape.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:08:17 AI and critic fly in

00:18:37 The Evaluator

Episode site

Proposals become like little babies for the proposal coordinators. There is no end to the number of times guests on The Grant have referred to their submitted proposals and projects as their babies. However, many of these babies get rejected before they come to live.

Rejections are an essential part of submitting EU proposals - whoever has been even the slightest involved in EU R&D funding proposals have received rejections. But it is for the proposal coordinator that the rejections can be a real mental challenge. And why is? That’s because the proposal coordinator often also is the one who develops the idea from scratch, involves key partners, make a solid effort to sell the idea and making it even stronger, deals with whatever challenges arise during the preparation of leaving partners, rough budget discussions, text developing issues and so on and so on. There is no end to how much a proposal developer invests of her or him self in this process which in the end results in a sort of symbiosis with the proposal.

All this of course means that when the Evaluation Summary Report arrives and the email text start out with the sentence: ‘Sorry to inform you that your project has not been granted funding’, it can hit hard.

My good old colleague from PNO - Elena Calzado Roldan, Innovation Management Expert in Smart Innovation Norway asked me if we could do an episode about the roughness of receiving these rejections for your little babies. We discuss why this is difficult and how to cope with it. Indeed this is an episode that should interest a lot of you out there.

Time codes:

00:02:30 Introduction

00:07:55 Fly in on rejections

00:13:13 The baby syndrome

00:23:00 The baby dies - Managing rejections

00:35:01 Organizational and personal impacts of rejections

00:55:17 CPI for baby?

01:18:30 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Startups are the organisations that are the most in need of finance. They almost literally spend all waking hours figuring out how to acquire the financial means to realize their wonderful ideas. However, the funding system as well as the venture capital area are both quite rough on them.

Niloufar Gharavi is a startup’er herself. But she also had a good idea a couple of years ago: why not try to establish an ecosystem where startups are in the same community as the organisations that they need to collaborate with to realize their ideas – companies, research, governments and so on?

She founded the Euro Nordic Funding Alliance, put her hand in fire and scrabbed together enough money to do a kick off meeting last year inviting exactly that – startups, companies, venture capitalist and funding scheme administrators – to build a project facilitating community where the raising of capital is on the full solution/project and not just the individual startup. Making everything stronger and making the startups less vulnerable.

Naturally, I had to bring Niloufar into the virtual podcast studio to share how on earth she did this out of thin air and how it works in all practicality. This is great stuff!

Time codes:

00:02:06 Introduction

00:04:08 Fly in on Euro Nordic Funding Alliance

00:08:23 Understanding Euro Nordic Funding Alliance

00:28:36 How ENFA works with funding

00:59:49 Venture capital and funding

01:17:51 Practical examples

01:20:44 Future perspectives

01:25:58 The toughest challenge

Episode site

The project officer is the key person for any project. It is the person that is the EU representative towards the project and in this respect their core responsibilities include securing well-run projects, deliverables on time, financial accountability and all-in-all that the projects are living up to the grant agreement signed with the EU Commission. There are of course many layers to these formal elements in the day-to-day work as a project officer.

In my Implementation Series I have reached the introductory episode about the project officers. And I managed to get a former project officer onboard. Sergio Ferreira – now Senior Innovation Advisor in Norway Health Tech - was an EU Commission project officer for six years. Hence, he has years of experience in the role.

Last week we started off this double episode where Sergio introduced to us all to the key roles of the project officers. In this second half of the double episode we will dig into how the connection with the project consortia works both formally and informally. And then of course he offers a piece of advice. This is pure gold!

Time codes:

00:01:50 The connection to the project coordinators

00:29:19 Throughout the project period

01:04:35 A piece of advice

01:07:38 The toughest challenge

The project officer is the key person for any project. It is the person that is the EU representative towards the project and in this respect their core responsibilities include securing well-run projects, deliverables on time, financial accountability and all-in-all that the projects are living up to the grant agreement signed with the EU Commission. There are of course many layers to these formal elements in the day-to-day work as a project officer.

In other words in my Implementation Series I have reached the introductory episode about the project officers. It is not often that I am able to get the point-of-view from the side of the EU Commission and I didn’t manage either for this episode, but I managed to get a former project officer onboard. Sergio Ferreira – now Senior Innovation Advisor in Norway Health Tech - was a EU Commission project officer for six years. Hence, he has years of experience in the role.

He introduces to us all the key aspects of the role and shares the different layers of formalities and social skills that is embedded in the role. Indeed interesting for many of you out there!

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:11:16 Fly in on the project officer

00:13:30 The EU Commission's role as funding owner

00:31:40 The project officer - their side of the table

Episode site

The EU Commission is committed to supporting municipalities and towns throughout the continent and not just the big cities. Smaller communities a little off the track are relying quite a lot on the complex of funding schemes focused on their issues and challenges.

Gata de Gorgos is a town between Valencia and Alicante on the eastern coast of Spain. Through LinkedIn I got in contact with the great Leticia Monfort-Peiro Barth who is the Deputy Mayor of the municipality. She is a one-woman-army for the town in their efforts to approach funding for developing activities. I invited her into the virtual podcast studio to have a talk about how on earth she manages this with practically no resources.

It became a wonderful conversation about conditions in small communities and the challenges that especially climate change brings to especially the agricultural sector in the Mediterranean region.

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:05:32 Fly in

00:13:16 The challenges Gata de Gorgos

00:29:01 Strategies and EU funding

01:11:57 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Coordinating a funded EU project is quite a task to pick up. Everybody who has done knows the truth of that statement. The complexity and the many layers of the responsibilities are exhaustive and on top of that you also need to have an impressive stamina as a people person dealing with the positive and challenging elements of human interactions…conflicts, that is.

In other words, it is time for another episode in the Implementation Series and to have a look at the coordinator role. For that I have invited the experienced Andrea Motola, Consultant at Enspire Science, into the virtual podcast studio to share with us approaches, views, reflections, tips and tricks to handle the coordination of a funded project.

This episode is for both new to-be coordinators and experienced coordinators.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:05:28 Fly in

00:06:49 Proposal coordination vs project coordination

00:13:47 The first things to do

00:30:07 As the project rolls - Responsibilities

00:37:01 As the project rolls - Informal

00:50:02 Advantages and challenges

01:08:03 Do's and don't's

01:12:33 The toughest challenge

Episode site

'The lump sum budget principle is slowly being implemented in more and more calls in especially Horizon Europe, but also in other of the European Commission administered funding schemes. In other words, it is a principle that has come to stay, hence it is a good idea to get better and better acquainted with it.

The Grant will of course do it’s best to keep you my dear listener updated and informed on lump sum. In this weeks episode I have invited EU Funding Manager John Stian Haukeland from the private research organisation Danish Technological Institute into the virtual podcast studio. John has been involved in a good handful of lump sum proposals and projects when supporting research teams throughout his organisation the last couple of years and have acquired a lot of knowledge and understanding of how to work with it.

He shares with us how to work with the lump sum principle in all practicality both in the organisation dealing with the administrative side of it and of course in relation to shaping proposals under this principle. In other words, in this episode you have lots of nice reflections and tips based on experience.

Time codes:

00:01:38 Introduction

00:08:51 Fly in on lump sum

00:13:58 Key elements and principles

00:21:06 The administration

00:35:48 The content

01:03:59 Examples

01:09:48 Do's and don't's

01:14:13 The toughest challenge

Episode site

The kick off meeting is on the list of things that has to be taken care of when the EU project has been funded.

Here in the third episode in The Implementation Series The Grant zooms in on this special event exercise and how to attack it.

With me I have Senior Project Manager Nicole Schmidt from EUTEMA. She is the colleague of good old Georg Melzer-Venturi, who has been our guide in the first two programmes of this series. Nicole has planned and conducted many of kick off meetings and share with us the important steps in setting up the event and shares some nice tips, tricks, do’s and don’t’s based on her experience

This episode contains an endless amount of guidance and heads-up’s for professionals who will ever have to plan and execute a kick off meeting

Time codes:

00:01:33 Introduction

00:05:07 Fly in on kick off meetings

00:07:26 Main aim of kick off meeting

00:21:05 Team and group

00:35:20 The content programme

01:11:09 Organisation

01:23:26 The end of the meeting

01:31:58 Learnings, do's and don't's

01:38:09 The toughest challenge

Episode site

This week’s episode is something I have been looking forward to a lot to share with you. And it is a rather exotic topic. During my formative years I went to New Zealand hitchhiking alone around the whole country. Hence, the country on the other side of the planet has always had a special place in my heart.

Recently New Zealand and the EU Commission signed an Association Agreement attaching New Zealand to the Horizon Europe Pillar II programme on same conditions as EU countries. Well, needless to say, I am thrilled and first thing on my mind was to somehow secure a New Zealand representative for a podcast episode covering this great agreement.

I am proud to say that I managed to get the Programme Manager for Horizon Europe John Creech from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment into the virtual podcast studio to share with us all the background of the agreement, the history of collaboration between New Zealand and EU, a little bit about the New Zealand R&D landscape and not least how the country has built up their NCP structure dealing with all the regular NCP responsibilities, but also the ubiquitous issue of distance in time and space.

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:07:29 Fly in on the New Zealand relationship to EU

00:10:35 A little bit of history

00:17:07 A photograph of New Zealand R&D&I landscape

00:34:09 New Zealand and EU - how is it organised

01:02:51 The New Zealand NCP function

01:26:34 The toughest challenge

This is the third release of episodes under my short format The Grant Shorts. This is the second out of the two episodes where I zoom in on my 3rd job within this sector: Head of Funding in Offshoreenergy.dk – the official Danish energy innovation cluster (now Energy Cluster Denmark).

In this episode I elaborate on four core elements to be aware of when supporting SMEs towards funding from Brussels: 1) Understand your target group, 2) Learn how to translate the EU language, 3) Communication and 4) Eliminating the disctance.

Several of the key points also apply to other stakeholder groups so the episode gives inspiration to many organisation supporting stakeholders from Brussels towards funding.

Time codes:

00:01:52 Introduction

00:04:07 Understanding your target group

00:11:10 Learn how to translate EU language

00:14:46 Communication

00:17:55 Eliminating the distance

This is the third release of episodes under my short format The Grant Shorts. This is the first out of two episodes where I zoom in on my 3rd job within this sector: Head of Funding in Offshoreenergy.dk – the official Danish energy innovation cluster (now Energy Cluster Denmark).

In this episode I elaborate on how I slowly moved into the area of preparing proposals for cluster members and the cluster itself as well as, learning how to cope with an organisational merger and also getting deeper into the Brussels bubble.

Time codes:

00:01:35 Introduction

00:02:28 Fly in on my work for the cluster

00:09:26 Writing proposals for members

00:11:39 Merging two organisations and change

00:17:44 Getting closer to the Brussels eco-system

Episode site

The tide is turning. Regulars of this podcast know that I detest the call deadline policy applied especially for Horizon Europe. With no shame call deadlines are scheduled right after the summer and Christmas holidays with administrators knowing very well that thousands of professionals preparing proposals for these calls will have their holidays and much-needed downtime with family destroyed by heavy work-intensive days and nights. I know, because I have been there myself.

But the tide is turning. I have just recently recording the episode you are about to listen to. Alice Barbaglio, Rita Gil Mata and I discussed the mental health issues connected with working in this field. Last week Rita shared the results of a poll made by another former guest of this podcast, Isabel Burdallo. It showed 61% are planning their holidays after EU R&D funding call deadlines. It is stunning. On top Rita had counted that there are 40 topic calls during the first 15 days of September. 40. And estimated around 8.000 people would be working on those calls….having their holidays destroyed.

The tide is turning. The post took off. Flooded with comments about how sick people are of this. And how the EU Commission is hiding behind weak arguments of planning of the evaluation regime.

It’s enough. So action will now be taken. We will gather people and start changing this. It has to end. This episode is an appetizer.

Time codes:

00:02:39 Introduction

00:07:12 Fly in

00:15:48 Challenges and Stressors in Research Management

01:01:56 The toughest challenge

Episode page

The series I start they never really stop - there will always be something to add as I move along. This week’s release is adding another episode to The Timeline Series.

The visual element in proposals is much underestimated. Or at least for my part when I was preparing proposals, I considered it a luxury to actually have the time to make nice graphics and layouts. Many of you out there know the importance of a nice looking proposal to improve the impression it will have with evaluators. Pictures tell more than a 1000 words.

Co-founder Olaf-Gerd Gemein of Impact Funding Europe has taken visuals into a next level. Story-telling, colour coding and a conceptual approach using storyboards, Lego bricks all sorts of other creative tactual elements in the proposal preparation is at the core of the way Impact Funding Europe works with proposals for clients.

I got him into the virtual podcast studio to share with you and me about how they practically work with this approach to make their proposals truly standing out.

Time codes:

00:01:50 Introduction

00:05:19 Fly in on visuals in proposals

00:10:43 The function of visuals

00:18:16 How to approach it

00:42:07 The graphical elements

00:53:39 Some tools

01:01:27 The toughest challenge

Episode site

Finally, after 120 episodes of this initiative I managed to get a Programme Committee representative into the virtual podcast studio. And why is that important? Because the Programme Committees are core parts of the formal structure in relation to the EU framework programmes for research and development. Or Horizon2020, Horizon Europe and FP10 as they are more commonly known.

The Programme Committees are where the EU Commission and the framework programme participants sit in the same room and formally process and finally decide the whole structure and individual call content of all the framework programme. For anyone applying for funding it is important to understand how the work programmes come to life, how the process between governments and the EU is structured and not less how you can get your own voice heard in relation to work programme content.

I managed to get Maltese NCP and Programme Committee member Ian Gauci Borda into the virtual podcast studio to record the official The Grant introduction to the Programme Committee system and how it works.

Time codes:

00:01:57 Introduction

00:07:07 Fly in Programme Committees

00:13:05 Setting the scene

00:18:23 Function of the Programme Committees

00:47:15 Working procedures

01:19:42 Get your voice heard

01:32:03 The toughest challenge

Episode site

It is time for yet another introduction to a funding scheme in The Grant. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions is a very popular funding scheme among the European research community. The funding scheme focus is on exchange of researchers and it offers fairly accessible funding for the research activities to do abroad as well as covering cost of transferring and living.

Of course The Grant is also going to offer an official introduction to this funding scheme. For this I have invited my good old podcast colleague and independent grants consultant Ilaria Rudisi into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through what you need to know to approach this funding scheme including structure of the programme, how to apply and evaluation regime.

In other words: researchers of Europe – pay attention!

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:03:44 Fly in on MSCA and place in the funding value chain

00:10:49 Structure of programme

00:26:39 Target group stakeholders

00:31:29 How to apply

00:58:24 Evaluation regime

01:08:15 When funding is received

01:12:28 Do's & don't's

01:16:51 The toughest challenge

The relationship between the R&D funding system and the research community is a paradox. The funding system has been established to support the research community and the research community is a happy receiver of the funding. However, the research community is often struggling to approach the funding. Why? Because it is complex, because it requires investing time in understanding procedures, because it is difficult to get an overview of the fitting funding sources and because, simply, researchers are very busy professionals.

scientifyRESEARCH is a consultancy company born out of wanting to give an answer to these challenges for the research community. Founder Judy Mielke and Co-founder Kate Gardner have themselves a background in the research community and know the in’s and out’s of exactly these paradoxes. They have build a company with services that helps researchers to get an overview through a funding scheme database including funding schemes globally including private funding schemes. All to open up a broader perspective of funding opportunities for the researchers for them to identify other sources of funding than the very competitive EU funding schemes for R&D.

I pulled the two ladies into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about their services and for a talk about the research community and the difficulties approaching funding. It became a nice talk about the conditions of the research community and how to improve access to funding.

Time codes:

00:02:14 Introduction

00:07:18 Fly in on scientifyRESEARCH

00:13:49 Understanding scientifyRESEARCH

00:19:42 The database and how it works

00:45:34 The challenges of the researcher and the research offices

01:13:26 The research funders

01:24:26 Practical examples

01:27:34 Future

01:34:48 The toughest challenge

The consortium agreement is one of the first things you need to deal with when you receive the best email in the world from the EU Commission announcing that your proposal has been granted funding.

Here in the second episode in The Implementation Series The Grant zooms in on how what on earth the consortium agreement actually is and how to approach the development of it.

I have again aligned myself with the great capacity independent consultant Georg Melzer-Venturi, who has done consortium agreements a lot of times. He takes us through the important steps in the process and shares tips, tricks, do’s and don’t’s from his many years of experience.

This episode contains an endless amount of crucial tips and heads-up’s for both professionals who will ever be coordinating a project and professionals that have done it already.

Episode page

Time codes:

00:01:41 Introduction

00:03:25 Fly in on consortium agreement

00:06:35 Sections of the consortium agreement

00:16:13 Process explained

00:37:49 The IPR issue

00:52:33 Connection with overall project process

00:59:16 Do's & don't's

01:03:44 The toughest challenge

Test and demonstration facilities plays a vital role in the green transition of our society. Simply because before new technical solutions and innovation processes can be implemented in production and industry there is a need to understand in a safe isolated environment how they function in real life.

The EU Commission funds a lot of research and innovation projects that pushes the boundaries of technologies which means that test activities are needed in the last steps of the development processes.

The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is such a facility. The test plant is specialized – as the company name suggests – within the bio-based and circular sectors. Hence, the facility plays a key role on testing and demonstrating a lot of the ground-breaking solutions within the food and agricultural sectors and in developing sustainable production methods to remove chemicals and other harmful ingredients from our daily life.

I invited European Project Manager, Tanja Meyer, from the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about what they are doing at the plant and how they are working practically and strategically with EU funding. Follow the time codes in the episode notes if you want to skip the bio-based conversation and go directly to the EU funding conversation.

Time codes:

00:02:02 Introduction

00:03:57 Fly in on the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant

00:05:52 The organisation in a nutshell

00:22:33 The services and the functions

00:44:38 Test facilities and EU funding

01:19:18 Practical examples

01:22:46 Future perspectives

01:24:35 The toughest challenge

This podcast episode is part of a collaboration between Enspire Science and The Grant.

Creating a strong narrative for your EU project can be quite a challenge. The ERC funding scheme targeted towards research is one of the most popular funding schemes for the European research community and, hence, it is also challenging to get the funding. In other words, to stand out against other proposals it is vital to create a strong narrative around your research idea.

Marianna Rutin is a Life Science Consultant at Enspire Science. Especially the life science area is fitting the ERC programme and therefore she has a lot of experience in creating captivating and solid narratives for proposals towards this funding scheme. In this great podcast episode she shares with you and me the key elements to be aware of in order to create a strong narrative – whether you already have a project idea or would like to shape one from your research.

Time codes:

00:01:49 Introduction

00:08:09 Fly in on ERC

00:12:15 Starting point

00:55:22 What elements should it include

01:14:20 Visual effects

01:22:34 Advice

We are halfway through the Horizon Europe framework programme period and slowly the game is on for the next framework programme – labelled FP10. Over the last months governments and stakeholder interest organisations have been releasing their position papers as they are called. In other words, ‘this is how we would like the future funding landscape to look like’

This process naturally attracts a lot of attention, because the Framework Programme has reached a level importance and magnitude which means it receives prime attention from governments across the continent. Why? Because the level of external funding coming from EU can be of significant positive difference or any country’s research and innovation areas of strategic importance.

I invited one of my most dedicated contacts to this discussion, Science Journalist Thomas Brent from ScienceBusiness, into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about the status of what’s going on with the FP10 process and to take us all through what happens from now towards settling the new framework programme.

This episode gives you what many of you are craving right now: a view into what on earth is going on!

Episode page

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:09:02 Fly in on the Framework Programme

00:14:51 Insigths on FP10 process

00:25:09 Rundown on how FP10 is made

00:46:00 Indicative thematics

00:57:09 Current discussions on FP10

01:17:11 How to have your say

01:22:47 The toughest challenge

Last year one of the close collaboration partners of the organisation I work for, invited us into an Erasmus+ proposal. Regulars will know that I normally hesitate due to the intense work pressure of proposal preparation, but here the effort from our side was minimal and the focus of the proposal fitted hand-in-glove with our core missions. Hence, we accepted to join.

Luckily, it was a well-conducted proposal and a strong coordinator which without doubt was a key reason for the proposal to be funded – together with a strong project concept, naturally.

The project is now running and for the Kick Off meeting in Hamburg in the beginning of April 2024. I decided to bring my recording kit for the occasion that a opportunity would pop up for doing an episode. And of course it did.

Representatives from the coordinator organisation, Hanse-Parlament, President Max Hogeforster and Project Manager Anna Maria Czarny agreed to record an episode introducing the project and then zooming in on the kick off meeting, the function of a kick off meeting and how they have planned this one.

So, welcome to my very first face-to-recording. The sound is a little different, so bear with me.

Episode site

Time codes:

00:01:56 Introduction

00:04:40 The WIN4SMES project in a nutshell

00:14:54 The COVE concept

00:21:24 Kick Off meeting considerations

00:35:17 Next steps

The one thing that has the potential to fundamentally change the area of EU R&D funding for good is the development of Artificial Intelligence. ChatGPT broke through a year and a half ago and the development of this technology and available services – free as well as paid – are going at the speed of light.

In The Grant editor’s office I am of course following this closely. So, I have decided to make an AI series where I dig into this in more detail. And of course I do this with some of the sharpest professionals on the topic: independent consultant and AI-Chat-guru Kristjan Zemljic and Senior Consultant and very pro-active AI-Chat-user Rita Gil Mata.

In this third episode I discuss and reflect with my two distinguished guests on the more philosophical and ethical aspects versus the practical use of the new tools. An important part of this whole process that we are all going through with these tools developing at such a quick pace. A wonderful conversation.

Episode page

Time codes:

00:01:47 Introduction

00:04:16 How to percieve the tools and what they bring

00:24:42 How to establish limits

00:32:17 Critical partners and clients towards LLMs

00:45:17 Ethical considerations

00:46:52 Reflections on the position of the EU Commission

00:54:32 Recommendations on what to be aware of

This podcast episode is part of a collaboration between Enspire Science and The Grant.

The introduction of the lump sum budget principle in Horizon Europe is one of the biggest changes in the EU framework programme for research and development for a decade. The principle has been introduced to secure more simplicity and less bureaucracy in the project implementation. In short, the principle secures more freedom in how to spend the allocated funding and less demanding financial reporting practices.

However, the devil is - as we all know - in the detail and some of the regulation in relation to the lump sum principle might create some unforeseen challenges both for the beneficiaries and the funding administrators in the European Commission.

Managing Director in Enspire Science Yoram Bar-Zeev is an expert in financial principles of the framework programmes. We teamed up for him to share with you and me the main principles of the lump sum approach and sharing some reflections on the positive elements and the implications we might run into.

Episode page

Time codes:

00:01:58 Introduction

00:05:07 Fly in on Lump sum

00:27:50 Business as usual

00:32:59 How does it work?

01:14:34 News and updates

The National Contact Point institution is probably the most important support function in connection with EU funding schemes. It provides free local support and advice in all countries connected to the EU Framework Programme for Research and Development.

With the big enlargement in 2004 lifting EU to be a fully European Union marking the practical end of The Cold War, a large number of countries had to get acquainted with the practices of the European Union including the EU R&D funding schemes, building the NCP functions and getting beneficiaries accustomed to these new possibilities. A huge task.

Fast forward 20 years and all these countries have done an extraordinary work. Many now en par with the old member states. I decided to invite representatives from one of them – Poland – into the virtual podcast studio to enlighten you and me on their successful path, how Poland has organized its EU R&D support structures and the division of labour between their Brussels R&D liaison office and the NCP department in Warsaw.

This episode offers inspiration for other countries on how to strategically structure the EU R&D support and influencing activities towards the programme committees.

Episode page

Time codes:

00:02:04 Introduction

00:08:54 Fly in on Poland and Horizon Europe

00:24:39 A little bit of history

00:32:26 In Warsaw

00:50:05 In Brussels

01:14:38 Effects

01:27:04 The toughest challenge

There are lots of possibilities for municipalities and local public authorities in the EU funding system to attract external funding for local initiatives and activities. However, many municipalities shy away from getting engaged and getting involved.

And it’s not like you can’t understand why: the system seems immense to dig into, the rules are different and often more complex from national funding schemes and human resources in the municipalities are often overburdened with core activities.

Nonetheless, there are a wonderful world of opportunities at the other side for the municipalities that invest in building up knowledge and capacities on working with EU funding schemes.

One of the core stakeholders I support in my daytime job is Vejle Municipality – a municipality at the shores of Southeast Denmark. Over the last 6-7 years their business support unit has built up capacities and experience attracting EU funding to ram up impact of their activities supporting local SMEs and industry.

I invited Business Consultant Maibrit Lajgaard Pedersen into the virtual podcast studio to carve out why they do it and how they do it. It became a wonderful conversation about conditions and approaches for municipalities within the field of EU funding. A must-listen for all municipality stakeholders to get insights on how this work and how you can get started.

www.thegrant.eu/112

Episode site

Time codes:

00:02:10 Introduction

00:04:40 Fly in

00:14:44 Vejle Municipality and EU funding

00:32:11 Organisation

00:55:10 Finding proposals

00:57:23 Implementation

01:05:12 Challenges for public organisations in EU funding

01:10:26 The toughest challenge

It is time to finally make a continuation series that follows up on The Timeline Series. The Timeline Series breaks down the proposal preparation process into every single step towards submitting an EU R&D funding proposal. Now, it is time to look at what happens after submission.

Welcome to The Implementation Series where I together with guests will zoom in on all aspects and elements of the process of implementing an EU funded project. And following the same method I start from the beginning: the contract negotiations.

I have allied myself with Georg Melzer-Venturi – old friend of The Grant house – who has done lots of contract negotiations in his career. So, we have a look at the pre-preparations for the negotiations, preparations, the negotiations themselves and then we have a talk about the exchange with the EU Commission and the importance of building a solid trustful collaboration at the earliest stage. This will be a great series!

Episode page

Time codes:

00:01:48 Introduction

00:05:52 When you get the message

00:11:32 GAP pre-preparations

00:32:57 GAP preparations

00:38:17 The negotiations themselves

00:49:42 Post-negotiations

01:02:52 Communication with the Commission

01:09:05 Coordinating the consortium

01:16:33 Learnings, do's and don't's

01:19:17 The toughest challenge

This podcast episode is part of a collaboration between Enspire Science and The Grant. Whether or not to coordinate a proposal and a project is the question many orginisations ask themselves especially in the beginning of a proposal preparation process.There are many advantages attached to the role: you are in control of the narrative, you are in contact with all partners, you get the advantage of having the final say and you lift your organisation up into the higher spheres of R&D and innovation area that you are working in.However, coordinating a proposal and a project is also a very intense work with a cacophony of responsibilities and tasks. Administratively your organisations has to be up to it to lift the work also under pressure. You are the one everybody is looking at, so you have to be ready to not only lead the logistics and processes, but also in relation to the content-related matters you need to follow the work that goes on throughout the full project – not just the ones that you have knowledge about yourself.Andrea Ratkošová - Horizon Europe Grants Consultant and Project Manager at Enspire Science - has coordinated a large amount of proposal preparations and projects. We teamed up for a talk about what to be aware before talking the decision to coordinate a proposal or a project.Time codes:00:02:14 Introduction00:11:24 To coordinate or not00:15:02 The coordinator role00:43:16 Responsibilities 00:58:32 Advantages and challenges01:13:41 Do's and don't's

One of the key reasons for my motivation to build this podcast was because I could not find any podcasts on EU R&D funding back when I was working as private consultant. The rest is history and you are now listening to the result. However, as I have moved on I indeed have identified other podcast initiatives. And I am strongly supporting them. We need more sound.

Independent grants consultant Ilaria Rudisi, creator of the Italian-languaged podcast Dinamica Europa, and Innovation Hub Manager Tomas Pavlik, creator of the Slovak-languaged podcast Grant Up are running two of the most steady podcasts on EU R&D funding in Europe. To explain what moves us podcasters and hopefully inspire others to get going, I invited them into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about what is driving them forward and giving some advice to others who would like to get started.

It became a nice talk about how a big heart for EU funding and communicating via sound can shape beautiful new universes to move people in the real world.

Time codes:

00:01:54 Introduction

00:09:29 Fly in on available podcasts

00:16:11 Introduction Dinamica Europa and Grant Up podcasts

00:43:10 Podcast strategies

01:07:34 Inspiring others

01:17:18 The toughest challenge

In the last release of Shorts episodes I shared my time working for the Danish offshore renewable sector in Brussels. One of the key players I was supporting was Technical University of Denmark. And what an organisation to support!

This is a research organisation that from around 1980 started to give input to the European Commission on wind energy. When the framework programmes started in the early 1980’s they tapped early into them because the resources that were allocated to them from the Danish government was fairly limited. That formed the basis of the institute’s Brussels approach: 1) building capacities and experience in working with the Brussels eco-system to get their voice heard, 2) developing a more and more professional organisation around their proposal preparation and 3) running EU-projects making it possible for DTU Wind to constantly add more and more resources to their research. All this helped the institute becoming a world-leading research organisation on wind energy. Absolutely brilliant.

I managed to lure one of the European godfathers of wind energy, Chief Consultant and former Deputy Head of Wind Energy Department, Peter Hjuler Jensen, into the virtual podcast studio. We had a great talk about how they managed to build all this up in the early days and then he shares how the research institute professionally work now with the EU R&D funding.

Lots of inspiration for any research organisation on how to organize and approach the EU funding area.

Time codes:

00:02:27 Introduction

00:06:06 Fly in on DTU Wind and Energy Systems

00:14:31 A little bit of history

00:36:17 Two sides of the sword - how did you do it?

00:56:06 Influencing and lobbying

01:15:39 Synergies

01:27:24 Do's and don't's

01:30:06 The toughest challenge

The one thing that has the potential to fundamentally change the area of EU R&D funding for good is the development of Artificial Intelligence. ChatGPT broke through a year and a half ago and the development of this technology and available services – free as well as paid – are going at the speed of light.

In The Grant editor’s office I am of course following this closely. So, I have decided to makes a AI series where I dig into this in more detail. And of course I do this with some of the sharpest professionals on the topic: independent consultant and AI-Chat-guru Kristjan Zemljic and Senior Consultant and very pro-active AI-Chat-user Rita Gil Mata.

In this second episode my two distinguished guests share with us how to practically use the tools in your proposal preparation. This is good. This is VERY good. We take each step of the proposal phase: preparation, idea development, project concept development, partner value chain, proposal writing and, finally, submission. All spiced up with examples. Well….you’re welcome…

Time codes:

00:02:02 Introduction

00:05:49 Preparation for the writing phase

00:22:06 Idea development

00:44:23 Project concept

00:56:14 Partner value chain

01:05:13 Proposal writing

01:30:15 Submission

EARMA is the European Research Managers Association. Over the years it has grown immensely in size and significance. The association gathers the research managers from all over Europe in an effort to share knowledge, best practices and not least raise the recognition of the research manager as role in research organisations.

Since last year’s annual EARMA conference in Prague I have been wanting to get them into the virtual podcast studio. Simply because there are so many of my listeners that are involved in the organisation as members and participants at their events.

So, I managed just in time for this year’s annual conference in Odense, Denmark, to get Managing Director Nik Claesen into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about EARMA, the research manager role and of course a chat about the conference that kicks off tomorrow Tuesday 23 April 2024.

Time codes:

00:01:44 Introduction

00:05:00 EARMA in a nutshell

00:12:07 The research manager role

00:46:06 EARMA Annual Conference

01:08:07 The toughest challenge

This is the second release of episodes under my short format The Grant Shorts. This is the third out of the three episodes where I zoom in on my 2nd job within this sector: Funding Consultant at The Alliance for Offshore Renewables – an initiative to secure more EU funding for the Danish offshore renewable sector.

In this episode I carve another key challenge for many Brussels offices: How to maximize your impact with only one or two people in Brussels. I share my experience and give you some guidance on how you can approach it. I have divided this into four sections: 1) Empathizing planning and organizing, 2) Screen the opportunities, 3) Prioritize which ways you go and 4) Share, reflect and exchange in your team

This might give you some input and food for thought in how you set up your strategy towards the Brussels-ecosystem.

Time codes:

00:02:01 Introduction

00:03:19 Plan and organise

00:06:31 Screen

00:15:08 Prioritise

00:22:06 Share, reflect and exchange

This is the second release of episodes under my short format The Grant Shorts. This is the second out of the three episodes where I zoom in on my 2nd job within this sector: Funding Consultant at The Alliance for Offshore Renewables – an initiative to secure more EU funding for the Danish offshore renewable sector.

In this episode I have invited my colleague back from those days between 2010 and 2014 Project Manager Anders Bræstrup into the virtual podcast studio for a short talk about how we were hit by one of the complex issues when you establish a Brussels office: The distance.

It seems almost ridiculous before you stand in the situation that this should be one of trickiest elements, but it is. Why? Because when you lose the close daily connection it is so easy for communication to slide, for for annoyances to slip in, for tasks and responsibilities to become unclear and then you start to lose your target.

Anders and I give you an idea of the problems we faced and how we delt with them. Quick and nice inspiration for all you Brussels-office people out there.

Time codes:

00:02:11 Introduction

00:05:06 The problems with the distance

00:13:40 How did we solve it?

This week I present to you the second release of episodes under my short format The Grant Shorts. This is the first out of the three episodes where I zoom in on my 2nd job within this sector: Funding Consultant at The Alliance for Offshore Renewables – an initiative to secure more EU funding for the Danish offshore renewable sector.

In this episode I give an overview of the three core activities we were carrying out: 1) identify funding schemes and calls of interest, 2) search and identify strong proposals under preparation to facilitate stakeholders into and 3) influencing the Framework Programme work programmes.

The episode gives inspiration to any organisation operating within these spheres in Brussels as well as locally.

Time codes:

00:02:01 Introduction

00:03:13 Fly in on job #2

00:08:01 How we helped the sector

00:12:22 Strategies reaching companies

00:17:32 How to approach Brussels

00:19:41 The lobby part

Rural business support is a quite distinct exercise especially when it comes to attracting EU funding to the support organisation or members and stakeholders. These communities are notoriously low on resources to carry out more than the bare necessities. Simply because of the lack of tax payers and industry. There are an endless amount of municipalities and regions in Europe that have this as a baseline condition.

To be able to do more in the community some local business support units move their eyes towards the EU funding opportunities to leverage their activity with external funding.

Project Manager Mette Lerdorf is working for the local business support organisation, Stevns Business Council, in a rural region south of Copenhagen, Denmark. She is a good old contact and of course I have pushed for her to come by the virtual podcast studio to share the same struggle that many of you out there fight every day.

Mette shares with us how they work together with the local authorities in the municipality and what approach she is carrying out to attract the much needed external funding for their region.

The episodes offers insight on how to work with the EU funding area under conditions with few resources.

Time codes:

00:01:55 Introduction

00:03:14 Fly in on Stevns Business Council

00:14:15 Motivation to work with EU funding

00:41:47 Organisation

01:05:58 Practical examples

01:13:25 Do's and don't's

01:18:36 The toughest challenge

Innovation clusters play an important role in the European innovation system as facilitators. Not only do they secure a strong connection between industry, SMEs and academia, but they also help and support the stakeholders towards funding – national as well as European.

Smart Innovation Norway is one of the strongest clusters in Scandinavia and beside from the role as facilitator it also does research itself within smart technologies and offering lab and test facilities. One of my good old contacts from PNO, Elena Calzado Roldán, now works for Smart Innovation Norway as Innovation Management Expert. She supports the organisation and its members in attracting EU funding.

I managed to get her into the virtual podcast studio for at talk about the role of the cluster, how they are working with the EU funding and finally also for Elena to share an EU funding assessment tool that she developed to make it easier for stakeholders to approach the funding.

This episode offers insights on how clusters can help you towards funding – great content!

Time codes:

00:01:55 Introduction

00:09:16 Fly in on Smart Innovation Norway

00:16:09 How Smart Innovation Norway works as a cluster

00:30:31 How Smart Innovation Norway works with EU R&D funding

01:01:04 EU Readiness Assessment Tool

01:30:52 The toughest challenge

The one thing that has the potential to fundamentally change the area of EU R&D funding for good is the development of Artificial Intelligence. ChatGPT broke through a year and a half ago and the development of this technology and available services – free as well as paid – are going at the speed of light.

In The Grant editor’s office I am of course following this closely. So, I have decided to makes a AI series where I dig into this in more detail. And of course I do this with some of the sharpest professionals on the topic: independent consultant and AI-Chat-guru Kristjan Zemljic and Senior Consultant and very pro-active AI-Chat-user Rita Gil Mata.

In this first episode we have a look at the most important different AI-chat tools available at the moment and what are the differences between them. We also shortly touch upon how my guests are using them.

Time codes:

00:01:37 Introduction

00:06:12 Fly in on AI Chatbots

00:26:29 Outline of the tools

00:44:35 Explaining how the tools they work

00:58:08 Practical examples

I start to have quite some research organisations that have passed through The Grant and it is always very interesting to dig into how they are working. It also means I can start to move into some more specific topics instead of a general conversation about how they work with EU funding.

One of my old colleagues from PNO now works for the French public research organisation INRAE. This organisation has chosen to develop sort of an internal grants consultancy unit. Not private in the sense that they are on the open market, but they are being ‘hired’, so to say, by some of the many many institutes under the INRAE umbrella.

I wanted to get an idea of how that set up works in all practicality and open up the window a little bit and get a peak view into one the largest R&D organisations in Europe.

I managed to get three nice INRAE people onboard to share to project’s idea way from the research lab to the consultant and towards project implementation. Yohan Lecuona, Louise Vaast and Karine Latouche share these insights with you all and me.

It became a long talk and therefore it has been divided into two episodes. Last week in the first half we dug into the specific organisational structure of INRAE in relation to EU R&D funding acquisition and we went through, step-by-step, the path from the idea pops up in a research team and to the submission of a proposal….and eventual project implementation. In this second half the panel unfolds a concrete project as an example of the approach.

Time codes:

00:02.41 BATMODEL project – introduction

00:16: 54 Collaboration process building project

00:30:33 Proposal preparation process

00:42:52 Submission and beyond

00:45:23 Learnings and experience

00:51:53 The toughest challenge

I start to have quite some research organisations that have passed through The Grant and it is always very interesting to dig into how they are working. It also means I can start to move into some more specific topics instead of a general conversation about how they work with EU funding.

One of my old colleagues from PNO now works for the French public research organisation INRAE. This organisation has chosen to develop sort of an internal grants consultancy unit. Not private in the sense that they are on the open market, but they are being ‘hired’, so to say, by some of the many many institutes under the INRAE umbrella.

I wanted to get an idea of how that set up works in all practicality and open up the window a little bit and get a peak view into one the largest R&D organisations in Europe.

I managed to get three nice INRAE people onboard to share to project’s idea way from the research lab to the consultant and towards project implementation. Yohan Lecuona, Louise Vaast and Karine Latouche share these insights with you all and me.

It became a long talk and there it has been divided into two episodes. In the first half we dig into the specific organisational structure of INRAE in relation to EU R&D funding acquisition and we go through, step-by-step, the path from the idea pops up in a research team and to the submission of a proposal….and eventual project implementation. Next week the panel unfolds a concrete project as an example of the approach.

Time codes:

00:02.18 Introduction

00:08:15 Fly in INRAE

00:28:49 INRAE and INRAE Transfert SAS

00:51:43 The chain from lab to consultant

I have decided to make a short format to offer more concentrated episodes, but still with the same elements you already: Insights – Help – Support – Guidance – Advice – Reflections…and a few laughs along the way

Once per month I will release episodes in this format and I will start out with batches of three episodes per release. In the first months I will zoom in on my career and the different roles that I have had and share with you the insights I have acquired over my 15 years career.

Here in the first three episodes I zoom in on my time in the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. The first short episode is a general introduction, the second zoom in on my role as national contact point and the last third episode digs into my work as Programme Committee member in the framework programme.

Time codes:

00:01:53 Introduction

00:03:24 Introduction to National Contact Point work

00:12:47 Introduction to Programme Committee work

This is the third of the three first episodes of The Grant Shorts. I zoom in on my time in the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation and you have just listened to the first two episodes with a general introduction to that work and resuming the things that National Contact Points can help you with.

Here in the last episode on my work in the agency I zoom in on the role as Programme Committee member under the EU R&D framework programme. I was in the programme committes for energy programme and for the former SMEs programme - now EIC.

I have divided into three short chapters explaining the main elements: the function of the Programme Committees, the working procedures and how to get your voice heard.

Time codes:

00:01:52 Introduction

00:03:13 Function of the Programme Committees

00:08:08 Working procedures

00:18:18 How to get your voice heard

This is the second of the three first episodes of The Grant Shorts. I zoom in on my time in the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation and you have just listened to a general introduction to that work. In this second episode I zoom in on my role as National Contact Point.

The episode focus on how you as a beneficiary can get support from the National Contact Points and it is divided into four short chapters explaining the main elements: Guidance in Horizon Europe, Intellectual Property Rights, Meetings you can request and the information activities.

Time codes:

00:01:51 Introduction

00:04:15 Guidance on Horizon Europe

00:10:16 Intellectual Property Rights

00:13:03 Meetings with beneficiaries

00:15:14 Information activities

Building up an EU funding approach from scratch in a research institute can seem like a monumental task. And it is. Especially if you are more or less one person to start it off. How do you attack that? How do you get the research teams involved? How do you secure some sort of results coming in not to late? And how do you build up the international and - not least – the Brussels network?

Stephanie Harfensteller, EU-Research Coordinator at the ICT research institute FIR an der RWTH Aachen, did exactly this. She had the idea to get the institute rolling with EU funding and the management agreed. She is a good old contact of mine and of course I had to invite her in to share this great story. Because great it is! After a decade the institute is now very comfortable in its work with EU R&D funding and the research teams are now reaping the fruits of sticking its neck out and investing resources in moving into this area.

This episode offers lots of insights and advice on how to work with EU funding in a research institute and not least on how to build it up.

Time codes:

00:03:08 Introduction

00:08:22 Fly in on FIR an der RWTH Aachen

00:12:35 Motivation for starting

00:22:40 How did you do it? Internally

00:45:39 How did you do it? Externally

01:!3:20 Do's and don't's

01:15:22 The toughest challenge

Startups and EU funding is unfortunately not a very successful match. Both sides struggle a lot to meet the other one, but the meeting most often results in frustration, anger and misunderstanding.

This episode’s guest, entrepreneur and startup founder, Violetta Bonenkamp, wrote a blogpost about the horrors of getting involved in EU R&D funding. And she slams both the proposal phase, the evaluation regime and the project implementation. It was heart-breaking to read, but also relieving that someone said it out loud.

The Grant is here to give these kind of people a voice and of course I invited Violetta into the virtual podcast studio. And it became a wonderful talk about the conditions of startups, the incapacities of EU R&D funding system to grab the concept of startups and not least some advice for other startups on what to do if you insist on approaching EU funding.

This is a priceless episode that Violetta and I really hope that EU Commission representatives also tune into…

Time codes:

00:01:55 Introduction

00:06:35 Resume of blogpost

00:33:35 EU funding - door breaker or treacherous sea

01:19:55 Advice and the toughest challenge

I have an endless amount of contacts from my many years working within this field. And they all have interesting things to share. One of my dear old contacts is Blaz Likozar from the National Research Institute for Chemistry in Slovenia. I dragged him into several of my proposals in the past and he became a much appreciated contact of mine.

Of course I have invited him into The Grant to share how they work with EU funding in their institute. Why? Because this organisation has managed to professionally build up their EU funding approach and pushing themselves into the European R&D networks doing exactly what many research organisations in the former communist countries are striving for.

We have a talk about how they have built up the approach and how the EU funding has lifted their research level, capacities and man power.

This episode offers nice insights on how to build up EU funding capacities in your research organisation with a limited amount of resources.

Time codes:

00:01:46 Introduction

00:05:25 Fly in on the research institute

00:07:37 Funding strategy

00:17:27 Communist legacy

00:24:10 Key research tracks and Horizon Europe

00:29:45 Concrete projects

00:35:35 Collaborative synergies

00:40:39 The toughest challenge

Some of the contacts I have acquired over the years are of big interest for many of you. This episode’s guest is surely one of them. He is the godfather of the brokerage concept. Thomas Roeblreiter, Consultant, FFG in Austria developed together with a contact the well-known company b2match which almost monopolized the market for brokerage and matchmaking event services.

I used to work on a proposal with Thomas and decided to drag him into the studio for a talk about how he and his business partner developed the business concept and then we have a good nice talk about the Enterprise Europe Network initiative that is supporting innovative SMEs also with internationalization and EU funding.

In this episode you have lots of information about the possibilities for SMEs in the Enterprise Europe Network and of course on what brokerage events they are and how you can use them.

Time codes:00:01:39 Introduction00:08:11 Fly in on Enterprise Europe Network00:27:04 Enterprise Europe Network00:45:19 EEN and funding01:02:27 Brokerage and matchmaking01:17:44 The toughest challenge

One of the key concerns for all proposal writers is the evaluation of their proposals. Or more: HOW they will be evaluated. Whenever I have been asking guests for requests on who they would like to be on The Grant, most of them have replied “an evaluator”.

Well, this week I have a treat for you all. I have not only one, but three evaluators in the virtual podcast studio to solidly reply to your request out there. In this monster panel I have gathered CEO Alessia Melasecche Germini, META Group; Research and Grants Officer Marie Daniela Angione, Innopharma Technology; and Managing Director Yoram Bar-Zeev, Enspire Science. The focus is on Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals which all three guests have years of evaluation experience in.

As you can imagine it became a long recording so I have divided it into two episodes.

Last week we covered the evaluation process, the rules and regulation that evaluators have to follow and, finally, how to evaluate a complex Horizon Europe proposal. In this second half we move into the difference between Horizon2020 and Horizon Europe proposals, the challenges as evaluator, how to become an evaluator and finally the selection of evaluators.

Time codes:

00:02:24 Different between H2020 and Horizon Europe

00:24:31 Challenges as an evaluator

00:45:16 Motivation to become an evaluator

00:53:12 Selection of evaluators

00:59:45 The toughest challenge

One of the key concerns for all proposal writers is the evaluation of their proposals. Or more: HOW they will be evaluated. Whenever I have been asking guests for requests on who they would like to be on The Grant, most of them have replied “an evaluator”.

Well, this week I have a treat for you all. I have not only one, but three evaluators in the virtual podcast studio to solidly reply to your request out there. In this monster panel I have gathered CEO Alessia Melasecche Germini, META Group; Head of Funding and Innovation Maria Daniela Angione, InnoGlobal; and Managing Director Yoram Bar-Zeev, Enspire Science. The focus is on Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals which all three guests have years of evaluation experience in.

As you can imagine it became a long recording so I have divided it into two episodes. In this first half we cover the evaluation process, the rules and regulation that evaluators have to follow and, finally, how to evaluate a complex Horizon Europe proposal.

Please enjoy

Time codes:

00:02:05 Introduction

00:06:52 Fly in on evaluation

00:13:19 The evaluation process

00:40:00 The evaluators' rules and regulations

00:55:26 How to evaluate

The LIFE programme is one of the most popular EU funding schemes. Administered by European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency the programme is funding primarily 1) pilot and demonstration activities related to sustainable technologies and 2) securing that EU sustainability measures is integrated in national, regional and local policies. Many working with Horizon Europe within these areas will be familiar with the programme.

Of course The Grant will also zoom in on this funding scheme. As always I start out with the authoritative The Grant introduction to the funding scheme. For this I have invited LIFE programme expert and Enviromental Knowledge Area Coordinator Maite Zazpe Cenoz from grants and innovation consultancy company Zabala Innovation Consulting into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the key elements of the programme, how to apply, eligibility conditions and so on.

As with all my funding scheme introductions this became a long one so it is divided into two episodes. Last week in the first half we covered the structure of the funding programme, the target groups and funding rates. In this second half we move into how to apply, evaluation, what happens when funding is received and finally some do’s and don’t’s.

This episode is essential for all working with the LIFE programme or are thinking about approaching it.

Please enjoy

Time codes:

00:02:17 How to apply

00:03:56 How to apply: Standard action projects

00:17:57 How to apply: Integrated Projects

00:21:46 How to apply: LIFE clean energy transition

00:37:11 Evaluation

00:51:11 When receiving funding

00:56:00 Do's and don't's

01:05:34 The toughest challenge

The LIFE programme is one of the most popular EU funding schemes. Administered by European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency the programme is funding primarily 1) pilot and demonstration activities related to sustainable technologies and 2) securing that EU sustainability measures is integrated in national, regional and local policies. Many working with Horizon Europe within these areas will be familiar with the programme.

Of course The Grant will also zoom in on this funding scheme. As always I start out with the authoritative The Grant introduction to the funding scheme. For this I have invited LIFE programme expert and Enviromental Knowledge Area Coordinator Maite Zazpe Cenoz from grants and innovation consultancy company Zabala Innovation Consulting into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the key elements of the programme, how to apply, eligibility conditions and so on.

As with all my funding scheme introductions this became a long one so it is divided into two episodes. In this first half we cover the structure of the funding programme, the target groups and funding rates.

This episode is essential for all working with the LIFE programme or are thinking about approaching it.

Time codes:

00:02:11 Introduction

00:06:57 Fly in to the LIFE programme

00:17:05 The structure of the programme

00:45:25 Target groups and funding rate

One of the core missions of this podcast initiative is to open up the complex world of proposal development and project implementation for everybody in this community and share approaches and ways of doing things.

Presenting how to manage a Horizon Europe proposal has been in my list for as long as I have done this podcast. It has proven more difficult than expected, but I finally managed. The REDOL project is financed under the Processes4Planet calls which this podcast has also dug into earlier. The Spanish R&D institute CIRCE is coordinating the project and I managed to get both the administrative and technical coordinators into the virtual podcast studio.

Together with Technology Project Manager Jorge Arroyo and Project Manager Diego Redondo Taberner I run through all the main project implementation aspects such as work package flow, communication, dissemination and exploitation activities, deliverables, communication with the EU Commission and so on.

This episode is great for all current and coming project managers.

Time codes:

00:02:05 Introduction

00:07:53 Fly in to the REDOL project

00:18:51 Content of the project

00:25:58 The consortium

00:31:58 How the work is divided

00:51:24 Communication, dissemination and exploitation

01:00:20 Deliverables

01:04:38 Consortium chemistry

01:09:59 Communication with the Commission

01:15:48 Troubels and contingency

01:22:44 The toughest challenge

Coordination of EU proposals and projects is one long line of prioritization of tasks and, not least, uncomfortable tasks. And the uncomfortable tasks often seem like they are endlessly coming onto your coordinator desk.

This week’s guest in The Grant podcast has a solution for coordinators: Eat the frog. Isabel Burdallo, Senior Researcher at RISE in Sweden, has lots of experience working with both EU proposals and implementing EU projects. Which makes her very familiar with all the small, medium and big problems and challenges you have to handle as a coordinator.

To make a perfect analogy of how you need to choke down difficult issues she made a LinkedIn post referring to the Mark Twain quote that “If you have to eat a frog, do it first thing in morning – if you have to eat two, eat the biggest one first.” So, of course I invited Isabel into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about the concept of eat-the-frog and digging into the biggest frogs that coordinators have to swallow.

A fantastic episode with also a little bit of Christmas feel. Of course.

Please enjoy

Time codes:

00:02:15 Introduction

00:07:14 Fly in

00:10:54 "Eat the frog"-idea

00:17:58 What are the frogs? The challenges of being a coordinator

00:45:04 The frog-eater approach

00:56:05 The toughest challenge

This is a quite special episode. Some months ago I was approached by one of my regular listeners with a request: If I would write a recommendation for the back cover of her soon-to-be-released book about collaboration in EU projects.

Truth is that I was silent for a while. Being a podcaster indeed sometimes takes you places you had never imaged you would go. Then, of course, my reply was a BIG “yes” followed be an exclamation mark and, needles to say, followed by an invitation to join the show for a talk about her book.

Content-wise the book is zooming in on the collaboration element of doing EU projects and all the pitfalls and gives advice and tips on how to avoid big meltdowns and keeping the good collaboration on path no matter the challenges. And Giulia does this giving a piece of herself and sharing her experiences as a professional who has delt with implementation of EU projects herself.

Truth is, I would wish more would write books like this in the community, but most people simply don’t have the time. Guilia took the time for benefit for everybody who could use some input for dealing with the collaborative part of the project implementation.

This episode is for all collaborative project implementers - no matter which funding scheme.

Time codes:

00:02:20 Introduction

00:08:05 Background and motivation

00:22:29 Content of the book: Insights on collaboration in EU projects

01:17:09 The toughest challenge

Research organisations are – naturally – very strong on research. That’s what they do. However, for getting access to big chunks of the Horizon Europe requires that research organisations have an innovation and impact-related focus also. Alas the difference between generating new knowledge through investigation and applying this knowledge to improve concrete products, services or processes.

Some segments of the research environment is very strong on this, but other segments find it either difficult or are out-right hesitating to incorporate an innovation and impact-driven approach to their research capacities. That you can of course stick to as research organisation, but if you have ambitions to attract more external funding from Horizon Europe you have to deal with it.

That can be a daunting task, because here we are not only talking practicalities – it is indeed also a humas psychology issue. Gabriella Lovasz, Managing Director in Europa Media Norway, has for years worked with research performing organisations to help and assist them in how to move in a direction with more focus on innovation and impact in their research. As you have already guessed that is not an easy task…

This episode is of high value for research organisations with lots of strong points on the value of working towards innovation and what it takes to embark on a path towards attracting more external funding. And how this path will create a stronger connection to the surrounding world.

Time codes:

00:02:21 Introduction

00:07:12 Fly in on boosting innovation in R&D organisations

00:15:41 The typical research performing organisations and their pains

00:27:58 Opening up the potential with EU funding

00:53:11 Concrete cases

01:01:13 Key advice

01:03:23 The toughest challenge

This is an episode I have been wanting to do since I started planning this whole podcast thing out back in 2020. Why? Because the National Contact Points are a vital component in the support structure to get more beneficiaries onboard approaching the EU R&D funding schemes. The National Contact Point – or NCPs – are the extended arm of the EU Commission reaching out to take beneficiaries in the hand and guide them in the right direction.

I have been one myself back from 2008-2010 so I know how important they are. So, of course I will on a regular basis zoom in on the NCPs to promote their work and how to get their help.

This episode is an introduction to the NCP institution as a whole. I had organized three panelists for the episode, but two had to cancel. Luckily Portuguese NCP Ana Sutcliffe was still available to present the NCPs role and function and share what are the key responsibilities for them.

This episode is great everybody who is looking for help or needs direction to the Horizon Europe framework programmes. And any NCP out there curios to hear how another country has arranged itself with their NCP approach.

Time codes:

00:02:04 Introduction

00:04:35 Fly in on the Portuguese NCP organisation

00:10:11 Fly in on the NCP institution

00:21:27 The core NCP functions

01:08:11 The toughest challenge

It is time for another episode under my segment Consultants Corner where I invite in private consultancy companies working with EU R&D funding schemes to share their approach, their business models and conditions in that peculiar shadow sector.

Updates from EMDESK often pops up in my LinkedIn feed. The company has developed a tool for funding proposal developers and project managers that makes life a little bit easier for coordinators and partners. The combined process of proposal development and project implementation is one long exercise in coordination and planning capacities for all involved. Especially for the coordinator. And when activities and deadlines start to slide sideways, as it often does, good planning is vital for getting things back on track.

I love when professionals invest blood and sweat in making this world a little bit easier to work and navigate in. I therefore invited Chief Technology Officer and company initiator Stefan Detschew into the virtual podcast studio to have a talk about what sparked the concept idea, how they built it up and of course about the tool.

This episode gives you an idea of a tool that might make sense to investigate if you are looking for ways to better handle the complex processes of proposal development and project implementation.

Time codes:

00:02:24 Introduction

00:04:37 Background and motivation

00:17:10 Proposal preparation tool

00:36:47 Project implementation tool

01:09:14 Practical examples and pricing

01:18:06 EMDESK Academy

01:23:43 The toughest challenge

I slowly build up information and content on different funding schemes. I started out with Horizon Europe Pillar II and have moved into European Defence Fund, ERC and Erasmus+. More is to come. The next two weeks I will be looking into proposal preparation within the Erasmus+ funding scheme.

As regular listeners will know I have developed The Timeline Series that goes through the proposal preparation process step-by-step. That is for Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals, but has a lot of generic elements that also apply to funding schemes in general. However, there are important specificities for each funding scheme and how to prepare the proposals.

To provide guidance on how to prepare a proposal for the Erasmus+ programme I have invited three strong capacities on Erasmus+ into the virtual podcast studio. Daiana Huber, Chief Operations Officer, CPIP, Christina Achilleos, Founder and EU Funding Expert, InnoEUspere and Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, Director & Consultant, Eurakom have all years of practical experience developing proposals for the Erasmus+ programme.

In the first half released last week we focused on the preparation process for the writing phase. In this second half the three panelists take the bull by its horns and share how they put their pen to paper. They give their recommendations on how to attack the different sections. And the budget, of course. In the end we shortly touch on the actual submission itself.

This is a must-listen for all Erasmus+ proposal developers – no matter the experience!

Time codes:

00:02:32 Pen to paper - overall fly in

00:18:16 Key sections

00:33:25 Impact and sustainability of results

00:40:16 Submission

00:54:04 The toughest challenge

I slowly build up information and content on different funding schemes. I started out with Horizon Europe Pillar II and have moved into European Defence Fund, ERC and Erasmus+. More is to come. The next two weeks I will be looking into proposal preparation within the Erasmus+ funding scheme.

As regular listeners will know I have developed The Timeline Series that goes through the proposal preparation process step-by-step. That is for Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals, but has a lot of generic elements that also apply to funding schemes in general. However, there are important specificities for each funding scheme and how to prepare the proposals.

To provide guidance on how to prepare a proposal for the Erasmus+ programme I have invited three strong capacities on Erasmus+ into the virtual podcast studio. Daiana Huber, Chief Operations Officer, CPIP, Christina Achilleos, Founder and EU Funding Expert, InnoEUspere and Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, Director & Consultant, Eurakom have all years of practical experience developing proposals for the Erasmus+ programme.

This first half of the double episode we dig into all the preparatory steps you need to do before the writing phase sets in, in order to have as smooth a proposal developing work as possible incl. idea development, developing the project concept, consortium building and how to best involve the partners in the developing phase.

This is a must-listen for all Erasmus+ proposal developers – no matter the experience!

Time codes:

00:02:31 Introduction

00:09:56 Fly in on Erasmus+

00:15:07 Preparation for writing phase

00:23:33 Working with the partners

00:37:15 Concept note

00:46:14 Internal tools

00:53:30 Flow of work in-between the partners

Being an innovative SME is a rough job. The founders are die-harders that have worked the lower part of their back off to build up their company. But they can’t sit still even when they have passed the first dangerous years – they have to keep moving on improving their technologies and solutions and fend off competitors and large industrial companies that might go into their market.

The EU Commission is doing a lot of efforts to support the SMEs of the continent. On the funding side the target is to take off the majority of the risk to develop new technologies and get the SMEs involved in quality international collaborations.

Esen Kunt is an old contact of mine and she is working as R&D Manager in the Turkish ICT SME Faradai. The company develops software for energy efficiency control in buildings and as such is operating at the very heart of one of technology areas that the EU Commission is focused strongly on. They are using EU R&D funding as a core part of their innovation strategy to develop as a company.

I invited her in for a talk about the company, the conditions of being a technology developing SME in a highly competitive market and how EU funding is pushing the company forward technically at the same time as it helps with the risk. Of course very interesting for any SME representative out there, but also valuable insights for SME support organisations facilitating EU R&D funding.

Time codes:

00:02:24 Introduction

00:06:49 Fly in on Faradai and the background for approaching EU funding

00:15:00 The world of the innovative SME

00:30:57 EU funding - door breaker or treacherous sea for SMEs

01:15:59 A piece of advice

01:23:11 The toughest challenge

Ocean energy is one the technologies that has been long under way. And is still under way. The has traditionally been quite research heavy, but over the last years a certain level of private industry involvement has occurred. The area is facing the big paradox that energy from the different ocean energy technologies could provide substantial and sustainable energy to the continent, but the research, development and innovation costs are very high to get there because of a harsh environment.

I have myself supported the Danish ocean energy sector over a period of 4 years back in the beginning of the 10’s. It was my job to facilitate EU funding for them and lobby towards the EU Commission on the work programmes. That work put me in close contact with Ocean Europe which is the European umbrella organisation for the whole sector both R&D and industry.

They have taken a big journey from 1½ person secretariat and very few perspectives for support from EU to an eight -person organisation with their own Strategic Research Agenda and strong ties and commitment from EU Commission.

I invited my good old contact CEO Rémi Gruet into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about the ocean energy sector, how the Ocean Europe has moved to a strong professional lobby and support organisation and how they work for their members.

This episode gives insights into how to work as a stakeholder organisation in Brussels, how to get most out of your influencing resources and slowly growing your organisation.

Please enjoy

Time codes:

00:02:30 Introduction

00:09:43 Fly in on the sector

00:20:39 Fly in to Ocean Energy Europe

00:33:03 Ocean Energy Europe and its role in funding landscape

01:00:11 Membership involvement

01:13:30 The toughest challenge

One of my goals with this podcast is to shed light on the Brussels eco-system and open it up, take out the mystery and share how the different organisations work and how you can get involved.

Some time ago I recorded a special on the Circular Bio-based Europe Infoday with Programme Officer & Call Coordinator Dieter Brigitta representating the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. Of course the natural follow-up to that episode was an episode zooming in on Circular Bio-based Europe itself.

Circular Bio-based Europe is part of the European Partnership framework. It is in the so-called Institutionalized Partnerships category which means they have their own corner of the Horizon Europe work programmes where they decide and govern their own calls.

I managed to get Head of Programme Virginia Puzzolo into the studio together with Programme Officer & Call Coordinator Dieter Brigitta to take a dive into the organisation and how they work.

It became a long talk so it is divided into two episodes. Last week we covered CBE’s place in the Horizon Europe framework and how they work strategically with the input for the work programme.

In this second half my guests share with us the different tools CBE has developed to support the community – especially the extraordinary networking platform!

Time codes:

00:02:10 The networking platform

00:18:43 Other support elements

00:31:26 The toughest challenge

One of my goals with this podcast is to shed light on the Brussels eco-system and open it up, take out the mystery and share how the different organisations work and how you can get involved.

Some time ago I recorded a special on the Circular Bio-based Europe Infoday with Programme Officer & Call Coordinator Dieter Brigitta representating the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. Of course the natural follow-up to that episode was an episode zooming in on Circular Bio-based Europe itself.

Circular Bio-based Europe is part of the European Partnership framework. It is in the so-called Institutionalized Partnerships category which means they have their own corner of the Horizon Europe work programmes where they decide and govern their own calls.

I managed to get Head of Programme Virginia Puzzolo into the studio together with Programme Officer & Call Coordinator Dieter Brigitta to take a dive into the organisation and how they work.

It became a long talk so it is divided into two episodes. This first half zooms in on Circular Bio-based Europe’s place in the Horizon Europe framework and how they work strategically with the input for the work programme they are responsible for. It also provides nice sum-ups of the Horizon Europe programme and the process of how Horizon Europe work programmes are developed

Time codes:

00:04:08 Introduction

00:09:49 Short about Circular Bio-based Europe

00:20:51 Circular Bio-based Europe and its role in Horizon Europe

00:30:08 Strategic elements

The impact problem is a constant. Making sure that the projects that are being funded moves on into self-sustainable initiatives post-project is not as easy as it seems. Or at least as simple as the EU Commission THOUGHT that it would be.

Back in episode #60 I had freelance science journalist Catherine Collins in the studio where we talked about the EU Commissions initiatives to get project results out and working in the free normal non-funding world. Here we touched upon the initiative Horizon Results Booster funded by the EU Commission itself.

The initiative is headed by META Group and I invited CEO and Senior Expert Alessia Melasecche Germini into the virtual podcast studio to have a talk about this impact support initiative. The core idea of the Horizon Results Booster is to give an extra push to former and running framework programme projects with spreading the results, exploring the results, developing business plans and go-to-market strategies. Only admission ticket you need to have is that you are or have been running a framework programme project. And it is free.

It became a long talk, so the episode is divided into two. In the first half we talked about the issue of getting project results into the real work, the background of the initiative, how you apply to get access. Further, Alessia shared how the support to projects are organized and we dug into the first chunk of the three different support mechanisms focusing on dissemination and exploitation strategy.

Here in this second half, we cover the rest of the support initiative namely: on exploitation, business plans and go-to-market strategies. Further, we have a talk about the status of the initiative and how they have reached their goals within the Horizon Results Booster initiative.

This is really great content and guidance for all project owners and partners that would like to get an extra hand to secure getting the most out of their EU funded project.

Time codes:

00:03:03 Portfolio Dissemination & Exploitation strategy (cont.)

00:15:29 Business plan development

00:28:13 Go-to-market

00:40:48 The impact results of the HRB

00:52:48 The toughest challenge

The impact problem is a constant. Making sure that the projects that are being funded moves on into self-sustainable initiatives post-project is not as easy as it seems. Or at least as simple as the EU Commission THOUGHT that it would be.

Back in episode #60 I had freelance science journalist Catherine Collins in the studio where we talked about the EU Commissions initiatives to get project results out and working in the free normal non-funding world. Here we touched upon the initiative Horizon Results Booster funded by the EU Commission itself.

The initiative is headed by META Group and I invited CEO and Senior Expert Alessia Melasecche Germini into the virtual podcast studio to have a talk about this impact support initiative. The core idea of the Horizon Results Booster is to give an extra push to former and running framework programme projects with spreading the results, exploring the results, developing business plans and go-to-market strategies. Only admission ticket you need to have is that you are or have been running a framework programme project. And it is free.

It became a long talk, so the episode is divided into two. In the first half we talk a little bit about the issue of getting project results into the real work and Alessia shares the background of the Horizon Results Booster and how you apply to get access. Further, she shares how the support to projects are organized and we dig into the first chunk of the three different support mechanisms focusing on dissemination and exploitation strategy.

This is really great content and guidance for all project owners and partners that would like to get an extra hand to secure getting the most out of their EU funded project.

Time codes:

00:04:19 Introduction

00:09:54 Fly in to the problem of impact

00:17:54 Horizon Results Booster introduction

00:35:36 The supportive tools: Portfolio Dissemination & Exploitation strategy

Some times when you record a podcast episode magic happens in the interaction in-between the guest and the host. You are about to listen to one of the most heart felt The Grant episodes I have recorded to date.

I was supposed to record an episode with two other podcasters on how we are working with our podcasts for you all. One of them got ill, but instead of cancelling independent consultant and podcaster Ilaria Rudisi and I carved out a topic on the spot where we would dig into the instances where everything goes wrong with a proposal process.

But we didn’t get to talk about that. Because in the entry of the episode we suddenly found ourselves talking about stress, anxiety, horrible managers, horrible business models, the immense pressure of KPIs, deadlines, being a young woman in the funding world in Italy, the damage that other free-working consultants they do and the lack of respect of the grants consultancy profession.

It is a talk that vibrates of anger, frustration, pain, but also hope and relief. And a profound understand and honesty between Ilaria and I. It is a conversation where I finally release to you all that I was laid off from PNO and didn’t leave myself.

Listening to this might offend some of you. Might make some of you sit uneasy on your chair. Might leave you sad. Or it might give you some peace in your stomach that your feelings of stress and anxiety are common and that others are angry about it too.

The Grant is not just about proposal preparation tips and insights to the Brussels eco-system. The podcast is indeed also a mission to shed light on all the difficult things, the darkness that is luring right under the surface and a deep determination from my side to open this up and talk about it.

I have been looking very much forward to release this weeks episode. Universities and their project support departments are heavy users of the EU R&D funding programmes. Therefore it has been an ambition since I started this podcast last summer to get representatives from a university project support office into the studio to share with you all how they work and support their research teams.

As regulars will know I already had Massimo Busuoli from the NTNU Brussels Office in the studio last year. That spinned off a contact to their project support unit back home in Norway and today’s release is a panel episode with three leading employees from that office – Hilde Røysland, Patrick Reunick and Håvard Wibe – all three with the title of Senior Advisor.

In this episode you will get an in-depth insight into how one of the strongest technical universities in collecting EU funding in Europe they organize themselves to support their researchers. First of all they give an overview of the funding strategy including policy and lobby elements. Second, we dig into how they have practically organized themselves and the practical approach to the funding support. Finally, they share their key research areas and give practical project examples as a result of their approach.

You can’t get this kind of information anywhere else than on The Grant. Pure gold for research managers across the continent.

Time codes:

00:06:53 Introduction to NTNU

00:09:22Overall EU funding strategy

00:33:42 Organisation and practical approach

01:09:03 Key research tracks and concrete projects

01:17:41 The toughest challenge

Somehow Norwegians seem to like to be on The Grant… I have a good handful of recordings in the box now with organisations from our dear associated friends in the North. There is a great R&D and innovation environment in Norway, so I am very happy to be able to share that with you all.

This week I am zooming in on the area of regional representation in Brussels. Brussels is filled with regional representations from all over Europe that is both working with general policy and concrete project facilitation for stakeholders from the home region.

I have myself been working in such an office and, hence, of course wants to share how they work. To put meat on that bone I invited long-time Director of the West Norway Office, Merete Mikkelsen, into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about the motivation and function of the office.

In the episode we cover how they keep a strong connection to the stakeholders in the home region, we have a talk about their lobbying and influencing efforts and of course we look into the project facilitation.

Excellent content to understand how regional representations in Brussels they work.

Time codes:

00:06:12 Fly in

00:14:35 Functions of the office and organisation

00:39:40 The connection home

00:58:21 Lobby

01:10:38 Project facilitation

01:24:02 The toughest challenge

It is time to harvest the fruits of lots of sowing. Research organisations are quite difficult to get on board the podcast and I have managed a few since I started, but now I am finally having a handful of research organisations already recorded or lined up for recordings.

This week I have Senior Researcher Antonio M. Ortiz from the Norwegian private research organisation NORCE in the virtual podcast studio. Not only is Antonio researcher with more than 15 years of experience – he has also worked as research project manager in two different ICT companies. And on top of that he also used to be my colleague as private grants consultants in PNO. In other words - he has tons of experience from many sides of the table when it comes to EU funding and ICT which is his domain.

I invited him in to have a talk about his work in NORCE as a researcher in the research group for artificial intelligence. We talk about the research strategy of NORCE and then we allow ourselves to be a little geeky and dig into the actual research they do and also taking time to fold out a funded project on smart manufacturing using artificial intelligence to make a more safe, sustainable and efficient production.

This is gold for researchers and research managers. You don’t want to miss this.

Time codes:

00:11:29 Introduction to DARWIN Research Group

00:17:56 Funding strategy

00:36:14Key research tracks

01:04:31 Concrete project presentation

01:15:16 The toughest challenge

Europe is at war. Not just since February 2022, but actually since 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea. That incident triggered a reaction in the former European Commission under President Juncker. It was decided to establish a defense fund to strengthen European defence industry and military capacities. We all know what happened later on and as such establishing the fund is almost prophetical.

Calls are up this autumn for the funding scheme and hence I considered it a good idea to record an authoritative The Grant introduction to the funding scheme to help everybody that is working with proposals for these calls at this moment.

I invited expert on the programme Margherita Volpe, R&I Consultant - Security & Space Knowledge Area Leader at Zabala Innovation Consulting, into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the programme.

The episode is divided into two. In the first part from last week we covered the political and strategic background of the funding scheme and the structure of the programme

In this second part we dig into target group stakeholders, how to apply, the evaluation regime, what happens when funding is received and finally do’s and don’t’s.

Time codes:

00:02:00 Target group stakeholders

00:07:24 How to apply

00:34:08 Evaluation

00:45:14 Do's and don't's

00:47:12 The toughest challenge

Europe is at war. Not just since February 2022, but actually since 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea. That incident triggered a reaction in the former European Commission under President Juncker. It was decided to establish a defense fund to strengthen European defence industry and military capacities. We all know what happened later on and as such establishing the fund is almost prophetical.

Calls are up this autumn for the funding scheme and hence I considered it a good idea to record an authoritative The Grant introduction to the funding scheme to help everybody that is working with proposals for these calls at this moment.

I invited expert on the programme Margherita Volpe, R&I Consultant - Security & Space Knowledge Area Leader at Zabala Innovation Consulting, into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the programme. The episode is divided into two. In the first part we cover the political and strategic background of the funding scheme and the structure of the programme including types of funding, the content categories, typical project activities and call round frequency.

Time codes:

00:12:22: European Commission priorities and strategies on EDF

00:23:41: Structure of the funding programme

Brussels has a lot of university liaison offices representing universities from all over Europe. They do a tremendous work – I have seen it with my own eyes.

Some universities decide to gather into a collaboration around their Brussels activities. I have an old contact that is representing exactly such an initiative in Brussels. Simona Costa is Head of Office of the university collaboration Tour4EU. It is a collaboration of seven Tuscan universities where they have decided to join forces with a spearhead office in Brussels.

Of course I needed to invite in Simona for a talk about how that works. Seven universities are a big mouthful to represent so we discuss of course how they have organized their approach.

It became a long talk, so this one is a two-episode release. Last week we talked about the background for the collaboration, dug into the key functions of the office and how they are organized and finally we had a talk about the issue related to thedistance between the liaison office and the region back home in Italy.

In this second half we zoom in on the way Simona is structuring the lobbying activities for the seven universities in Tour4EU and then we have a talk about how she secures access to proposals and projects for the Tuscan research communities she supports.

Great content for research support professionals and Brussels-representatives.

Time codes:

00:02:25 Lobbying

00:26:10 Project facilitation

00:41:00 The toughest challenge

Brussels has a lot of university liaison offices representing universities from all over Europe. They do a tremendous work – I have seen it with my own eyes.

Some universities decide to gather into a collaboration around their Brussels activities. I have an old contact that is representing exactly such an initiative in Brussels. Simona Costa is Head of Office of the university collaboration Tour4EU. It is a collaboration of seven Tuscan universities where they have decided to join forces with a spearhead office in Brussels.

Of course I needed to invite in Simona for a talk about how that works. Seven universities are a big mouthful to represent so we discuss of course how they have organized their approach.

It became a long talk, so this one is a two-episode release. In this first part we talk about the background for the collaboration, we dig into the key functions of the office and how they are organized and finally we have a talk about the issue of distance between the liaison office and the region back home in Italy.

A really strong episode.

Time codes:

00:06:32 Fly in

00:14:55 Functions and organisation

00:22:19 The connection home

Large energy companies are very popular in the EU funding eco-system. If you manage to get one of these babies onboard your EU energy proposal then you know that you have just made your chance bigger to access funding. Even better if it is from one of the continents big capitals!

I happen to be so lucky that The Grant has a regular listener from exactly such an organisation. Amy Radlberger is EU Funding Expert in Wiener Stadtwerke which is the energy company of Vienna.

I reached out to invite her in for a talk about how they work with EU funding and luckily for me she happily accepted the invitation.

So, we recorded a strong episode with focus on the key innovation areas for such a large organisation, a talk about their innovation strategy and how they calibrate that vis-à-vis EU funding. This is a very strong episode with insights into how the energy company of one of the largest cities in Europe work with EU funding. A real treat for you out there.

Time codes:

00:13:57 Key areas of innovation for Wiener Stadtwerke

00:21:00 Innovation strategy

00:40:00 EU funding as a tool

01:13:20 The toughest challenge

I am very proud to present to you all a new episode concept in this podcast: The Grant Q&A. The concept is as simple as it is hopefully informative: 1. A guest has some questions in relation to EU funding 2. Another guest is a capacity and can reply those questions Through this concept other beneficiaries throughout Europe approaching the same funding scheme can get enlightened on issues that they have already stumbled into or will eventually stumble into. I will slowly add episodes to The Grant Q&A as I move on. There are no limitations to the questions so please reach out if you would like to be involved. In this episode we will have a look at the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership calls. Stelios Procopiou, co-founder and Director in the company Chrysalis LEAP, is developing trainings for start-up companies and he wants to get some support from Erasmus+ to develop his trainings. But he has some questions before throwing himself at this. Christina Achilleos, owner and founder of the grants consultancy company InnoEUsphere, is an Erasmus+ expert with 45 successful Erasmus+ proposals under her belt. She is the right one for Stelios to ask those questions he has! Please enjoy as we dig into components of the proposal, evaluation criteria, how to keep the proposal on track and so on. Lots and lots of great guidance content for anyone sitting right now and preparing a proposal for this Septembers call round in Erasmus.

Large industry and EU funded projects are a particular combination. The EU Commission is eager to get them involved in especially Horizon Europe Pillar II projects because of potential big effect that their participation has on impact of the rolling out project results post-project. However, from the face of it large industry rarely needs to funding – they can just pay for the research and innovation and choose the partners they want onboard. And they don’t have to share the results with anybody… However, it is more complex than that. Because the kind of network and collaboration partners that EU projects offers is hard to find for them elsewhere. And the content of the research and innovation investigations also offers elements that gives incentives for large industry to join. Getting in contact with a large industry partner and then getting them involved in a proposal process can be difficult. Entries are not obvious, decision processes takes time and added value for their product strategy is vital for them in order to join a publicly funded project. Large industry is also difficult to get into a podcast! But I managed to get Agnes Zoller, Founder and CEO of InnoGrant Advisors, onboard who has just recently been working for a large chemical company with the responsibility to get them involved in EU-funded projects. This episode offers great insights into why EU projects can be important to large industry, what motivates them, what added value it offers them and, of course not least, how to attract them into your proposal.

The complexity of the overwhelmingly large EU funding system is massive. In spite of standardization measures over the years and efforts to make funding more accessible from the EU Commission, the system has grown so big that it has proven almost impossible to make a make it simpler to apply for funding. It seems when one big measure from the EU Commission to simplify and standardize has been implemented, another bureaucratic or practical issue grows larger and makes the overall experience from the beneficiaries more or less the same – complex and challenging to approach.

The issues are manyfold: Rules for application, budget rules, submission systems, the lingo, the problems of identifying the right funding box, the unspoken rules that you need to know and of course the often absolute necessity for paying an external consultant in order to deal with all this.

This is a big topic to chew down – even in a long podcast format like The Grant. Maxence Viallon, Grant Finance Officer at EIT Urban Mobility, has an opinion about this subject and makes an effort through his blog ‘EU funds – Simply explained’ to grow awareness within the EU Commission and among the beneficiaries.

I invited him in for a talk about this fundamental issue of the whole EU funding system and it ended up being a great conversation about shared frustrations, the big challenges within the system and what the EU Commission is actually doing to minimize the effects of the complexity.

The research manager is a title that is becoming more and more common in the university world. In short, a research manager is the supportive and facilitating function in the university administration that supports the researchers and research teams towards public funding. And with this of course also EU funding. The increasing importance of EU funding to universities throughout Europe has raised the importance and numbers of research managers. However, the role is still falling somewhat in-between several chairs in the traditionally conservative world of universities and recognition of the importance of the role is still lacking behind. More and more posts on the topic of Research Managers pops up in my LinkedIn feed and, hence, I decided to reach out to one of my contacts to explain about the role and share with you all and me about the importance of the work that is carried out. Alice Barbaglio is a Research Advisor and project manager at European Institute of Oncology and has been working as a research manager for several years. She is actively sharing her views about the research manager role on LinkedIn and she is an ambassador in the Horizon Europe funded project RM Roadmap that has focus on the research manager role This episode offers insights on the crucial core elements of the research manager role and inspiration on how to navigate in this role. It is recommended to both new and experienced research managers.

For many many years there has been an imbalance between all the funding for projects and efforts carried out in these projects versus the actual utilization of the project results after the projects end. The EU Commission has over many years tried to deal with this fundamental and critical imbalance in the whole funding-based system.

I was reminded of this when I saw a post on LinkedIn by Catherine Collins, freelance science journalist, writing for among several Horizon Magazine, Science Business, Science Calling and EU Observer. The post was pushing an article she had written on a new concept that The EU Commission has initiated to utilize results from funded projects – a hackathon where anyone with an interest and capacity to work with the data where invited to make their bid on how to utilize data from former concrete EU projects.

I therefore invited Catherine into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about her article and about this paradox that has been prevailing for decades in the EU funding system – lots of funding, but many results never being used. But also on all the things that the EU Commission has actively done to overcome the paradox.

Digging into specific sectors and how they work with EU funding is also part of what I intent to unfold in this podcast. It is through examples from the stakeholders out there that the importance of EU funding really becomes clear.

The Technological Platform of Wine (or PTV) from Spain is an association that facilitates innovation and development for the wine producing sector in Spain. The organisation has in recent years started to engage itself and its members in regionally funded and EU funded projects. The sector is, like agriculture in general, facing many challenges due to climate change and to a growing push for circularity and sustainability in its agricultural praxises.

I invited Andrea Casquete Bureba, Project Manager at Technological Platform of Wine (PTV), into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about the innovation challenges of the wine sector, how PTV helps its members and how they are using the EU funded projects to help solving these challenges.

A wonderful talk that gives similar organisations an idea of how to approach EU funding, which strategies to follow and how to involve members and stakeholders in proposals, projects and lobbying.

The Horizon Europe framework programme for R&D funding is a bush with many flowers. I have troughout the last year built up content on particular Horizon Europe Pillar II which is focused on collaboration projects solving socio-economic challenges. Now it is time to have a look at one of the other flowers in the bush: The ERC programme for researchers.

The programme is THE most important funding programme for the research community broadly speaking. It has a quite different structure and characteristic than the Pillar II part of Horizon Europe. Focus is here to support the individual researchers with the in-depth investigation of their research area giving them the resources that all researchers per se is needing to go ever further into unveiling yet unknown revelations to advance European research in all corners. Added to this, the ERC is a bottom-up programme with no strategic calls.

I have never worked with this funding scheme so to get it right I invited in Yoram Bar-Zeev, Managing Director of Enspire Science, into the virtual podcast studio to give us all a thorough introduction to this fundamental funding source for the European research community.

In this second half we are digging deeply into the evaluation regime of the ERC programme and Yoram shares how you should approach the different implicit and explicit evaluation criteria. And of course Yoram gives us an overview of the main pitfalls that most stumble down in when preparing proposals for ERC.

The Horizon Europe framework programme for R&D funding is a bush with many flowers. I have troughout the last year built up content on particular Horizon Europe Pillar II which is focused on collaboration projects solving socio-economic challenges. Now it is time to have a look at one of the other flowers in the bush: The ERC programme for researchers.

The programme is THE most important funding programme for the research community broadly speaking. It has a quite different structure and characteristic than the Pillar II part of Horizon Europe. Focus is here to support the individual researchers with the in-depth investigation of their research area giving them the resources that all researchers per se is needing to go ever further into unveiling yet unknown revelations to advance European research in all corners. Added to this, the ERC is a bottom-up programme with no strategic calls.

I have never worked with this funding scheme so to get it right I invited in Yoram Bar-Zeev, Managing Director of Enspire Science, into the virtual podcast studio to give us all a thorough introduction to this fundamental funding source for the European research community.

Lately the Erasmus+ programme has opened up to me. I have gained nice contacts that work with the programme regularly and through them of course I am becoming aware of the large dedicated community working with this funding scheme. So, I decided to open up The Grant for this area and start giving the stakeholders a voice. Given the nature of Erasmus+, funding education in all aspects, you also have a lot of NGOs, non-profit organisations and generally organisations with few resources. And many of them are power houses of energy and dedication to the subject they are working with. They wear their hearts outside their shirts. But how do you manage to build and run an NGO that more or less only runs on EU funding?My curiousity was awaken by Daiana Huber, Chief Operations Officer @ CPIP – Center for promotion of life-long learning. Her presence on LinkedIn gave me a hunch that she would have something to share. And she didn’t disappoint me. Or you for that sake. CPIP living out of EU funding and in particular Erasmus+ funding. This means that they are submitting proposals almost at an industrial scale. So, I was interested in opening up her world and let her share with all of you out there in the same boat how they are successfully doing this and sharing insights on do’s and don’t’s. Great content.

The gender aspect in the EU R&D framework programmes has long lived a life as sections of the R&D proposals that was not really taken serious. Standard generic 10-lines paragraphs, rolling eyes, frowns and in general being ridiculed as absolutely irrelevant. Those times are slowly fading away. The EU Commission keeps pushing for real gender-related reflections and input both in specific sections and organically in for example the Excellence section. And the Commission has here shown itself a head of time. Most people acknowledges - at least – that it is a subject you need to have an opinion about as a consortium. And if not, you wont be in that last 5% toptier that brings you the funding. It is that simple. The barrier has moved.

I brought in two experts on gender and diversity in EU R&D proposals to the virtual podcast studio. Lachlan Smith and Jakob Feldtfos Christensen, owners of DiversiUNIty that is a company supporting research organisations on diversity in research – they also run the podcast Diversity in Research. Here we go through where in the Horizon Europe proposal you need to keep an eye on the gender aspect and they give tips and hints on how to approach it.

In the beginning of the year ChatGPT blew to world away – and continues to do so. The level of complexity of the feedback from ChatGPT made it clear for all that here we are dealing with a ground-breaking technology that will have a major impact on development of society. Very quickly after the launch of ChatGPT the number of posts on the impact on grants proposal writing exploded In my LinkedIn feed. Because indeed this technology will have a huge impact on the proposa-based funding system and whoever is employed and involved in it. A couple of my LinkedIn contacts started digging into the technology, shared their findings and discussed the implications for the whole system.

So, I decided that it is time for a debate panel in The Grant to discuss the technology, the implications and the possibilities for grants proposal writing and the whole EU funding system. I invited the two independent consultants Kristjan Zemljic and Georg Melzer-Venturi and Director of Innovation at EIT Urban Mobility Gareth Macnaugton into the virtual podcast studio to have a discussion about this extremely hot topic.

First, Kristjan shares with us how CHatGPT works and what he has done to work WITH the technology and use all the good things of it and turn it into his advantage. Then we move into a discussion about the implicaTIONS for proposal writing. How will this affect the huge grants consultancy business and does it even matter anymore if ChatGPT does a better job? And finally we will dig into how this will influence the whole proposal-based funding system and reflections on how the EU Commission might deal with this new technology in their future calls and evaluation system design.

I have slowly moved into including other funding schemes than Horizon Europe. The Grant is thought to cover broadly the main European funding schemes. Not long ago I had a double-episode presenting an Erasmus+ project, so the natural step for me was move to Erasmus+ next. Therefore, this episode is an introduction to the Erasmus+ programme. Or Erasmus+ the EU programme for education, training, youth and sports as it is officially named.

I have little experience with this funding scheme. So I have invited one of my good old contacts Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, Project director at the consultancy company Eurakom and external evaluator, into the virtual podcast studio to guide me through the Erasmus+ programme. Making a solid introduction to a funding scheme takes a little time, so this became a double episode. In this second half we will go through How to apply, Evaluation, What happens when funding is received and Do's and don't's. Excellent for any Erasmus+ applicant or would-be applicant.

I have slowly moved into including other funding schemes than Horizon Europe. The Grant is thought to cover broadly the main European funding schemes. Not long ago I had a double-episode presenting an Erasmus+ project, so the natural step for me was move to Erasmus+ next. Therefore, this episode is an introduction to the Erasmus+ programme. Or Erasmus+ the EU programme for education, training, youth and sports as it is officially named.

I have little experience with this funding scheme. So I have invited one of my good old contacts Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, Project director at the consultancy company Eurokom and external evaluator, into the virtual podcast studio to guide me through the Erasmus+ programme. Making a solid introduction to a funding scheme takes a little time, so this became a double episode. In this first half we start off looking at the EUs purpose with the funding scheme, the structure of the programme and the target groups. Excellent for any Erasmus+ applicant or would-be applicant.

I have reached the end of the line. The Timeline, that is, naturally. And it is of course the submission episode that you are about to listen to. Submitting the Horizon Europe proposal is the last intense stretch in a marathon that has lasted for months. And it IS intense. And there are many things you need to deal with that you didn’t realize you had to pay attention to. Together with the things that you INDEED knew you had to pay attention to…

I have invited Miguel Gallardo Linacero from the Spanish grants consultancy company Sustainable Innovations into the virtual podcast studio to help me run through the cacophony of things you need to be aware of when you are submitting a proposal. On top of that we also share with you our experience on the process and give you a reality check in relation to what you can expect of chaos and stress.

It became a long talk as you can imagine, so I have divided the episode into two episodes. In this second half we continue going through the rest of the proposal forms including ethics and security, before ending up with the validation check and the actually pressing the red submission button.

You need to listen to this episode if you are submitting proposals!

When calls are about to open for submission the European Commission and the different European Partnerships arrange infodays on the different thematic sections in the work programmes. Circular Biobased Europe is the European Partnership covering the circular biobased industries that are growing significantly these years. The partnership has its own dedicated section in the Horizon Europe work programme with 18 calls available for the deadlines in 2023. Their Info Day is coming up. 20 April 450 people will gather in the heart of the European area in Brussels for a day dedicated to the circular biobased industry calls. The info days are designed to secure that the stakeholders get information on the open calls, advice on how to develop the proposals, technically how to apply for the calls and not least networking and brokerage activities for people to connect for the many consortia to be settled. I connected with one of my old contacts, Maria Andrielou, Communication Strategist and owner of the communication company Clean Stories specialized on exactly the biobased sector. We agreed to record an episode about the Circular Bio-based Europe Info Day and how it is to participate in such events. And we managed to get Dieter Brigitta, Programme Officer & Call Coordinator from Circular Biobased Europe, into the virtual podcast studio to help us shed light on the organisation and how they run their info days.This is a great The Grant special that gives you an idea of what these events are and how you can benefit from participating.

I have reached the end of the line. The Timeline, that is, naturally. And it is of course the submission episode that you are about to listen to. Submitting the Horizon Europe proposal is the last intense stretch in a marathon that has lasted for months. And it IS intense. And there are many things you need to deal with that you didn’t realize you had to pay attention to. Together with the things that you INDEED knew you had to pay attention to.

I have invited Miguel Gallardo Linacero from the Spanish grants consultancy company Sustainable Innovations into the virtual podcast studio to help me run through the cacophony of things you need to be aware of when you are submitting a proposal. On top of that we also share with you our experience on the process and give you a reality check in relation to what you can expect of chaos and stress.

It became a long talk as you can imagine, so I have divided the episode into two episodes. In this first half we cover registration and PIC number, partner registration for the proposal in the portal and the first handful of proposal forms including Form B (proposal), Declarations, Role of participating organisations, Gender Equality Plan and the Budget section.

Facilitating networking within EU R&D funding is an animal with many heads. It is quite complex to structure the internet interface or platform. The best solutions are often sector specific which secures that the facilitator can zoom in on the stakeholders and the community within that specific sector. The EU Commission is the only organization that has made a broad platform covering all sectors – however then it tends to water out with too many dead and inactive profiles.

Michael Browne, founder of the platform Crowdhelix, has given it a try. With a background in research he developed a private fee-based platform that is giving it a shot to cover sectors broadly in the networking for EU R&D funding. I invited him into the virtual podcast studio to dig into the concept, how he managed to built it up and finally having a talk in general on privately developed networking tools for EU R&D funding.

This is a wonderful talk that sheds light on how a long experience on research can generate an idea that can suddenly help a lot of people.

I am moving slowly towards the end of The Timeline Series. In the last episode in theseries we went through the budget template itself and how to fill it in. However, when preparing the budget the smallest part of it is knowing the budget categories and terms – the biggest part of the work is related to collectingthe information, correcting this information, negotiating the budget levels for the partners and all in all dealing with inconsistencies in communication anddifficult budget fights in-between in the partners.

I invited my old colleague and friend Jonas Hansen who is Senior Funding Manager in the Danish ICT cluster Digitallead to go through all the little and big things that makes finalizing the budget a big challenge for anyone – no matter the organizational talent. It became a double episode. In this second part we are sharing the experience of the strategic jerk partners that will dileberately try to cheat or blackmail themselves to higher budget and then we are digging into the horror of budget negotiations and re-negotiations that can take the air out of any proposal writer.

We share with you all our combined experience from years of working practically with this which will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect whenpreparing the budget in the final phase.

I am moving slowly towards the end of The Timeline Series. In the last episode in the series we went through the budget template itself and how to fill it in. However, when preparing the budget the smallest part of it is knowing the budget categories and terms – the biggest part of the work is related to collecting the information, correcting this information, negotiating the budget levels for the partners and all in all dealing with inconsistencies in communication and difficult budget fights in-between in the partners.

I invited my old colleague and friend Jonas Hansen who is Senior Funding Manager in the Danish ICT cluster Digitallead to go through all the little and big things that makes finalizing the budget a big challenge for anyone – no matter the organizational talent.

It became a double episode. In this first episode we talk about how you can help yourself in the months up to the final two weeks when things heat up and then we take step-by-step the things that are most like to give anyone problems including late budget input from partners, wrong figures from partners and too high figures. We share with you all our combined experience from years of working practically with this which will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect when preparing the budget in the final phase.

Back in the summer of 2022 I had one of my first guests on the show, Marie Latour, who gave us all a broad introduction to the European Partnerships. An immediate realization was that I wanted to explore these partnerships in more detail to give you, dear listeners, an idea of what these organisations do, what role they play in the whole EU R&D funding programme framework and how they interact with their members, stakeholders and not least the EU Commission.

I reached out to one of the partnerships that I know best, A:Spire – the partnership covering sustainable process industry. I have been connected to the organization on and off over the last 7 years and have been involved in some of their stakeholder activities collecting input for work programme priorities. The European Partnership arm of this work is now labelled Processes4Planet. I am honored that I managed to get Director Angels Orduna and Chair of the advisory structure Ludo Diels onboard for a thematic double-episode on Processes4Planet.

This is part 2 of this thematic episode on Processes4Planet. Here the talk moves into the coordination with the EU Commission and thereafter we dig into the operational level of how Processes4Planet works with their members securing that the stakeholders get their message through. And not least how you manage all this as a small secretariat of a European Partnership.

Back in the summer of 2022 I had one of my first guests on the show, Marie Latour, who gave us all a broad introduction to the European Partnerships. An immediate realization was that I wanted to explore these partnerships in more detail to give you, dear listeners, an idea of what these organisations do, what role they play in the whole EU R&D funding programme framework and how they interact with their members, stakeholders and not least the EU Commission.

I reached out to one of the partnerships that I know best, A:Spire – the partnership covering sustainable process industry. I have been connected to the organization on and off over the last 7 years and have been involved in some of their stakeholder activities collecting input for work programme priorities. The European Partnership arm of this work is now labelled Processes4Planet. I am honored that I managed to get Director Angels Orduna and Chair of the advisory structure Ludo Diels onboard for a thematic double-episode on Processes4Planet.

This is a very strong episode with a view into the machine room of a partnership and insights from the horses mouth on collaboration with the Commission, juggling with the cacophony of stakeholders, coordination with other complementary partnerships and securing strong content for their members.

I am myself an old private grants consultant and it is a sector and people I care about. That’s why I have allocated a specific corner of The Grant to this sector under the label Consultants Corner. Here, I give the sector a voice and dig into all kinds of issues relevant for this shadow sector like business models, the work as a grants consultant, how they develop business concepts, how they deal with insane work pressure and so on and so forth.

This weeks guest reached out to me and requested to join the show. Nikolaos Floratos has more than 20 years of experience most pf the time as a grants consultant. He has developed a novel approach to grants consultancy based on a platform with different services with remuneration based on subscription. And it does not include the actual writing of the proposals for the clients, but on solid supportive services.

It became an interesting talk about this platform and the conditions for the grants consultancy sector in general when it comes to grants consultancy business model development.

Networking is one of the most important elements of working within this field. The ability to navigate in this big ocean is vital for success with grants proposals.

There are many layers to be aware of and to work with. In the autumn I reached out to Lara Valentín Carrera from FUNDITEC in Spain to get her involved in The Grant. We have known each other for a long time and our conversation moved into the issue of networking because that was how we met.

So, we carved out an episode digging into networking both from a practical perspective but even more important from a phycological and inter-human perspective. This is a strong episode.

As usual it became a long talk and I have divided the recording into two.

In this second half we continue the talk about brokerage events and thereafter move into the subject of which social skills you need to practice. Finally, we uncover how years of networking efforts can influence both your professional and personal life.

Networking is one of the most important elements of working within this field. The ability to navigate in this big ocean is vital for success with grants proposals. There are many layers to be aware of and to work with. In the autumn I reached out to Lara Valentín Carrera from FUNDITEC in Spain to get her involved in The Grant. We have known each other for a long time and our conversation moved into the issue of networking because that was how we met.

So, we carved out an episode digging into networking both from a practical perspective but even more important from a phycological and inter-human perspective. This is a strong episode. As usual it became a long talk and I have divided the recording into two. In the first half we are focusing on brokerage events and their nature.

For a long time I have been looking for a guest who would like to present a concrete project and tell about the practical implementation of the activities.

I managed to connect to Senior Grant Advisor Virag Zsar from the Hungarian private research organization HETFA. They initiated an ERASMUS+ proposal some years ago with the focus of building an EU project manager education sat university level. They got the funding and have implementet the project the last three years.

So, this episode is a nice practical piece with insights into what it entails to carry out an EU project. For good and bad.

It became too long for one episode so I divided it up into two episodes. In this second half we dig into how the communication and dissemination activities work in ERASMUS+ and how it went with deliverables and results. We also touch upon chemistry in the consortium and Virag shared how the exchange with the funding administrators works in ERASMUS+. Finally, we briefly talked any troubles they ran into along the way – like all projects do.

For a long time I have been looking for a guest who would like to present a concrete project and tell about the practical implementation of the activities.

I managed to connect to Senior Grant Advisor Virág Zsár from the Hungarian private research organization HETFA. They initiated an ERASMUS+ proposal some years ago with the focus of building an EU project manager education sat university level. They got the funding and have implementet the project the last three years.

So, this episode is a nice practical piece with insights into what it entails to carry out an EU project. For good and bad.

It became too long for one episode so I divided it up into two episodes. In this first half Virág presents the background of the proposal, shortly how the proposal process went and the core content elements of the project. Further, we moved into the concrete implementation of the activities and how they had to adjust some of the planning as they moved on.

Public waste handling organizations stand at the frontline of the transition to circular economy and a true sustainable society and the EU stands ready with lots of funding to boost and facilitate this dramatic shift. And getting involved in EU R&D proposals and projects as a local municipal organization can be a great way to fund these strategies since they are often costly and with a big element of risk. But how do you attack this big animal as a public entity with limited resources for both developing proposals yourself and paying private consultants to write the proposals for you? The answer is that many don’t

However, a segment of public waste handling organisations have cracked the code to get going with this. BOFA – Wastehandling organization of Bornholm, Denmark – is among them. I invited Project manager David Christensen from BOFA into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about how they are working with EU R&D funding - strategically and practically. As often happens in this podcast it became a long talk so I have divided it into two episodes.

In this second half we focus on what kind of strategy is sensible in order to be involved in as many proposals and projects as manageable, thoughts and recommendations in networking strategy, what effect projects can have on real life in terms of improved processes and, finally, one of the most significant challenges for EU project hunters in the public sector: lack of understanding of the added value of EU projects at the political level and from other departments in the organization.

Public waste handling organizations stand at the frontline of the transition to circular economy and a true sustainable society and the EU stands ready with lots of funding to boost and facilitate this dramatic shift. And getting involved in EU R&D proposals and projects as a local municipal organization can be a great way to fund these strategies since they are often costly and with a big element of risk. But how do you attack this big animal as a public entity with limited resources for both developing proposals yourself and paying private consultants to write the proposals for you?

The answer is that many don’t. However, a segment of public waste handling organisations have cracked the code to get going with this. BOFA – Waste handling organization of Bornholm, Denmark – is among them. I invited Project manager David Christensen from BOFA into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about how they are working with EU R&D funding - strategically and practically. As often happens in this podcast it became a long talk so I have divided it into two episodes. Here in the first half we cover how they got going with EU funding and how their EU funding strategy has developed.

The episode offers great strategic advices for other public entities on how to approach the EU funding system in a way that resonates with limited resources for these kind of expenses.

I have reached the budget in my Timeline Series which is one of the last things to finish in the proposal process. To fill in the budget template you need to be aware of the terminologies, the different budget categories and the partner categories.

This I have actually done myself a couple of times, but to make sure that I get the explanations right, I have invited Horizon Europe budget specialist Jelena Kajganovic from Europa Media into the virtual podcast studio to take us all through the budget template, how to fill it in and what to be aware of.

It can be rather confusing especially the first couple of times you have to do it, so we tried to make it rather pedagogical running through the essentials.

Recruiting consultants in the private grants consultancy sector is rough. EU R&D grants consultancy is a low-fee consulting area which affects the salaries you can pay and the conditions you can offer. On top of this, the work that it entails to be a grants consultant is rough and tough on work-life-balance. That means you really have to stand out as a company if you want to attract the right people. Ayming is a French global HR and finance consultancy company that is also involved in grants consultancy.

I invited their HR Business Partner Sara Arryn into the virtual podcast studio to a good talk about recruiting in this business. They, like everybody else within the sector, is twisting and turning to find a way to get the right people onboard. It became a long talk that resulted in two episodes. In this second part we zoom in specifically on a job dating concept Ayming has developed where all the normal recruiting procedures have been skipped and replaced by more relaxed procedures, but of course still with the focus to find the right candidates.

The episodes offers concrete tools for grants consultancy managers and HR responsibles that can help to improve the results of the resources allocated for the recruitment efforts.

Recruiting consultants in the private grants consultancy sector is rough. EU R&D grants consultancy is a low-fee consulting area which affects the salaries you can pay and the conditions you can offer. On top of this, the work that it entails to be a grants consultant is rough and tough on work-life-balance. That means you really have to stand out as a company if you want to attract the right people.

Ayming is a French global HR and finance consultancy company that is also involved in grants consultancy. I invited their HR Business Partner Sara Arryn into the virtual podcast studio to a good talk about recruiting in this business. They, like everybody else within the sector is twisting and turning to find a way to get the right people onboard. It became a long talk that resulted in two episodes.

In the first half we are digging into the conditions of recruiting in the grants application business and Sara shares core elements of Aymings recruiting strategy and the perception of the grant business from her point of view as human resource professional.

It’s Christmas and of course The Grant also serves you a Christmas Special. The season is wonderful – most people will agree - but for grants consultants and anyone forced to deal with proposals with deadlines in January it is a time with mixed feelings. And for many the focus on the celebrations and lovely time with the family and friends is lost in proposal anxiety and overwhelming amounts of work.

Back in autumn I invited founder and managing director of the Cypriotic boutique grants consultancy company GrantXpert Celia Hadjichristodoulou to have a Christmas Specia. She is Orthodox Christian and so is my wife – hence there is a basis for a lovely talk about Christmas, but also the difficult elements as grants consultant. We share anecdotes of horrible past proposal processes we experienced during Christmas and how it has formed our view on avoiding exactly this.

It became a talk about the vital importance of managers and their understanding of their employees and the importance of managers to be courages enough to turn down assignments that will damage the employees.

So, the episode offers grants consultancy managers reflections on how to make sure the team is ok even though the employees are under heavy pressure.

All research organisations struggle with how to attract enough resources to develop the research activities that is strategically important. Using EU funds is one way to go, but can be trouble-some.

VITO is one of the strongest private research organisations in Europe and they are continously at ranking in the top of research organisations collecting most EU R&D funding. I had a talk with Ludo Diels who has a long career in different research leading positions in VITO. He is now a professor emeritus and for VITO he is involved in Processes4Planet as Chairman of the Advisory and Programming Group.

We digged into the Belgian-Flemish private research organization VITO and how they have used EU funding as a key tool to build up the organization over the years from the early framework programme in the 1980's and 1990's and to now with a coherent strong funding strategy that is vital for their work in the different research departments and business units. This conversation sheds light on the challenges that research organisations have in keeping up the flow of money to fund their research activities and how to work internally as well as externally to succeed with this.

This episode has very strong advice and insights from one of the most successful research organisations on Europe on how to work with EU funding as a research organisation.

Some time ago I noticed a nice post from a guy called Sean Jones that posted a video interview called Thought Leaders as part of the communication strategy of an EU project. It was quite different communication approach than I am used to so I reached out to Sean for an interview. It showed that Sean is an enthusiastic guy focused on doing communication and dissemination activities with a big focus on real values and not copy-paste approach as many they do. He has even formed his own NGO with exactly this focus. In other words, Sean has a big heart for this and it became a very nice talk with some sharp edges along the way towards back-spine practices.

We discuss the background for communication and dissemination and we dig into the tools the Sean is using in his NGO when they involve themselves in EU proposals and projects. There is a strong focus in this talk on starting to take these sections of the proposals serious and to get rid of automatic-reactions and copy-paste approaches when developing the input - both for proposal text and the proposed actions.

This is a vital episode for people who are developing content for the communication, dissemination and exploitation parts of proposals with lots of tips and tricks how to make your proposal stand out as extraordinary.

Founder and Director of the Israeli grants consultancy company Enspire – Yoram Bar-Zeev - asked if he could join the show and share his knowledge on how to fold out the research input for the Excellence section.

Of course he received a big YES from me and I am happy he reached out because this conversation became a very nice talk about how to develop the Excellence section from scratch and . The key focus in the talk is on what the evaluators are paying attention to, what you have a big influence on yourself when developing the text and how to sharpen the text and narrative.

This is a Timeline Series episode. I have reached to the Implementation section and have already shared with you all the guest episode with Georg Melzer-Venturi on the work package descriptions. We didn’t manage to cover the remaining part of the Implementation section 3 which mainly consists of a large handful of tables and diagrammes.

I have decided to make a solo episode on this. Mainly because I have dealt with this many times myself, but also because it is pretty straight forward. The tables and diagrammes are summing up on efforts, things to deliver to the EU Commission, timelines for the tasks and so on. In other words this is where you give the evaluators and the EU Commission the overview of the hard facts of your organisations. It can seem like a cacophony of templates and tables and indeed it is good to have a cool head when you attack this part of the proposal. Which is tricky, because most of it you can’t do before the very end. And in the very end few people have a calm head.

In this episode I run through all the elements of the Implementation section and give you all some tips, tricks and advice on how to deal with it especially towards the end of the proposal process where most of these need to be developed and filled in.

I have now reached to the Implementation section 3. Or more precisely: Section 3 Quality and efficiency of the implementation. This is where you describe how you will actually in all practicality carry out the activities to reach the projects targets and it is also here you will have to share the organization between the work packages, detailed timeline and so on.

This is the second half of a double-episode on the Work Package descriptions. I have invited independent grants consultant, Georg Melzer-Venturi into the virtual podcast studio to share his views, experience, tips and tricks with you and me on this crucial part of the proposal and how to work with the partners. First half focused on preparation and structure. This second half focuses on the complexity of all the information that comes together in the Work Package descriptions, making sure that the descriptions reflects what is in the Excellence and Impact sections and how to deal with structuring your effort and proposal management.

Of course, the episode contains plenty of good advices, tips and tricks on how deal with the complexity, cacophony of information and how to structure your approach as a proposal developer.

Recently I have been running through the actual proposal sections, bit by bit, and have now reached to the Implementation section 3. Or more precisely: Section 3 Quality and efficiency of the implementation. This is where you describe how you will actually in all practicality carry out the activities to reach the projects targets and it is also here you will have to share the organization between the work packages, detailed timeline and so on.

This is one of the proposals sections I have been doing on a regular basis, but to make sure I get critical mass in these crucial episodes I have invited independent grants consultant, Georg Melzer-Venturi into the virtual podcast studio to share his views, experience, tips and tricks with you and me.

In this episode we focus on the Work Package descriptions. It became a long talk and hence I have divided it into two parts. In this first part we discuss how to prepare the work developing the Work Package descriptions together with the partners and we move into the structure of the descriptions and what should be included.

The episode contains plenty of good advices, tips and tricks on how to work with your partners in the brainstorm phase and how to attack the descriptions.

In this episode I am exploring the idea development for EIC Accelerator proposals. Through LinkedIn I got in contact with Sandra Anic who is a Business development manager in the Croation grants consultancy company Aestus Consulting.

In this exchange Sandra shares with me how to unfold the technology concept that you have developed into a full proposal concept. How to understand lab test concept, how to fold out a strong business model and market analysis and what tools you can use for this. Especially the canvas tool is presented and discussed. In short, we discuss how to calibrate the technology idea into the EU Commissions frame of EIC Accelerator.

The episodes especially offers advice for grants consultants on how to work with the clients' starting point and input and it gives advices how to approach the different core proposal parts. However, all people working on EIC Accelerator proposals will get something out of this, as well as people working with Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals.

This summer I released an episode focusing on the hardships of writing proposals over the summer and on the deadline structure in Horizon Europe. It is one the most popular episodes and many people got back to me afterwards thanking me for picking up the subject.

Briefly after I picked up a LinkedIn post by the Cypriotic grants consultancy company GrantXperts that flagged that they were running a 4-day working week over summer.

Therefore I invited Head of Erasmus Unit Christina Achilleos from GrantXperts into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about how they managed to scale down on working days and give their employees a break in what is one of the most difficult periods as a grants writer.

This episode has insights into alternative ways to arrange and manage working hours for employees within this highly resource-intensive sector of grants consultancy.

The Grant has finally reached the university world. Under the label The Grant Campus I will also cover this crucial area as I move on.

First episode zooms in on the Brussels Office of the Norwegian University for Science and Technology. Many universities throughout Europe have chosen to establish an office in Brussels to get closer to the EU R&D eco-system both decision-makers, influencers and collaboration partners of strategic importance for the university faculties.

I have invited Head of NTNU Brussels Office Massimo Busuoli into the virtual podcast studio to share with us the why NTNU established an office in Brussels, how they use the representation strategically, what the university gets out of it and finally – and not least – the crucial question of how they efficiently coordinate work with more than 1000 kilometers apart and secure a strong connection to all corners of a big university.

The episode has been divided into two and in this second half we have a talk about how their office work practically, learn about the key role the Brussels office has in NTNUs strategic lobby activities and shed light on how it helps the university in getting into a bunch of flagship Horizon Europe proposals with just the right consortia.

The episode offers advice on how to strategically and practically approach running a Brussels liaison office and how to get the most out of your lobby efforts towards Horizon Europe work programmes and at the same time benefit on joining concrete top-ranging proposals.

The Grant has finally reached the university world. Under the label The Grant Campus I will also cover this crucial area as I move on.

First episode zooms in on the Brussels Office of the Norwegian University for Science and Technology. Many universities throughout Europe have chosen to establish an office in Brussels to get closer to the EU R&D eco-system both decision-makers, influencers and collaboration partners of strategic importance for the university faculties.

I have invited Head of NTNU Brussels Office Massimo Busuoli into the virtual podcast studio to share with us the why NTNU established an office in Brussels, how they use the representation strategically, what the university gets out of it and finally – and not least – the crucial question of how they efficiently coordinate work with more than 1000 kilometers apart and secure a strong connection to all corners of a big university.

The episode has been divided into two and in this first half we focus on how to secure a strong connection back home with a vibrant collaboration and achieving important results when the physical distance between the liaison office and the university is more than a 1000 kilometers.

The episode offers advice on how to strategically and practically approach running a Brussels liaison office and securing a strong organisational connection between the two entities.

I have reached to the actual proposal writing and now it is time to dig into the Impact section. I am now looking at chapter 2.2 Measures to maximize impact. This is where you describe how you will spread your results, communicate to different segments about your great project and exploit the results for the benefit of your organization, the sector and society.

I have invited Director of Europa Media, Gabriella Lovasz onboard sharing her career-long experience working with exactly this for clients – communication, dissemination and exploitation. Both in writing proposals and implementing. Further, Europa Media is one of the leading providers of trainings and courses on EU R&D funding.

In this second episode we reflect and discuss how to best structure the input for the section when putting pen to paper and how to get the best out of the partners that often find it hard to deal with this specific - but crucial – chapter. The episode has lots of tips, tricks and hacks for proposal writers on how to make this sectio tiptop.

Time codes

04:24: Preparation before writing

14:56: Communication, dissemination an exploitation

41:25: Strategy

53:00: Connection with WP descriptions

I have reached to the actual proposal writing and now it is time to dig into the Impact section. The last two weeks I covered 2.1 Project’s pathways towards impact and now the next two weeks it is time for chapter 2.2 Measures to maximize impact. This is where you describe how you will spread your results, communicate to different segments about your great project and exploit the results for the benefit of your organization, the sector and society.

I have invited Director of Europa Media, Gabriella Lovasz onboard sharing her career-long experience working with exactly this for clients – communication, dissemination and exploitation. Both in writing proposals and implementing. Further, Europa Media is one of the leading providers of trainings and courses on EU R&D funding.

In the first episode we dig into the EU Commissions outline and directions in the official Horizon Europe proposal template and discuss and reflect the background for the directions and how to interpret them.

Time codes:

00:00: Introduction and thoughts on the Impact 2.2 section

10:45: Background of template design

18:00: Communication, dissemination and exploitation

40:50: Strategy and target groups

50:35: Summary table

I have reached to the writing phase in The Timeline Series and will now dig into the Impact section. The Impact section has two distinct sections: one on results and impact (2.1) and one on how to share results and spread them (2.2). I have therefore decided to record two episodes covering 2.1 Project’s pathways towards impact and two episodes covering 2.2 Measures to maximize impact.

I have written a handful of Impact sections myself, but to get critical mass on the guidance I have invited Team Lead of Research Support at the IT University in Copenhagen Melanie Büscher and Danish NCP and Chief Consultant in The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science Barbara Spano – both Advisory Board members of The Grant. They both have more than a decade of experience in facilitating roles as NCPs and university project support offices which means they have evaluated countless proposals. They helped me digging into Impact section 2.1.

This is the second part of the double episode on Impact section 2.1 Project’s pathways towards impact. Here we reflect and discuss how to best structure the input for the section when putting pen to paper and how to get the best out of the partners that often find it hard to deal with this specific - but crucial - chapter.

This episode contains advice, tips and tricks needed when you start to write this section. Anyone who is writing or is about to write an Impact section is recommended to listen to this episode.

Get the grant!

Time codes:

00:00 Challenges to gather info and develop section

21:35 Tables vs. text

28:54 Space optimization

33:20 Scale and significance

I have reached to the writing phase in The Timeline Series and will now dig into the Impact section. The Impact section has two distinct sections: one on results and impact (2.1) and one on how to share results and spread them (2.2). I have therefore decided to record two episodes covering 2.1 Project’s pathways towards impact and two episodes covering 2.2 Measures to maximize impact.

I have written a handful of Impact sections myself, but to get critical mass on the guidance I have invited Team Lead of Research Support at the IT University in Copenhagen Melanie Büscher and Danish NCP and Chief Consultant in The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science Barbara Spano – both Advisory Board members of The Grant. They both have more than a decade of experience in facilitating roles as NCPs and university project support offices which means they have evaluated countless proposals. They helped me digging into Impact section 2.1.

This is the first part of the double episode on Impact section 2.1 Project’s pathways towards impact. Here we go through how the background of the Impact section guidance as provided by the EU Commission in the Horizon Europe proposal template. Further, we go through main sections in the template and fold out how to interpret the text.

This episode contains solid advice and background information needed before putting pen to paper writing this section. Anyone who is writing or is about to write an Impact section is recommended to listen to this episode.

Get the grant!

Time codes:

00:00 Introduction and thoughts on the Impact section

12:35 Background of template design

25:45 Contribution of results

42:20 Scale and significance

49:40 Barries

In my Timeline Series I have reached to the actual writing phase and start of course with the Excellence section. Even though I have written some Excellence sections myself this is not my core expertise and therefor I have invited one of my Advisory Board members onboard to make sure that I cover it right. Private consultant Marie Prouteau has 13 years of experience working with EU funding incl. EU R&D policies support, EU project implementation, EU R&D grants consultancy with strong capacities in especially proposal development and evaluation. She is also an EU project Expert Evaluator on Horizon Europe for the EU Commission.

This is the second part of a double episode. In the first episode we go through how to approach sub-section by sub-section in the Excellence chapter including the crucial first page, the objectives, state-of-the-art through to layout and overall approach to the writing process.

The episode is packed with tons of advice, tips, tricks, recommendations, "do's" and lots of "don't's" on how you can approach the writing of the section improving your chances significantly on getting the high scores from evaluators and getting the grant in the end.

Time codes:

02:40: The first page

08:50: Objectives

16:40: State-of-the-art

29:20: Methodology

34:20: Link with research activities

37:50: Interdisciplinary approach

41:00: Open science

45:50: Gender

50:10: Graphs and layout

54:30: Overall advices to the full proposal writing

In my Timeline Series I have reached to the actual writing phase and start of course with the Excellence section. Even though I have written some Excellence sections myself this is not my core expertise and therefor I have invited one of my Advisory Board members onboard to make sure that I cover it right. Private consultant Marie Prouteau has 13 years of experience working with EU funding incl. EU R&D policies support, EU project implementation, EU R&D grants consultancy with strong capacities in especially proposal development and evaluation. She is also an EU project Expert Evaluator on Horizon Europe for the EU Commission.

This is a double episode where we in this first part go through the official Horizon Europe proposal template. The template is where it all starts and the EU Commission is giving quite detailed directions and instructions on what information is expected to be considered for funding. Together with the call text instructions this is what you are measured against from the evaluators side. However, the instructions can be complex to decipher especially if you haven't done this a lot.

Therefore, Marie and I go through the template, section by section, bit by bit, and explain the thoughts behind from the EU Commission and how you should percieve the different subsections and logic behind it. We also explain meaning behind some key funding language words that the EU Commission uses since it is important to understand before you start to write.

The episode is packed with explanations and crucial background information for anybody who is writing or is going to write an Excellence section.

In this episode I have invited Advisory Board member Marie Latour in to give an introduction to the European Partnerships in Horizon Europe. Marie Latour is the Secretary General for the European Association of Innovation Consultants She has 20 years of experience working within the EU Brussels community both in relation to funding and policy.

Marie takes me through the historical background of the European Partnerships and the importance they have the framework of R&D funding and influencing the content of the work programmes. It is a vast and complex framework that requires a little bit of attention and focus to understand how it works. In our talk here we open up the framework for the listeners and explain what each partnership category offers, how to get involved and what purpose they have.

The episode run through what the partnerships are incl. Institutionalized Partnerships (e.g. Clean Hydrogen and Circular Bio-based Europe), the EITs (e.g. EIT FOOD and EIT HEALTH), the Co-programmed (e.g. Processes4Planet and Build4People) and the Co-funded (e.g. Clean Energy Transition and Water4All).

The episode is providing an overview and explanations for the partnerships and giving directions to where you can find more information. Also it gives advice on how you can get involved in influencing the work programmes through membership of these initiatives.

In this episode I have invited Advisory Board member Casper Ravnsted-Larsen onboard to have a talk about the challenging task to do communication on EU R&D funding. Casper is a journalist currently working for the Danish Trade Union for Social Sciences, Business and Law as a journalist for the membership publication, communicating on research and innovation. He has 8 years past experience from Brussels as a journalist in the Danish regional EU R&D funding support eco-system.

I have invited him in for a talk about how to maximize impact of the communication efforts on EU R&D funding as a communication officer. We focus on two elements: 1) How he approached the task communicating as a journalist about EU R&D funding to stakeholders and a broader public and 2) A solid session with tips and advice on what strategy to embark on as a Brussels representation communication officer if you want the best chances for success in getting attention from the audience and, not least, get your employer/management board to REALLY appreciate the work you do.

The episode is heavy packed with experience-based advice on getting success as a communication officer in any organization dealing with EU R&D funding. This episode might even improve your career path significantly! :o)

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In this episode I have invited my third Advisory Board member Katarzyna Kowalska into the virtual podcast studio where we dig into the work of innovation clusters and the role they play in the Eastern European context. Katarzyna is President and co-founder of the UNIMOS Alliance which is a Polish independent agro business innovation cluster for specifically SMEs in the agro-bio-economy sector. Further, she is also an Assistant at the International Management and Marketing Institute at the Warsaw School of Economics. She has more than 18 years experience working with the EU R&D funding programmes.

In this episode Katarzyna share how she built the cluster from scratch in framework conditions with little financial support moving onto how the cluster works and supports their members in relation to EU R&D funding and European network. Here she shares with the listeners how she strategically involves the innovation cluster as partners in flagship Horizon proposals with long-term-relationship partners and in this way opens up proposal participation for core SME members of the cluster. In the last part of the episode we discuss the relatively low participation of Eastern European SMEs in EU projects, the possible reasons and how local clusters like Unimos Alliance works to overcome these challenges.

The episode has lots of insights into how innovation clusters work and the added value for especially SMEs to be involved. There are tips, tricks and advice on how to grow your network as a cluster representative and how to practically engage yourself into the networks available and grow your chance of succesfully attract EU R&D funding for your cluster and your members.

I have my second Advisory Board member Jonas Hansen onboard for this episode where we dig into SMEs and Horizon Europe. Jonas is project manager in the Danish national innovation cluster for ICT where he facilitates R&D and innovation in especially SMEs in the ICT sector. He has more than 12 years experience working with the EU R&D funding programmes.

Jonas has also recently been working for a SME which results in an excellent talk about what it actually entails for SMEs to embark on EU proposals and how to implement the winning projects. We discuss why it is important for SMEs and then we dig into why SMEs are often hesitating to join proposals. The episode has lots of practical examples.

The episode has advice on how to support SMEs before entering a proposal (for facilitators), how it is to implement a EIC Accelerator project for SMEs and how to secure spin-off business and added value from the proposal process even if you don’t win the funding.

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In this episode I look at the important things to be aware of before you enter the writing phase in the proposal preparation.

The writing process itself is quite complicated and complex and therefore it is vital that you prepare yourself as good as you can before the train is rolling. It can spare you many problems and save valuable time. I go through a handful of things to be aware of including your own planning, the set-up in your internal writing-team, work package group meetings preparations, gathering input for excellence-section and first budget expectation exercise.

The episode include lots of practical tips and tricks for this part of the process.

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It is time to have a talk about proposal writing during the summer. Nobody ever really talks about this. But we need to, because it is a rough task that is made much more complicated by different holiday calendars, disrupted work flows and general ignorance vis-à-vis the complex challenges that the proposal writers face. The consequences are more than just a lost trip to the beach – anxiety, heavy stress, solitude, neglect of spouses and kids, bottomless despair and burn-outs are the reality for many individuals during and after submission of proposals in August and September.

This is the second part of The Grant summer special episode on proposal writing during the summer. I have invited NGO-representative Ivana Todorovic and independent grant consultant Georg Melzer-Venturi into the virtual podcast studio for a panel discussion about this important subject.

We discuss the consequences of summer proposal preparation on especially the mental health and family relations and we discuss how private consultancy business models and university framework conditions don’t help at all with these problems. Finally, we give some advice and solutions on how to handle this as a proposal writer.

Get the grant!

It is time to have a talk about proposal writing during the summer. Nobody ever really talks about this. But we need to, because it is a rough task that is made much more complicated by different holiday calendars, disrupted work flows and general ignorance vis-à-vis the complex challenges that the proposal writers face. The consequences are more than just a lost trip to the beach – anxiety, heavy stress, solitude, bottomless despair and burn-outs are the reality for many individuals during and after submission of proposals in August and September.

I have invited NGO-representative Ivana Todorovic and independent grant consultant Georg Melzer-Venturi into the virtual podcast studio for a panel discussion about this important subject.

In this first half of the long talk we had, we discuss the annual call circle and the Commissions responsibility for settling the deadlines. Second, we cover how very different the proposal preparation process is during summer compared to the rest of the year. This is a must-hear for all proposal writers, but especially for the less experienced.

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In this episode I dig into the coordinator issue - to be a coordinator and to find a coordinator. I run through who is normally coordinating Horizon Europe proposals. Then I elaborate on the key elements on being a coordinator including the key responsabilities. If you dont have a coordinator I then share with you the approach related to choosing a coordinator among the consortium partners and finally, if no one wants to pick it up, I give tips and advices on how to identify and find a coordinator. This is a subject that I will get back to in future episodes in interviews with guests that have more experience from coordinating proposals and projects.

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In this seventh episode of The Timeline Series I move into the area of completing the comsortium. When the partners agree to join you need to formally get them onboard. Now is also the time where you need to get your practical organisation in place if you haven't already set up your systems. I share how I deal with my organisation when I coordinate these processes. Further, I share how you get from draft consortium to final consortium including all the difficulties you will most likely run into getting the final confirmations. In the end of this episode I will cover the consortium meetings you need to have where content and practical discussions will be carried out. I share the typical agenda points that I have when preparing my power point slides. The episode is filled with practical advice on how to deal with this part of the process.

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This is the first Advisory Board episode. In the Advisory Board concept I will have a core group of experts that on a regular basis drops by the virtual podcast studio to exchange, discuss and enlighten me and the listeners on issues within grants application.

In this episode I have the first The Grant Advisory Board member Kristjan Zemljic onboard. Kristjan has the independent consultancy company Global Disruption together with his partner. Kristjan has been working with EU R&D grants application for more than 10 years in different connections, but now primarily works with high-tech SME's and incubator organisations.

We have a nice in-depth talk about how to develop your idea into and full project concept. We depart from The Grant timeline episode on the topic and dig into the details on which tools we use, how we prefer to approach the content discussions with teams and clients and how to arrive at the strong concept in the end. The episode contains lots of advise and reflections on this crucial part of the proposal preparation.

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Time codes:

15:35: Overall – how to prepare yourself and attacking the process to make a good concept

34:30: How to use Power Point, Google Drive etc as idea development canvas tools shaping the technical project structure

53:00: Work package structure – IPR, Communication/Dissemination/Exploitation, Project management, Life Cycle Assessment etc

57:30 : Concept tool in steps to work with the core partner

1:02:30: Call requirements check up vs. the project concept

1:06:45: The toughest challenge

In this sixth episode on The Timeline Series I move on to the partner value chain definition and the partner search activities. I run through how to define your partner value chain for your proposal and move on to giving tips for your partner search strategy. Second half of the episode is dedicated to more practical elements on how you reach out to possible partners and how you deal with follow-up meetings and onboarding to the consortium. The episode has lots of tips and good advice on how to structure your outreach and not least how to identify and approach partners outside your network. This episode leads up to the next episode where I will go into deteails on settling the consortium.

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In this fifth episode of The Timeline Series I give some tips and advice on how to make a strong concept note for your project concept. The concept note is needed to recruit partners to your proposal, but it also serves as the first short coherent written outline of your project concept. I run through the function of the concept note, I give advice on how to structure the document and share some thoughts on what to be aware of. Finally, I give my view on what are the toughest challenges with this part of the proposal preparation process.

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In this fourth episode of The Timeline Series I am digging into the process of developing the basic idea into a full Horizon Europe proposal concept. I will run through overall elements to be aware of to make a good project concept. Second, I will give some advice on how you need to get a team involved before you start this part of the process. In the third - and main - part of the episode I will give some input and tips on how to attack the idea development process and explain how I normally deal with this. In the last part of the episode I will share ideas on workshops approaches and how to settle a work package structure for the project concept

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In this third episode of The Timeline Series of the The Grant podcast I will be digging into how to read and analyze the Horizon Europe work programme call texts. When you have identified the specific call, you are faced with a strategic R&D call text where a little bit a guidance is beneficial for the interpretation and analysis before you continue developing the overall project concept.

The episode is divided into three sections: call text structure, analysing the call text and key elements to be aware of. I run through how the texts are structured and the logic behind. Further, through concrete text examples I explain how to approach the analysis of the call text and how to interpret it. Finally, I carve out which things to pay extra attention to.

The episode is full of guidance, tips, tricks, some background knowledge + where to go for more help that will all help you digest the call text to make sure that you get it right.

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The is the second episode of The Timeline Series of the The Grant podcast. In this episode I outline ways to identify the concrete funding calls that you will need to match your R&D project ideas. I will explain the structure of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and the work programme documents are build up. Secoind, the episode contains information on how to find and identify the concrete call in the work programmes. The episode contains tips and tricks on how to easiest find possible funding calls relevant for you and which support structures that are available to help you further.

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The is the first ordinary episode of The Grant podcast. I start building a batch of generic episodes covering each phase of preparing an EU R&D funding proposal from the initial idea is born until submitting the final proposal to the EU Commission. I have labelled this The Timeline Series. Here in the first Timeline Series episode I dig into the basic project idea and what to be aware of when considering applying for EU funding. The episode covers the origin of an idea; strenght of the idea; European added value; has it been done before?; duration of the project and time to contract; marketability and replicability of the idea; funding rates; and the aspect of project partners.

The episode contains advice within the mentioned categories above and gives insights into the most important things to be aware of.

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This is the intro episode of The Grant - The EU Funding Podcast.

There is a hole in the podcast market - there are no podcasts on EU R&D funding even though thousands and thousands of people every day are trying to get their heads around how to develop the best proposals to realize their research and innovation projects. This podcast will answer to this. The podcast will focus on the Horizon Europe funding scheme and will focus on challenges and give suggestions how to solve them with tips, tricks and a heavy luggage of experience. Focus will be on the processes leading up to actually writing the proposal document, the writing process itself and what happens when the funding is secured. The episode will outline in more details what to expect and the format.

Enjoy!