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The Grant

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

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 58 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • Wednesday · 53 min

    Collaboration: RM Framework Series (9) - Building the Future of Research Management in Europe

    A New ERA for Research Management RM Framework Series #9 with Anna Seip from DG RTD Check out the episode website Why has research management become a European policy priority? In episode #9 of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Anna Seip, Policy Officer at DG RTD, to trace the policy journey behind the initiatives we have been exploring throughout this series. We go back to the renewed European Research Area and ERA Action 17 and look at how research management moved from a relatively undefined concept towards an increasingly recognised profession. Anna explains an important part of that history: the initiative did not simply originate inside the Commission. Member States helped put the issue on the agenda, after which the Commission, countries and stakeholder organisations worked together to define the challenges and determine what should happen next. Those challenges became upskilling, recognition, networking and capacity building. We discuss how projects such as RM Roadmap and RM Framework turn those policy objectives into practical initiatives, and why RM Comp has become an important common language for describing what research managers actually do. But creating frameworks is only part of the job. The next challenge is adoption: getting institutional leadership and Member States to recognise the profession, use the tools and invest in research-management capacity. It is a useful look behind the curtain at how a European policy priority gradually moves from discussion to concrete change inside research organisations. Time codes: 02:23 Guest introduction and fly in 06:11 Why Research Management Became a European Priority 12:11 Building the Foundations: RM Comp and the European Framework 19:02 From Policy to Practice: Implementing RM Comp Across Europe 33:13 The Next Step: Shared Ownership Across Europe 48:12 Reflections and Call to Action

  • #239
    Monday · 1 hr 16 min

    #239 Exploitation - The Implementation Series (16)

    Exploitation in EU Projects – From Results to Real Use With Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Director at IPS Konzalting Check out the episode website In this episode of my Implementation Series, I’m joined by Ana-Marija Špicnagel from IPS Konzalting for a practical guide to exploitation in EU-funded projects. We begin with the basics: communication tells people what the project is doing, dissemination shares its results, while exploitation is about somebody actually using those results. And that does not necessarily mean selling a product. Exploitation can be commercial, regulatory, educational, organisational or linked to further research, depending on the project and the expected outcome. From there we move into implementation. How do you identify key exploitable results when many of them may not even be visible at proposal stage? When should you start talking to partners about commercialisation and IP? How do you deal with researchers, SMEs and other consortium partners having very different motivations? And how do you involve stakeholders early enough for their feedback to actually shape the result? Ana-Marija shares a concrete working rhythm for exploitation throughout a project and explains why the real objective is not another Excel sheet or polished deliverable. It is creating something that somebody wants to use — and ideally something that can continue living after the funding stops. Time codes: 02:03 Guest introduction and fly in 06:13 Defining Exploitation 18:00 Designing for Exploitation from Day One 31:57 The Consortium Challenge 37:13 From Project Results to Real Adoption 58:38 Life After the Project 01:09:07 Reflections and advice 01:10:29 The toughest challenge

  • #238
    August 17 · 1 hr 11 min

    #238 EU Funding in the Western Balkans: Building Research Capacity

    EU Funding in the Western Balkans – The View from Albania With Luziana Hoxha from the Agricultural University of Tirana Check out the episode website In this episode, I’m joined by Luziana Hoxha from the Agricultural University of Tirana to look at EU funding from the perspective of Albania and the Western Balkans. Albania is associated with Horizon Europe, so on paper its universities and researchers have broad access to the programme. But access and competitiveness are two different things. Luziana explains the challenges of joining established consortia when other European universities may have decades of experience, mature project offices, stronger research infrastructure and long-standing international networks. We also talk about how European programmes can gradually change that position. Erasmus+, earlier Tempus projects, mobility, Widening instruments and participation in international networks have helped universities build administrative capacity, modernise curricula and laboratories, and develop researchers who are increasingly able to write and lead proposals themselves. Luziana shares her own journey—including succeeding with a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship after previously doubting whether an Albanian researcher could compete at that level. It is a conversation about funding, but equally about visibility, confidence, relationships and becoming a trusted part of the European research ecosystem. Time codes: 01:55 Guest introduction and fly in 05:39 The View from Albania – What Opportunities Exist? 16:08 The Challenges of Competing in European Funding 32:18 Building Capacity Through European Collaboration 47:03 From Participant to Contributor 58:42 Reflections and advice 01:04:34 The toughest challenge

  • #237
    August 10 · 1 hr 17 min

    #237 RTOs - Bridging Research and Industry

    How RTOs Turn Research into Impact – The Spanish Model With Patricia Castillo, Director of Impact at Eurecat Check out the episode website In this episode, I’m joined by Patricia Castillo, Director of Impact at Eurecat, to explore what research and technology organisations actually do and why they occupy such an important place in Europe’s innovation ecosystem. RTOs sit between universities, companies, start-ups and public authorities. Their purpose is to help move technologies beyond promising laboratory results and towards something that can be manufactured, scaled, financed and used by companies in the real world. Patricia explains why that process is not a simple linear transfer from science to market, but a continuous interaction between researchers, industry and society. We also examine the distinctive Spanish model, where RTOs are private non-profit organisations with limited baseline support and must combine competitive public funding with industry contracts and services. That creates a difficult but productive tension: responding to companies’ needs today while investing in the knowledge, people and infrastructure that may be required ten years from now. We discuss impact management, responsible technology development, long-term research capacity, tacit knowledge, falling success rates and why generic AI-written sections on impact, gender and dissemination are becoming increasingly easy for evaluators to recognise. Time codes: 01:39 Guest introduction and fly in 05:15 Understanding the RTO Model 16:06 The Spanish Context 26:41 Living with the Challenge 49:09 The Book - Capturing Knowledge Before It Disappears 01:01:17 Reflections and advice 01:03:17 The toughest challenge

  • #236
    August 3 · 1 hr 13 min

    #236 Rethinking How to Create Lasting Impact

    Rethinking Impact – From Funded Projects to Real Adoption With Christopher Adlung from TU Delft Check out the episode website In this episode, I’m joined by Christopher Adlung, a PhD researcher at TU Delft and a medtech entrepreneur, to rethink what impact actually means in EU-funded research and innovation. Christopher studies the adoption and scaling of telemedicine in low-resource settings, and that adoption perspective shapes our entire conversation. A technology can perform brilliantly in a laboratory or pilot project, but real impact only emerges when the wider ecosystem can and wants to use it. That includes not only researchers and end users, but also procurement teams, administrators, investors, technicians, managers and everyone else whose decisions shape implementation. We also question whether Europe’s increasingly large and complex collaborative projects are always the right mechanism for innovative SMEs. Could smaller, simpler grants involving fewer partners create faster and more focused progress? Could new structures connect universities, companies and public authorities without forcing them into temporary consortia with very different incentives? Christopher also shares examples from telemedicine in Bangladesh, where innovation has grown from practical constraints and combines digital consultations, mobile health teams, diagnostic devices, pharmacies and local access points. It becomes a wide-ranging conversation about funding design, ecosystems, sustainability and why impact should be measured through adoption and long-term consequences rather than activity alone. Time codes: 01:39 Guest introduction and fly in 04:37 The Traditional Funding Model – Where Does It Fall Short? 22:20 Beyond Silos – Do We Need New Ways of Organising Innovation? 36:47 Inspiration Beyond Europe 47:46 Rethinking Impact in Future EU Projects 59:00 Reflections and advice 01:06:11 The toughest challenge

  • #235
    July 27 · 32 min

    #235 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with Disabilities

    WIN4SMES – Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with Disabilities Two pilot stories from Hungary and Lithuania Check out the episode website In this episode I return to the WIN4SMES universe with a closer look at two pilot stories that deserved their own spotlight. In the first half, I speak with Tamas Rettich from the Hungarian Association of Craftsmen’s Corporations about a one-week entrepreneurship camp for highly talented young innovators. The camp helps participants move from strong technical or scientific ideas toward real entrepreneurial thinking through business planning, finance, marketing, innovation management, leadership and teamwork. What I especially like here is the emphasis on collaboration: the young participants do not just refine ideas on their own, but learn that innovation also depends on trust, communication and shared problem-solving. In the second half, I speak with Egle Lizaityte from the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants about a pilot focused on getting young people with disabilities into the hospitality sector. Through collaboration between schools, employers and sector organisations, the project helps companies understand how to create inclusive workplaces and helps young people gain internships and jobs. The conversation is a strong reminder that workplace innovation is not only about technology or productivity. It is also about changing attitudes, widening the talent pool and building systems that allow people to contribute in ways employers may never have considered before. Time codes: 00:18 Introduction to the episode 02:11 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs in Hungary 11:15 Young Disabled Professionals in the Hospitality Sector

  • #234
    July 20 · 1 hr 28 min

    #234 EU Funding for Culture and Creativity

    EU Funding in Culture and Creativity With Paolo Montemurro from Matera HubCheck out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Paolo Montemurro from Materahub to open up the European funding landscape for culture and creativity. This is a conversation I’ve wanted to do for a long time, because if you cover EU funding broadly, the cultural and creative sectors are too important to leave untouched. Paolo explains why the European Union invests in culture and creativity not only because of their economic contribution, but also because of their role in democracy, social inclusion, European values, mobility and innovation. We talk about how this recognition has grown over time and why the creative and cultural sectors now sit much more clearly inside the wider European policy and funding architecture. We then move through the actual opportunities. We start with Creative Europe as the main go-to programme, but also look at Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg and other relevant corners of the funding landscape. Paolo shares how Matera Hub has worked across these schemes since 2011, using culture and creativity as both a sector in its own right and as a methodology that can connect to entrepreneurship, skills, cultural heritage, innovation, audience development and social transformation. It’s an introduction episode, but a rich one — especially for anyone in the cultural and creative sectors trying to understand where to start and how broad the European opportunity space really is. Time codes: 01:47 Guest introduction and fly in 05:11 Why Does the EU Invest in Culture and Creativity? 18:57 The Funding Landscape 50:28 Looking Ahead 56:50 Materahub's Experience Across Programmes 01:15:21 Reflections and advice 01:19:15 The Toughest Challenge

  • July 15 · 30 min

    The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (8): The Hungary Pilot

    RM Framework (7) – The Hungary Pilot at Corvinus University Accredited RM training, formal education and the limits of standardisation Check out the episode websiteIn the seventh episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Associate Professor Éva Pinter and Éva Kőváriné Ignáth from Corvinus University of Budapest to explore the Hungarian pilot. Corvinus brings a very specific and valuable perspective to the project because it already runs a formally accredited postgraduate programme: the Research and Innovation Manager and Economist Executive Degree Programme. The programme runs over two full semesters, leads to a state-recognised diploma, and was developed in close cooperation with Hungary’s National Research, Development and Innovation Office. Unlike shorter professional workshops, this is a full higher education qualification for experienced professionals from universities, research institutes, public agencies and companies — as well as people transitioning into research management. That makes Corvinus a particularly interesting pilot case. Éva Pinter explains the pilot tests where the RM Framework handbook and quality label work well, and where they need more flexibility for multi-semester, ECTS-based degree programmes. Éva Kőváriné Ignáth adds the course-level perspective, drawing on shorter BA and MA courses developed through earlier European projects and now used to introduce students to research management and EU research funding. Together, the episode becomes a practical discussion about formal education, competence frameworks, quality labels, microcredentials and what it really means to build a European standard for research management training across very different national systems. Time codes: 02:22 Guest introduction and fly in 04:18 How You Train Research Managers Today 10:51 Working with the Pilot – Constraints and Reality 23:36 Expectations & Final Reflections

  • #233
    July 13 · 1 hr 27 min

    #233 Interreg - An Introduction

    Interreg – An Introduction With Viktoria Nilsson from Lund Municipality Check out the episode website for links In this episode I introduce the Interreg funding scheme together with Viktoria Nilsson from Lund Municipality. Interreg is one of the EU’s oldest territorial cooperation programmes, and its core idea is both simple and important: many societal challenges are shared across borders, so neighboring regions should work on them together. We talk about why Interreg exists, how it sits inside EU cohesion policy, and why it has become such a central instrument for cross-border collaboration in areas like innovation, green transition, sustainable transport and labour mobility. We also make the episode practical. Viktoria explains how a typical Interreg project is structured, what kinds of partners usually take part, how funding rates and project types work, what the secretariat does during the application phase, and what applicants should keep in mind around communication, indicators, end users and long-term impact. It’s the first episode in what I hope will become a broader Interreg series, and it is meant as a clear and usable entry point for anyone who wants to understand the scheme better. Time codes: 01:31 Guest introduction and fly in 08:36 EU motivation for the funding scheme 19:16 Structure of funding scheme 36:00 Target group stakeholders 39:47 How to apply 01:01:04 Evaluation 01:05:06 When funding is received 01:09:23 Do's and don't's 01:16:44 The toughest challenge

  • #232
    July 6 · 1 hr 18 min

    #232 How Regions Build the Foundation for EU Funding

    How Regions Build the Foundations for EU Funding With Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-Brabant Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-Brabant to talk about how regions build the foundations that eventually lead to EU funding. Noord-Brabant is one of Europe’s most innovative regions, with strong advanced manufacturing traditions and a global industrial profile. But what interested me in this conversation is not only the region’s success. It is the work underneath that success: building relationships with other regions, understanding what Brussels is doing, shaping a regional story around innovation, and creating the long-term trust that makes later project collaboration possible. We go into smart specialisation, the Vanguard Initiative, the importance of interregional networks, and how stepping-stone instruments can help SMEs move toward bigger European calls. Alina explains very clearly that proposals do not start when the call opens. They start much earlier — when regions know who they are, what they are good at, who they should work with, and how they want to position themselves in Europe. It is a really strong episode for anyone working in regional development, innovation ecosystems or the strategic side of EU funding. Time codes: 01:39 Guest introduction and fly in 06:21 What Provincie Noord-Brabant is 13:36 The Vanguard Initiative and Smart Specialisation 35:05 The Importance of Relationships 51:14 Long-Term Lobbying and Why the Region Invests in It 01:08:33 Reflections and advice 01:10:45 The toughest challenge

  • #231
    June 29 · 45 min

    #231 The Widening Series (4) - Status on Widening in FP10

    With Thomas Brent from Science Business Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Thomas Brent from Science Business for a practical status update on Widening in FP10. We go back to the roots of the debate: why Widening was created in the first place, how it was meant to help countries with weaker research capacity connect more effectively into the framework programme, and why some people have long argued that it does not fit neatly inside an excellence-based funding system. Thomas explains why that debate is now less dominant than before and why, despite some remaining criticism, Widening now looks likely to remain part of the next framework programme. From there we dig into what is actually on the table in the FP10 discussions. We talk about the proposed increase in the Widening budget, the idea of placing Widening in a new fourth pillar, the possible creation of “transition countries”, and the controversial conditionality around public investment in research and development. We also touch on the current state of the negotiations, the role of member states, and why the coming months should give a clearer picture of where the political compromises are heading. It’s a useful episode for anyone trying to follow the Widening file without getting lost in Brussels process language. Time codes: 01:46 Guest introduction and fly in 04:06 The Original Debate – Excellence vs Development 11:34 The FP10 Proposal – Splitting the Widening Countries 23:58 The Conditionality Debate 31:33 Where the Political Negotiation Stands Now 38:04 Reflections and What Comes Next

  • #230
    June 22 · 1 hr 5 min

    #230 WIN4SMES Live from Hamburg - COVEs in Real Life

    A documentary-style episode from Hamburg on vocational excellence, inclusion and SMEs Check out the episode website In this episode I try something new: a documentary-style montage recorded live during a WIN4SMES event in Hamburg. Instead of one long sit-down conversation, this episode moves through soundscapes, field notes, participant voices and short interviews to give a more immediate sense of what an Erasmus+ Centre of Vocational Excellence project looks like on the ground. WIN4SMES focuses on workplace innovation in SMEs, and the project’s different national pilots are working on themes such as inclusion, entrepreneurship, newcomers and skills development. Across the episode, I speak with the coordinator team about the training programme, hear from participants working with agile methods, design thinking and AI in vocational education, and zoom in on two of the particularly strong COVEs from the project. One from Hungary uses an entrepreneurship camp to support highly talented young people in developing business ideas. Another from Lithuania works with hotels and restaurants to create real job pathways for young people with disabilities. The result is a more atmospheric and people-centered episode about how vocational excellence is actually built in practice — not only in policy papers, but in classrooms, workshops, company relationships and human lives. Time codes: 00:00 Airport opening 01:25 Arriving and introducing the training programme w/Anna Maria Czarny 06:43 Meeting the training classes 11:40 The Partner Dinner w/Maëla Barcon 15:34 Introducing day 2 19:13 The Hungary COVE - Supporting Entrepreneurship w/Tamas Rettich 28:20 The Lithuanian COVE - Young People with Disabilities w/Egle Lizaityte 48:16 WIN4SMES - Status and where it is moving w/Max Hogeforster 01:01:55 Farewell and outro

  • #229
    June 15 · 1 hr 18 min

    #229 Building Your Funding Team

    Building Your Funding Team – Skills, Structure & Survival With Stephanie Harfensteller and David Christensen Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Stephanie Harfensteller and David Christensen to talk about one of the most difficult and under-discussed challenges in EU funding: how to build a funding team that actually works. Stephanie has been building up an EU funding function at FIR since 2019, while David has been doing something similar inside BOFA on Bornholm. From very different organisational settings, they describe a remarkably similar reality: a strong funding unit is not just a service desk for forms and deadlines. It needs to support proposal development, project execution and long-term networking and positioning — and in smaller organisations, the same people often need to move across all of those roles. From there we dig into the real difficulties: how to identify the right skills, how to recruit people when profiles are hard to find, how to train juniors without losing all the knowledge when they move on, and how to create some form of knowledge management when most of the most important know-how still sits in people’s heads. We also talk about management commitment, public perception, long-term vision, the pain of falling proposal success rates, and the need to balance patience with pressure. It’s a very honest conversation for anyone trying to professionalise funding work inside an organisation without the luxury of a large specialist department. Time codes: 01:48 Guest introduction and fly in 07:01 What Is a Good Funding Support Unit? 18:08 The Skills Question 28:28 Building the Team in Reality 40:05 Keeping Knowledge in the Organisation 50:45 Working Under Organisational Constraints 01:06:07 Reflections and advice 01:10:24 The toughest challenge

  • #228
    June 8 · 32 min

    #228 Explain Science (1): EV Batteries and Life Cycle Assessment

    Explain Science (1) – NoVOC, Batteries & Life Cycle Assessment With Kristin Fransson from RISE Check out the episode website with links to webinar, scientific paper, the NoVOC project etc. In the first episode of Explain Science, I’m joined by Kristin Fransson from RISE to talk about the NoVOC project and the science of life cycle assessment in battery innovation. Kristin explains that NoVOC is working on one very practical challenge: reducing the hazardous solvents used in battery manufacturing and exploring alternative dry and wet production methods that could make battery production more sustainable. From there, we use the project as an entry point into a much bigger discussion about how Europe develops cleaner battery technologies and why environmental thinking has to be built into research projects from the start. We then unpack what life cycle assessment actually means. Kristin explains how LCA looks across a product’s full life cycle, why it matters for battery research, and why it is so difficult to get right when projects are still working at lab or pilot scale. We talk about methodological choices, data collection, scale-up, recycling assumptions and the challenge of making sure that an innovation that looks promising in one corner does not create problems somewhere else. It’s a very accessible first episode for anyone curious about batteries, sustainability and what science communication can look like when EU-funded research is explained properly. Time codes 02:40 A word from the collaboration partner 03:55 Guest introduction and fly in 08:17 What is Life Cycle Assessment? 11:46 Why does this matter for Europe? 18:28 Why is battery LCA difficult? 27:19 Closing and event promotion

  • June 3 · 30 min

    The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (7): The Spanish Pilot

    Research management training, competence mapping and the quality label Check out the episode website In the 7th episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Cristina Borrás Sardà and Cristina Bosch Pla from Generalitat de Catalunya / AGAUR to talk about the Spain pilot in the RM Framework project. We start with the training scheme they already run in Catalonia: a structured programme developed with universities and built around two microcredentials, one focused on pre-award and one on post-award. It covers everything from the EU funding system, consortium building and impact to grant agreement management, financial reporting and lump sum implementation — and is designed as a practical, modular and highly interactive offer for early-career research managers. From there we move into the pilot itself. Cristina and Cristina explain how the RM Framework handbook and RMcomp helped them map their existing training more clearly against competencies, identify where learning outcomes were already strong, and spot areas where the programme could become more explicit and coherent. We also talk about the value of in-person delivery, peer interaction, mentoring and the growing need for a European reference point that can support quality, mobility and career development across the research management profession. Time codes: 02:14 Guest introduction and fly in 05:08 RM Training Good Practices 12:57 Experiences from the Pilot Testing Phase 19:13 Why the RM Framework Matters at EU Level 24:07 Expectations & Final Reflections

  • #227
    June 1 · 1 hr 29 min

    #227 Talent Attraction to Rural Regions and EU Funding

    Talent Attraction and EU Funding – A Regional Development Lens w/Maria Haglund and Nikolaj Lubanski Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Maria Haglund and Nikolaj Lubanski to talk about how talent attraction can be supported through EU funding. Maria brings the perspective of a smaller region on the west coast of Finland, where the challenge is not only retaining university students but also attracting the skilled and blue-collar workforce needed by the regional economy. Nikolaj brings more than a decade of experience from Greater Copenhagen, where EU funding has helped build national and cross-border collaboration around international talent attraction, digital campaigns and long-term regional positioning. Together, they open up a very practical conversation about why funding matters in this area — and why it is about much more than just “getting money.” We then move into the how. What kinds of EU instruments actually make sense for talent attraction? How do you build a partnership that is based on trust rather than opportunism? What should a smaller region consider before stepping into its first bigger EU project? And how do you measure impact in a field where results can be diffuse and long-term? We talk about social funds, regional funds, Interreg, project structure, partnership agreements, cross-border cooperation with Umeå, and the importance of having both a strong idea and a realistic path to implementation. It’s a very useful episode for anyone working in regional development, international talent, place branding or skills policy. Time codes: 01:55 Guest introduction and fly in 05:55 The Motivation – Why Look at EU Funding? 21:20 Before You Apply – What Organisations Need to Consider First 44:10 Building Partnerships and Entering the EU Ecosystem 58:00 The Application Process – What Actually Happens? 01:17:14 Reflections and Advice 01:22:07 The toughest challenge

  • May 27 · 31 min

    The Grant Collaboration: PNO Innovation Series (2) - Coordinating Innovation in Bioeconomy: How Expertise Creates Stronger EU projects

    Coordinating Innovation in Bioeconomy – Beyond Project Management with Anna Franciosini from PNO Innovation Italy Check out the episode website In this second episode of the PNO Innovation Series, produced in paid collaboration with PNO Innovation, I’m joined by Anna Franciosini to talk about coordination in bioeconomy and agri-food innovation projects. Anna explains why project coordination is not just administration, reporting and timelines. In a field like bioeconomy, coordination also means understanding the sector, the policy context, the innovation bottlenecks and the different actors across the value chain — and then translating all of that into a project vision that makes sense for both the consortium and the European Commission. We use the C4B project as a concrete case. The project focuses on circular bio-based business models and on creating fairer value distribution for primary producers and other actors in the bioeconomy. From there, we talk about stakeholder alignment, replication, cascade funding, open calls and why coordination is such a strategic function when projects aim to create real change in complex innovation ecosystems. Anna also shows how PNO’s cross-border teams work together in practice, combining sector expertise, communication, digital tools and innovation support across the life of the project. Time codes: 01:47 Guest introduction fly in 03:27 Why PNO Is More Than a Coordinator 14:42 Case Example – The C4B Project 21:29 From Project to Market Impact 27:24 Reflections and Advice

  • #226
    May 25 · 54 min

    #226 Four Years of The Grant - What It Taught Me

    Four Years of The Grant – Reflections on EU Funding A solo anniversary episode on pressure, change, community and what I’ve learned Check out the episode website In this four-year anniversary episode, I take a step back from the usual guest format and reflect on what The Grant has shown me about the EU funding world. Over more than 200 episodes, I’ve spoken with grant consultants, research managers, researchers, NGOs, innovation actors and policy people from all over Europe and some of the same themes keep returning. Solitude. Hidden work. Stress. Rejection. Deadline pressure. Burnout. The emotional cost of a sector that often presents itself as technical and rational, but is in reality full of deeply human effort and vulnerability. In this episode, I talk openly about those patterns and about why I have insisted on making space for them in the podcast. I also reflect on what has changed in the ecosystem during these four years: the rise of AI and its impact on proposal pressure, the growing professionalisation of the sector, the shift in funding priorities around security and dual-use, and the continued inequality in access to strong funding networks and support structures. At the same time, I share what I think strong organisations do differently: they work strategically, they understand their role, they build long-term partnerships, and they take care of the people carrying the funding work. This is an anniversary episode, but also a positioning episode: a reminder of what The Grant is for, and why I intend to keep building this space for the full reality of EU funding. Time codes: 02:12 Introduction 04:03 Why This Episode Now 08:31 What Surprised Me Most 15:21 The Ecosystem Has Changed 27:42 What Strong Organisations do differently 31:51 Things People Still Don’t Talk Honestly About 42:05 What Changed My Own Thinking 47:40 Closing remarks

  • #225
    May 18 · 51 min

    #225 Research Management - The Hidden Work

    The Hidden Work of Research Managers w/Isabel from RISE Processum Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Isabel Burdallo from RISE Processum to talk about the hidden work of research managers. We start from a simple but important gap: what many people think research management is, and what it actually is in practice. From the outside, the role is often reduced to administration, paperwork, budgets and compliance. Isabel explains why that is only part of the picture. In reality, research management is also about translation: translating research ideas into fundable structures, funding rules into workable decisions, and institutional constraints into something project teams can live with. From there we go deeper into the invisible tasks that make projects hold together. Isabel shares how this role often means stepping into complex situations, spotting risks early, smoothing communication between very different people, and handling the kinds of coordination, timing and compliance issues that nobody notices when they go well. We also talk about why this work is still so often misunderstood inside research organisations, how the role differs across countries and institutions, and why research managers need to make themselves more visible — not out of ego, but because the profession deserves clearer recognition for the value it creates. Time codes: 02:03 Guest introduction and fly in 05:45 What People Think vs Reality 12:52 The Hidden Tasks – What Actually Happens Behind the Scenes 25:21 Why It’s Invisible and the Human Side 36:47 Navigating and Owning the Role 42:28 Advice 44:08 The toughest challenge

  • May 13 · 32 min

    The Grant Collaboration - FUNDamentally SCIENCE: Novel MSCA PF Training Model w/Rita Gil Mata

    A Novel MSCA PF Training Model – The MSCA Catalyst Approach w/Rita Gil Mata from FUNDamentally SCIENCE Check out the episode website In this new episode of The Grant Collaboration, produced in paid collaboration with FUNDamentally SCIENCE, I’m joined by Rita Gil Mata to talk about a structural problem in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: Europe has talent, but too often the preparation system around applicants is not strong enough. Rita brings more than 20 years of experience supporting researchers in European funding, and she explains why the sharp rise in MSCA PF submissions and the drop in success rates should be read as a warning sign. In her view, the issue is not a lack of excellent researchers, but the fact that applicants, supervisors and institutions are often not prepared in a sufficiently aligned and strategic way. That is exactly why she created the MSCA Catalyst training model. We unpack how it works in practice: a structured applicant training built around the real template, supervisor mentoring so the academic side is fully engaged, and expert review for the strongest proposals selected by the institution. What I like in this conversation is that it goes beyond “another training offer” and instead treats MSCA preparation as an ecosystem challenge. If Europe wants to keep strong young research talent in the system, then programmes like this matter — not only for better proposals, but for the long-term health of the research landscape itself. Time codes: 02:05 Guest introduction and fly in 05:44 Motivation - A Spark to Build Something New 10:31 Why Traditional Support Is Not Enough 16:48 The Training Concept 25: 47 Why This Matters

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