The Grant

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,

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