The Grant

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...

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...

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 develop...

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...

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...

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 manage...

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 administrati...

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 arou...

Life Cycle Assessment in EU Projects – Sustainability by Design w/Mirko Busto from ENCO Consulting Check out the episode website In this final episode of The ENCO Series produced in paid collaboration with ENCO Consulting , I’m joined by Mirko Busto to talk about life cycle assessment and why it has become such an important part of EU-funded research and innovation. Mirko explains that sustainabil...

Strategy, partnerships and proposal work with limited resources Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Alessio Caracci from Unknown Group to talk about what it really means to work across multiple funding schemes at the same time. Alessio’s role touches different parts of the organisation — the university, the campus and startup-related activities — so he has to navigate very...

How EU projects can move from visibility to real use and impact Check out the episode website In this episode of The Grant , I’m joined by Borut Razbornik for a conversation about dissemination in EU projects — and why the traditional approach often does not work. We talk about the difference between simply making a project visible and actually getting people to use, adopt or engage with the resul...

How ENCO works with visibility, stakeholder engagement and market uptake Check out the episode website In this second of the ENCO Series, produced in paid collaboration with ENCO Consulting, I’m joined by Rosanna Buonfiglio and Marco de la Feld to talk about one of the most important but often blurred areas in EU projects: communication, dissemination and exploitation . We unpack the differences b...

Young Professionals in EU Funding – Careers, Challenges & Growth w/Oliver Cressall from Venturenomix Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Oliver Cressall from Venturenomix to talk about young professionals in EU funding . Oliver shares what it feels like to enter the field from the proposal support side — helping with consortium building, partner coordination and the adm...

Better Grant Proposals – Impact, Training & Research Communication Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Elaine Massung , founder of Academic Smartcuts , to talk about how researchers can write better grant proposals and communicate their ideas more effectively. Elaine has worked as a researcher, postdoc, funding agency professional at EPSRC and now as an independent trai...

How consultants translate innovation into strong EU proposals Check out the episode website In this first episode of the ENCO Series, produced in paid collaboration with ENCO Consulting , I’m joined by Antonietta Pizza to talk about the consultant perspective on proposal writing. We unpack what European project consultants actually do beyond the clichés: finding the right call, understanding the i...

A book conversation on diversity literacy, leadership and global research Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Jakob Feldtfos Christensen , Director of DIVERSIuniTY and co-host of the Diversity in Research Podcast , to talk about his new book: Diversity Leadership in Research Management: A Practical Guide . We unpack why he felt the need to write it now: research management...

Erasmus+ Audits – Lump Sums, Fear & Audit Culture An Erasmus+ Therapy panel on compliance, trust and what must change Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined again by Henriette Hansen , Daiana Huber and Alessandro Melillo for another Erasmus+ Therapy session — this time focused entirely on audits . We talk about a feeling many practitioners will recognise: that the audit disco...

BalticSeaH2, project implementation and the future of hydrogen in Europe Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Susanna Kupiainen from CLIC Innovation in Finland to talk about hydrogen valleys through the lens of one of the most ambitious projects in Europe: BalticSeaH2 . Susanna explains the valley concept in practical terms: bringing hydrogen production, transport and multip...

Scale-up, impact, replication and the long road after submission Check out the episode website The Grant has established a collaboration with PNO Innovation Italy. In the first episode of this PNO Innovation Series I’m joined by Francesca Di Bartolomeo from SINTEF and Anna Franciosini from PNO Innovation Italy to talk about what happens after a strong EU proposal gets funded. We use PyroCO2 as the...

Power-to-X, green growth, infrastructure and local strategy Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Hanne Klintøe , Head of PtX Development in Aabenraa Municipality , to talk about how a local authority works with EU funding, investment attraction and green growth in practice. Aabenraa is building around Power-to-X, renewable energy and strong transport and port infrastructure...

How UMCG helps researchers move from reactive to strategic grant planning Check out the episode website In this week's episode I’m joined by Eszter Ashlock-Kéthelyi, Laura Damiano and Miriam Boersema from the UMCG Grant Office to talk about a challenge that sits underneath many failed proposals: not weak science, but weak planning. We explore why researchers often apply for the grants that hap...

Using a national RM programme to test the handbook in practice Check out the episode website In this episode 6th episode in RM Framework Series I am joined by Nicole Elgueta Silva and Hiwa Målen from NARMA – the Norwegian Association of Research Managers and Administrators to talk about one of the pilots in the RM Framework project. NARMA has been running a national training and capacity-building...

Erasmus+ Therapy – Rising Proposals & Harsh Evaluations A panel on frustration, burnout and what needs to change Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Henriette Hansen , Daiana Huber and Alessandro Melillo for what we ended up calling “Erasmus+ Therapy Session” . Over the last two calls, many in the community have seen record-high proposal numbers, tougher evaluations and...

Clean Tech in CEE – Funding, Gaps & Policy Shifts Slovenia, Innovation Fund, widening, deep tech and raw materials Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Nina Meglič , director of ACT-SI – Association CleanTech Slovenia , project manager at a deep tech spin-out from the National Institute of Chemistry and part of the national contact point team for the STEP platform on str...

Impact in EU Projects – From Innovation Theatre to Adoption Why so many results die after funding, and what must change Check out the episode site with more information In this episode I’m joined by Jorge Gonzalez , director of Ticbiomed in Spain, to talk about impact in EU projects – not as a buzzword in a template, but as the messy reality after the pilot ends. Jorge has worked in more than 20 E...