The Grant

Niels Tudor-Vinther
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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

  1. 2D AGO

    #214 Cleantech in Central & Eastern Europe - Funding Reality and Gaps

    Clean Tech in CEE – Funding, Gaps & Policy ShiftsSlovenia, 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 strategic technologies. We start with the clean tech reality in Central & Eastern Europe: structural differences with Western Europe, missing infrastructure to decarbonise, investor scepticism and the fact that R&D in Slovenia is heavily dependent on EU grants. Nina uses the Innovation Fund as a concrete example – Slovenia has only one funded project, companies are intimidated by complexity, and some technologies (like CCS) are hardly realistic given the current legislative and infrastructure context. From there we zoom out to competition, AI and policy shifts. Proposal numbers rise as AI speeds up writing; at the same time Nina sees signs of AI being used in evaluations, sometimes producing nonsense comments. Budgets per project shrink as more partners are packed into consortia, and access to key European partnerships is limited by high membership fees that smaller CEE organisations can’t justify. We talk about widening, the EIC pre-accelerator, policymaker capacity, raw materials and trade policy, and how deep tech startups in Slovenia struggle to raise investment when there is no campus infrastructure and investors prefer to fund similar companies in Western Europe. The episode closes with Nina’s message for the next EU financial framework: acknowledge the two-speed reality, adjust instruments, and keep clean tech and industrial capacity firmly on the agenda even as attention shifts to security and AI.

    1h 2m
  2. #213 From Innovation to Real Impact: Why EU Projects Struggle to be Adopted

    FEB 23

    #213 From Innovation to Real Impact: Why EU Projects Struggle to be Adopted

    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 EU projects, many of them cascade funding schemes in health, and sees the same pattern again and again: projects deliver working solutions, clinicians and partners are excited, and then… nothing. No tender, no contract, no deployment. We discuss how this repeated non-adoption doesn’t just waste taxpayers’ money – it also kills the innovation mindset in hospitals and other public organisations as professionals conclude “this was a waste of my time, never involve me again.” From there we dig into structural causes and possible fixes. On the organisation side: innovation units joining projects without strong links to business owners or budgets, governance gaps between pilot teams and those responsible for long-term deployment, and decisions left until after the project when everyone has moved on. On the funding side: EU projects as the “best money in Europe”, prescriptive call texts that create Frankenstein consortia, and impact sections that can be written by ChatGPT without any real accountability. Jorge shares the ideas behind his Impactful Innovation initiative – including policy papers and lobbying in Brussels – and concrete proposals: putting serious weight on credible post-project uptake in selection criteria, asking for governance and budget commitments, following up on exploitation during and after projects, and using carrots (visibility, awards) rather than only sticks to reward real adoption. Time codes: 01:24 Guest introduction and fly in 06:45 TICBIOMED’s experience on the ground 11:37 When innovation becomes counterproductive 21:29 Structural reasons behind the problem 34:36 What needs to change: from pilots to impact 44:13 Reflections and advice 48:11 The toughest challenge

    53 min

  3. FEB 16

    #212 Career Change in Research Management w/ Marina Kliuchko

    Juniors in Research Management – Between Research and Support Leaving research, identity, skills and the job market reality Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Marina Kliuchko, who has done “everything right” in research – biology degree, PhD in psychology/brain science, several postdocs and big collaborative projects – and is now in a transition towards research support and administration. We talk about the moment of realisation that the classic professorship track didn’t actually feel attractive, even though everyone around her assumed it was the only logical next step. Marina describes the doubts that followed (“is there something wrong with me as a scientist?”), the conservatism of the academic ladder, and the feeling of running up a hill without ever stopping to ask whether this is really where she wants to go. From there, we move into the world of juniors in research management: what it means to prefer a supporting role, to enjoy turning other people’s ideas into concrete tasks, and then to meet a job market where hiring panels worry she’ll be bored or “run back to research”. Marina shares honestly how rejections hurt, how lonely the process can be, and what has helped her hold on: soft-skill and entrepreneurship bootcamps, mentoring conversations, trying out funding strategy work, and eventually going to a career consultant to get her story straight. We close on the bigger picture: why PhD students and postdocs need earlier, better career development support, and why recognising their broader skills isn’t a luxury but a responsibility. Time codes: 01:49 Guest introduction and fly in 03:42 Why leave research? The moment of realisation 14:00 From doing research to supporting research 18:59 Being young, experienced, and stuck in between 35:11 The job market reality for junior research managers 48:05 Reflections and advice 57:28 The toughest challenge

    1h 3m
  4. #211 Micro-credentials in Erasmus+ w/Daiana Huber and Samuel Bogdan

    FEB 9

    #211 Micro-credentials in Erasmus+ w/Daiana Huber and Samuel Bogdan

    Microcredentials in Erasmus+ – Concept, Policy & PracticeLearning outcomes, assessment and making it work in real projects Check out the episode site In this episode I’m joined by Daiana Huber and Samuel Bogdan to talk about micro-credentials – a term that now pops up in Erasmus+ calls, policy papers and conferences, but is still fuzzy for many of us. Daiana starts from the pedagogical side: what a credential is as an artifact of learning, why microcredentials are not the learning process itself, and how they sit on top of competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and learning outcomes. We talk about the difference between “I attended a workshop” and “I can actually do something in a defined context”, why a participation certificate is not a microcredential, and why proper microcredentials require clear outcomes, evidence and an assessment process. Then we move into EU policy and practice. We place microcredentials in the context of the Year of Skills, Union of Skills and the policy push for portability of skills, and discuss the role of the European Digital Credential Issuer. From there, Daiana walks through the proposal phase: when it makes sense to include microcredentials in Erasmus+ projects, what evaluators are (and aren’t) looking for, and how to design work packages that cover competence frameworks, learning outcomes, pedagogy, learning experiences and assessment instead of just throwing the word into a paragraph. Sami takes over for the implementation phase: reading pedagogy and policy, experimenting in the digital credential sandbox, assigning issuer/assessor/QA roles to partners, and discovering that nobody will hand you a recipe – you have to build, test and iterate your own process. The episode is both a conceptual deep dive and a practical reality check for anyone tempted to add “microcredentials” to their next proposal. Time codes: 01:41 Introduction and fly in 09:57 Why has microcredentials been introduced 16:47 What is a microcredential? Defining the term 27:51 Microcredentials in the proposal phase 39:11 Microcredentials in the implementation phase 53:28 Recommendations and advice 57:55 The toughest challenge

    1h 4m
  5. #210 Proposal Writing in Small Organisations

    FEB 2

    #210 Proposal Writing in Small Organisations

    Proposal writing, project delivery, compliance and the human impact Check out the episode site In this episode I’m joined by Chiara Liguori to talk about Erasmus+ from the perspective of small organisations, where a “team” can mean two paid staff and a group of volunteers. Chiara’s career started in a Brussels-based youth NGO working on Erasmus+ with just a Secretary General, herself and sometimes an intern, plus a group of volunteers. We talk about the capacity challenge: long, technical forms, a parallel universe of jargon, and a programme that often assumes internal systems and trained staff that tiny NGOs simply don’t have. Chiara shares how she learnt proposal writing on the job – from googling basic terms and taking trainings to using previous grants as templates – and what it feels like to be the person slowly taking over full responsibility for drafting an entire application. We then move into the funded side of Erasmus+: balancing project delivery with administrative compliance when the same person who runs a workshop in the morning uploads all the evidence in the afternoon. Chiara walks through the simple tools that made a huge difference - a big, colour-coded office calendar and a live Excel sheet linking each work package to concrete activities, dates and metrics - and how treating compliance as a habit instead of a once-a-year scramble helped protect institutional memory when people moved on. Finally, we discuss the human impact: late nights, stacked deadlines, volunteers and staff juggling other jobs, the risk of burnout, and the emotional weight of knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re not disappointing a faceless department but real people you care about. At the same time, we talk about what keeps people in this space: mission, community and the very real skills and confidence you gain from wearing multiple hats. Time codes: 01:41 Introduction 03:59 Fly in 05:14 The capacity challenge 13:59 The proposals 28:17 The projects 43:16 The human impact 55:08 Advice 56:59 The toughest challenge

    1h 4m
  6. The Grant Collaboration: RM Framework Series (5) - The Pilot Concept

    JAN 28

    The Grant Collaboration: RM Framework Series (5) - The Pilot Concept

    Validation, diversity and learning with real training providers Check out the episode website In this fifth episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Marcos Gomes, Research and Innovation Manager at the University of Coimbra and co-lead of the RM Framework pilot work package. Marcos explains why the consortium made pilot testing a central activity: the new handbook for research management training providers should not be written in isolation and then “rolled out”, but tested in real training contexts as the primary validation mechanism. Building on RM Roadmap’s mapping of roles, pains and backgrounds and the RMcomp competence framework, the project now needs practical evidence: which parts of the handbook are clear, which are confusing, what’s missing, and where different national and institutional contexts require adaptation. Marcos folds out the pilot concept and describes how a diverse first wave of pilot testers was selected: universities in Spain, Hungary and Italy, a regional funding agency in Catalonia, and a professional association in Norway, covering everything from pre- and post-award to research infrastructures, innovation, open science and hybrid roles. Each pilot receives the draft handbook plus a guiding document with structured questions, and is asked to “recreate” an existing training programme on paper using the handbook, keeping a learning diary of what they use, skip or modify. This isn’t about forcing conformity; it’s about co-creation. The diaries and follow-up interviews feed back into the drafting team so the final handbook becomes a living document filled with real examples, good practices and even failures – a tool that supports local nuance while building a common language and recognition for research management as a profession across Europe. Time codes: 02:44 Introduction and fly in 11:00 Why pilot testing is central to the RM Framework 13:43 Diversity of pilots and training contexts 20:00 How pilots work in practice 27:43 Key lessons from the pilots 31:39 Closing reflections

    37 min

  7. JAN 26

    #209 Well-being of Project Managers w/Alessandro Carbone

    Stress, boundaries and sustainable ways of running EU projects Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Alessandro Carbone to talk about a side of EU projects that rarely appears in work plans: the well-being of project managers. We look at why this role sits in a permanent pressure zone – between funders, coordinators, partners, finance, HR and researchers – and how that plays out in daily life: inboxes that never sleep, deliverables stacked on top of each other, shifting expectations from above and below, and the unspoken assumption that the project manager will just “make it work”. From there we move into what can help in practice: setting boundaries around availability, agreeing realistic internal timelines, sharing ownership for risks and decisions, and creating team habits that support rather than erode well-being. We also talk about the personal side: perfectionism, guilt, imposter feelings and the difficulty of asking for help when your job is to be the organised one. The goal is not to paint project management as a victim role, but to show how caring for your own well-being is part of doing the job well – for yourself, for the team and for the project. Time codes: 00:01:57 Introduction 00:04:09 Fly in 00:06:23 The findings: A profession under pressure 00:12:00 What’s driving the pressure 00:29:35 The human impact 00:40:17 How do we move forward 00:51:26 The toughest challenge

    1 hr

  8. JAN 19

    #208 The SET Plan and EU Funding w/Eric Lecomte (EU Commission)

    The SET Plan & EU Funding – Inside the Machine Room How EU energy R&I priorities are made, funded and implemented Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Eric Lecomte from the European Commission’s DG Energy – the first time I’ve had a Commission representative on the podcast – to unpack the SET Plan, or Strategic Energy Technology Plan, and its role in EU funding. Eric explains how the SET Plan started in 2007, was reshaped in 2015 as the research & innovation pillar of the Energy Union, and has since been anchored in the European Green Deal, the Net-Zero Industry Act and the Draghi report on competitiveness and coordination. We talk about the overall aim: aligning national and European R&I priorities on energy technologies so Member States, associated countries, industry and research are not all pulling in different directions. We then zoom into the “machine room”: a steering group plus 14 Implementation Working Groups covering renewables, energy systems, efficiency in buildings and industry, transport, carbon capture and nuclear. Eric walks through how these groups co-develop Implementation Plans with concrete R&I activities that feed into Horizon Europe Cluster 5 topics, inspire national R&I programmes, and even shape calls in LIFE and discussions with the Innovation Fund. We explore concrete examples – industrial heat pumps and waste heat recovery topics, cooperation between the paper and heat pump sectors now replicated in the food & drink industry, and large-scale projects like green steel – before ending on the big challenges: mobilising national funding, avoiding duplication, overcoming Europe’s fear of failure and turning world-class technology into market uptake and manufacturing in Europe. Time codes: 00:01:32 Introduction 00:03:44 Fly in 00:07:23 Introduction to the SET Plan 00:11:36 The SET Plan structure and governance 00:23:16 The role of the SET Plan in funding and competitiveness 00:45:26 Challenges and future outlook 00:48:09 The toughest challenge

    55 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Niels Tudor-Vinther
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    225
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Niels Tudor-Vinther
  • Show Website
    The Grant

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