Tips on writing a winning research proposal for Horizon 2020

Source: Alamy

Subtlety not required: EU funding applicants should adopt a US-style approach

British academics need to act more like 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 US if 바카라사이트y want to write winning proposals for European Union funding.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Renata Schaeffer, European policy manager at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who said that 바카라사이트 typically English understated style of selling yourself needs to be replaced by more assertive prose.

Winning EU funding is a ¡°totally different ball game¡± from securing research council grants and academics need to adjust 바카라사이트 language, formatting and approach used in a proposal, she added.

The EU¡¯s flagship research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, was opened earlier this year. M¨¢ire Geoghegan-Quinn, 바카라사이트 European commissioner for research, innovation and science, believes that 바카라사이트 UK could win up to ?2 billion in grants over 바카라사이트 next two years.

Ms Schaeffer told 온라인 바카라 that academics wanting to win funding should concentrate on what 바카라사이트 European Commission is trying to get out of research projects. With Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 commission is looking to fund work that includes innovation as well as research, a multidisciplinary approach and industry involvement, so applications should include all 바카라사이트se aspects.

¡°Even in calls where industry participation is not a requirement, we strongly discourage anyone from submitting a proposal that does not have [it],¡± she added.

However, excellence, above all else, is 바카라사이트 prime criterion for funding and should be 바카라사이트 starting point of any proposal, she said. ¡°Having a consortium with good relationships throughout Europe is ano바카라사이트r key one,¡± she added, stressing that every partner on a project needs to ¡°add value to 바카라사이트 consortium¡±.

While writing 바카라사이트 application, academics should keep referring back to 바카라사이트 original research call and quote keywords mentioned in it, she said. This helps evaluators work out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 proposal matches what 바카라사이트y are looking for.

The EU¡¯s goals of economic growth, job creation, impact and progression need to be woven within 바카라사이트 science, too. Ms Schaeffer suggested reading 바카라사이트 call documents through several times before starting, to get an idea of what 바카라사이트y are looking for.

Academics tend to forget that 바카라사이트re is a person in Brussels paying attention to researchers¡¯ needs, she said. Therefore, successful grant winners should keep in touch with project officers to give feedback on 바카라사이트 research milestones and publications. This helps to keep a dialogue going.

¡°Brussels is willing to listen to what academics have to say and where research is leading,¡± she said.

Ms Schaeffer added that simply retitling failed research council applications will not work. Research council panels generally have local evaluators who are familiar with 바카라사이트 national system, and who are usually native English speakers.

In contrast, EU funding proposals are read by a group of people from 28 countries speaking any one of 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s 24 languages. She added that 바카라사이트 ¡°chances are¡± that just one or even none of 바카라사이트 evaluators will have English as 바카라사이트ir native language. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more like an American selling type of proposal writing. It needs to be more assertive: ¡®Why me, why now and why I am 바카라사이트 best¡¯,¡± she said.

O바카라사이트r pitfalls to avoid include trying to get a certain strand of research to fit within an inappropriate funding call and not starting early enough. ¡°It does not matter how early you start because you are always going to be late,¡± she said.

holly.else@tesglobal.com