Crafting Winning EU R&I Proposals: Fundamentals & Practical Activities

Are you looking for funding for your research project? Do you want to apply for EU funding and do not know where to start? Do you need help putting together a competitive research proposal?

This intensive training equips MagIC researchers with the skills to develop compelling grant proposals for Horizon Europe and other R&I programs. Led by experienced trainer Cristina Oliveira, this course will empower you to navigate the complexities of proposal writing and unlock the potential of your research ideas.

About the Course

Objectives:

Guide researchers to identify and strategically align their research with relevant European R&I funding opportunities, empowering them to build strong collaborations for proposal development.

Equip participants with the expertise to decipher proposal requirements, structure compelling narratives, aiming to ultimately increase their proposal's success rate.

Foster the understanding of different impact levels and pathways within European proposals. Participants will learn to craft effective communication, dissemination, and exploitation strategies, maximizing the impact of their research.

Target Group: researchers seeking to strengthen their grant application skills for competitive R&I funding opportunities.

Format: This intensive course combines informative presentations with practical insights from the trainer’s experience supporting proposal preparation across diverse disciplines and funding programs. Trainees will have opportunities for hands-on exercises and group activities, culminating in the development of a convincing project concept. Although the course targets EU proposals, the guidelines and exercises for writing R&I proposals are useful to all types of R&I grants.

Program Structure

Session 1 - Funding Landscape & Proposal writing

Understanding the EU Research Funding Landscape

-How to link the funding opportunities available with the experience profile, ambition and research idea

-Exercise 1: Deciphering Call for Proposal/Topic

Towards a Successful Project Proposal

-Grant writing rules/ tips

-Major errors/ difficulties

-Exercise 2: Improve state-of-the-art & Objectives
Session 2 - Research Impact

How to write a convincing Impact Section for a European proposal?

-Understanding Levels of Impact

-Differentiating Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact

-Key Impact Pathways

-Communication, Dissemination & Exploitation Strategies

-Exercise 1: understand the impact pathways canva

-Exercise 2: develop your own canva
Session 3 - Proposal development & Evaluation

Developing Effective Concept Notes for R&I proposals

Proposal evaluation and feedback

-Understanding Evaluator Expectations

-Highlighting Significance and Innovation

-Anticipated Outcomes and Impact

-Tailoring for Specific Grant Opportunities

-Discussing your Concept Note (for your own Project Idea)

-Refining Your Research Question

Instructors

Cristina Oliveira

Course Coordinator

Cristina Oliveira has over 15 years of experience in science policy management, research and innovation funding programmes, and professionalization of research management. She is currently the research manager of the MagIC research centre and is leading the NOVA team in the RM Roadmap Horizon Europe project on Research Management professionalization. She has led the NOVA team in creating an international curriculum in research management and has extensive experience in providing training to researchers and research managers. Her dedication extends to the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA) where she serves as Vice-Chair of the BESTPRAC Thematic Group. Cristina is also a Co-Principal Investigator of the RAAAP - Research Administrator as a Profession global survey.