The University of Warsaw has created an institutional support ecosystem for talented researchers applying for prestigious research grants. This is a key element in supporting the development of academic careers. We are publishing another article in the series “Spring with HR Excellence in Research”.

 

Securing prestigious international grants, such as those from the European Research Council (ERC) for pioneering research or ambitious research and training projects carried out at foreign research institutions, as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under the “Horizon Europe” programme, is one of the integral elements of developing a research career path.

 

Researchers from the University of Warsaw receive support in the process of applying for such grants thanks to a multi-stage, comprehensive programme, created and implemented in 2023 by the Office of International Research and Liaison (BMPB) UW. It was established as part of one of the actions under the “Initiative of Excellence – Research University” (IDUB) Programme – Action IV.1.3. ‘From the Diamond Grant to the ERC Grant’ – creating individual plans for the research career development.

 

Support with grant applications

 

The scope of support for researchers applying for ERC grants has been divided into two stages, corresponding to the stages of the application process.

The first stage – covering the written part of the competition – includes:

 

  • training sessions and workshops on preparing applications;
  • individual consultations on applications;
  • reviews by ERC panel members and ERC grant holders from the UW;
  • graphic design services (infographics for sections B1/B2 of the application);
  • proofreading of the application text by a native speaker of English;
  • administrative support, including completing forms, budget calculation and checking the application for formal compliance, including its correctness and completeness.

 

The second – concerning the oral part of the competition – focuses on preparing an oral presentation of the project and the discussion with the members of the relevant ERC panel. Support for applicants at this stage includes:

 

  • meetings with ERC grant holders who share their experiences and best practices regarding preparation for the oral part of the competition and the interview itself;
  • consultations with a university expert on academic presentations;
  • services from communication experts regarding the aesthetic and graphic aspects of the presentation given during the interview with the ERC panellists;
  • graphic design services for the project logo;
  • international mock panels with access to recordings of the sessions, along with feedback from an expert in scientific presentations and a native speaker of English;
  • consultations on oral presentations (delivery of the presentation) with a native speaker of English;
  • the opportunity to use a professional recording studio (located at the Faculty of Biology) during the interview.

 

Drawing on the expertise of University employees, including past ERC grant holders and panellists, a specialist in scientific presentations, a native speaker of English, and a three-person team from the BMPB UW dedicated to ERC grants, fosters a collaborative and supportive environment where discussing bold scientific ideas and transforming them into ambitious research projects becomes not only good practice but the norm. Furthermore, the BMPB UW collaborates with science managers within the ERC Incubator to provide substantive support to applicants for ERC grants.

 

To date, the University of Warsaw has acted as a Host Institution for ERC grant recipients on 41 occasions, and more than 20 times under the EU’s 9th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, ‘Horizon Europe’ (2021–2027) alone, accounting for 35% of all ERC grants carried out at Polish research institutions.

 

Planning an academic career

 

As part of IDUB Action IV.1.3, the BMPB also offers individual counselling on planning an academic career path. You can book an appointment with an advisor using the online appointment calendar.

 

Furthermore, as part of the support for researchers’ individual academic career paths, the BMPB UW, within the framework of IDUB’s horizontal activities, has implemented a funding programme for projects submitted to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships competition under the EC’s “Seal of Excellence” initiative (I.1.4), the aim of which was to support talented researchers in establishing their position in the global scientific community by funding their two-year research stays at selected renowned foreign research centres.