The Grant

• 200th Episode Anniversary

  Episode 200 — Guest reflections & the power of conversationWhat it felt like to be on The Grant, what they learnt, and why it worksLink to episode websiteI used the opportunity for an in-person recording at The Grant Meet-Up in September 2025 in the midst of chats and drinks with a group of dedicated listeners to celebrate 200 episodes . I brought back two former guests - Angels Orduna, Executive Director of A.SPIRE and Science Journalist Thomas Brent - to Place du Luxembourg to ask them two simple questions: how was it to be on the show and what stayed with you after being on The Grant? Their answers are candid and practical - having time to slow down, being asked the follow-up questions that sharpen thinking, and discovering new ways to explain complex work to colleagues, partners and funders. We also talk about the medium podcast itself: why a calm, long-form conversation cuts through noise in EU funding, how stories carry lessons better than slides, and why honest reflections - successes and stumbles - help the whole community learn. If you listen for human, useful insight you can take back to your day job, this is a warm thank-you and a peek behind the curtain of The Grant.00:00:17 A special opening 00:10:07 Fly in 00:12:45 200th episode recap 00:18:02 How was it to be on The Grant?00:27:50 Reflections that the participation gave you.00:40:05 The toughest challenge

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• The Grant Collaborations: RM Framework Series (3) - The Ecosystem of Research Management

  The Research Management Ecosystem — what it is and why it mattersRMcomp, roles & skills, and a practical path to European-level trainingLink to episode siteWhat does the research management ecosystem look like in Europe—and why does it vary so much by country and institution? In this episode I’m joined by Frank Ziegele (CHE - Higher Education Management and Policy) and Henning Rickelt (Center for Science & Research Management) to map the landscape: from funding complexity and cross-border collaboration to open science, knowledge valorisation and the growing set of cross-cutting requirements (data, ethics, gender, integrity). We discuss institutional and societal impact, and why recognition and resources for research managers still lag in many places.We also dive into RMcomp, the Commission-endorsed research management competence framework with RM1–RM4 levels and clear learning outcomes; the vision for an interoperable European training market using Bologna-style modularity and credits; and the training handbook this project is developing as a process guide rather than a fixed syllabus. Plus: upcoming pilot testing, how job profiles shape training needs, and why professionalising research management is ultimately about making expectations and skills transparent across Europe.

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• #199 Finding the Partners w/ Niels Tudor-Vinther

  Finding the Partners — a practical playbook for EU proposalsCORDIS, brokerage & LinkedIn sourcing; shortlisting; outreach that gets repliesLink to episode websiteFinding partners—without wasting weeks. In this solo episode I break down exactly how I source reliable EU project partners: start broad with CORDIS and old brokerage/matchmaking sites, scan funded projects and call topics, then narrow to organisations with proven EU experience. I show how to build a shortlist fast, log everything in one Excel, and use AI for keywording (without ever uploading personal data).Then we get practical on contact hunting and outreach: when project pages help, how to use Google + LinkedIn effectively, why a quick phone call beats a cold email, and what to write when you do email. Plus: GDPR hygiene, LinkedIn pitfalls, and the one thing that saves every search—keeping a clean, reusable database so each partner hunt gets easier.

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• #198 FP10 Briefing w/Science|Business

  FP10, decoded with Science|Business editors Goda Naujokaitytė and Florin Zubascu. For applicants, research managers and policy folks: budget scenarios, Pillar II’s tie to ECF, governance/committees, ERC/MSCA signals, bottom-up vs top-down, and how MFF shapes call design and success rates.Link to episode websiteWe separate rumours from reality on budget levels, how Pillar II could connect to the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), and what’s still missing on governance, committees, and who sets work programmes. Then we tackle the politics you’ll feel on the ground: ERC/MSCA independence signals, the evolving bottom-up vs top-down mix, and the MFF dynamics that will influence call design, timelines and success rates to 2028—so you can plan bids, partnerships and careers with eyes open. (For searchers who aren’t regulars: FP10 is the successor to Horizon Europe.)Who it’s for: research managers, PIs, EU project officers, proposal writers, R&I policy professionals.Keywords: FP10, Horizon Europe successor, EU R&I, Pillar II, ECF, governance, ERC, MSCA, MFF, call design, success rates.

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• #197 Collaboration Architecture (part 2) - The Implementation Series (13)

  Episode siteHere in the second half of the episode on collaboration architecture, Monica Expositor-Glasco looks ahead: as AI tools make “near-perfect” proposals commonplace, the real competitive edge shifts from what you promise on paper to how your consortium proves it delivers together. We discuss why evaluator attention will increasingly gravitate to team track record, collaboration culture and evidence that a consortium can execute complex plans, adapt, and still land results. The message: the “soft” side—social architecture—becomes the hardest differentiator. We then get hands-on with practical tools and the principles behind them. Monica walks through dynamic kick-off designs (gallery walks, “cross-WP speed-dating” with three clarifying questions), flipping monthly calls from update theatre to problem-solving, and building a single source of truth with a lightweight project hub and task-oriented channels. We cover weekly asynchronous “last week I / this week I” updates, rigorous agendas framed as questions, and the core principles that make it all work: design before you build, make the implicit explicit (via a team playbook), engineer serendipity, and move from contract to commitment.Time codes (part 2):The future: collaboration as a competitive advantagePractical tools and why they workReflections and adviceThe toughest challenge

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