The Grant

Better Grant Proposals – Impact, Training & Research Communication

Check out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Elaine Massung, founder of Academic Smartcuts, to talk about how researchers can write better grant proposals and communicate their ideas more effectively. Elaine has worked as a researcher, postdoc, funding agency professional at EPSRC and now as an independent trainer. That gives her a very practical view of where proposals go wrong: researchers often do not give themselves enough time, do not read the guidance carefully enough, start with a solution before defining the problem, or fail to explain their work in language reviewers can actually use.
We also dig into impact — one of the most repeated but still weakest parts of many proposals. Elaine and I talk about why “publish in high-impact journals, attend conferences and host a workshop” is not enough, and how researchers can think more creatively about visibility and use: trade magazines, teaching materials, podcasts, blogs, stakeholder meetings, existing networks and other channels that actually fit the project. We also discuss proposal audits, training, time pressure, networking challenges and why getting help early is not weakness — it is often what makes the proposal stronger.

Time codes:
01:47 Guest introduction and fly in
06:20 The Core Insight: Everyone Makes the Same Mistakes
14:51 Teaching Researchers to Think Differently
24:57 The Impact Problem
44:27 New Ways of Creating Visibility
53:24 Reflections and advice
56:42 The toughest challenge

How consultants translate innovation into strong EU proposals

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In this first episode of the ENCO Series, produced in paid collaboration with ENCO Consulting, I’m joined by Antonietta Pizza to talk about the consultant perspective on proposal writing. We unpack what European project consultants actually do beyond the clichés: finding the right call, understanding the innovation behind the idea, building a strong consortium, shaping a realistic work plan and translating highly technical content into a proposal language that evaluators can follow. Antonietta explains how this process begins with listening carefully to the client, understanding how they work and then building a proposal process that is both structured and collaborative.
From there we move into the real-life complexity of proposal development: different partner rhythms, holiday periods, timeline pressure, templates, impact logic and the challenge of keeping the whole application coherent. Antonietta shares how ENCO works through repeated calls and co-creation with key partners to make sure the proposal is ambitious but still feasible, and why the consultant’s external eye can be so valuable in identifying weak spots early. We also touch on a concrete funded hydrogen case, showing how a highly technical concept can be turned into a convincing EU proposal when the right structure, consortium and narrative come together.

Time codes:
01:56 Guest introduction and fly in
05:10 The consultant perspective
08:56 Translating ideas into EU projects
12:56 Designing a strong proposal
22:28 Common proposal pitfalls
28:32 Success Story – LIGNOFUN

A book conversation on diversity literacy, leadership and global research

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In this episode I’m joined by Jakob Feldtfos Christensen, Director of DIVERSIuniTY and co-host of the Diversity in Research Podcast, to talk about his new book: Diversity Leadership in Research Management: A Practical Guide. We unpack why he felt the need to write it now: research management is maturing as a profession, diversity is becoming more deeply embedded in research funding and project work, and yet many of the conversations around it remain too abstract, too polarised or too detached from the practical reality of running international collaborations. Jakob wanted to write something different — a short, practical book that research managers can actually use in their everyday work.
From there we go into the substance of the book. Jakob explains why diversity literacy is one of the key concepts: not just representation or values statements, but a real professional skillset for people working in research support, project development and international collaboration. We talk about how the book moves from leadership to the research support office and then to the individual research manager, and why this matters more and more in a world of Horizon Europe gender analysis requirements, expanding global collaboration, AI-supported writing and growing geopolitical tension. It’s a conversation about a book — but also about the future of research management as a people profession.

Time codes:
01:40 Guest introduction and fly in
06:03 Background and Motivation
18:42 The Book
32:45 The Work
48:46 Finalization and Release
54:59 The toughest challenge

Erasmus+ Audits – Lump Sums, Fear & Audit Culture
An Erasmus+ Therapy panel on compliance, trust and what must change

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In this episode I’m joined again by Henriette Hansen, Daiana Huber and Alessandro Melillo for another Erasmus+ Therapy session — this time focused entirely on audits. We talk about a feeling many practitioners will recognise: that the audit discourse has shifted from something closer to good faith and improvement towards something more punitive, suspicious and bureaucratic. Henriette reflects on how the move to lump sums originally sounded like a welcome shift towards outputs and project quality, only to find that her first lump-sum audit still felt dominated by error-hunting and a low tolerance for honest explanations about difficulties and adaptations in implementation.
From there we go deeper into the paradox that many coordinators now live with: yes, projects may be called lump sum, but if you want to survive an audit you still behave as if you are in a real-cost universe. Daiana and Alessandro describe the mountain of documentation that can still be requested in practice, the confusion this creates for newcomers, and the wider damage of fear-driven compliance on innovation, trust and motivation. We end by asking what should change: clearer expectations, more constructive audit cultures, more room for appreciation of what projects actually achieved, and stronger policy dialogue between agencies, auditors and the people running Erasmus+ projects on the ground.

Time codes:
02:21 Guest introduction and fly in
05:14 The old logic vs. the new logic
11:49 Presumption of guilt and fear-driven compliance
26:18 Who is this audit discourse really protecting?
37:03 What needs to change
42:25 The toughest challenge

BalticSeaH2, project implementation and the future of hydrogen in Europe

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In this episode I’m joined by Susanna Kupiainen from CLIC Innovation in Finland to talk about hydrogen valleys through the lens of one of the most ambitious projects in Europe: BalticSeaH2. Susanna explains the valley concept in practical terms: bringing hydrogen production, transport and multiple end-use industries close enough together to create real integrated value chains. From there we explore why Hydrogen Valleys have become such a flagship under the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and why the Baltic Sea region is such an interesting place to build them - with strong renewable energy potential, cross-border infrastructure links and growing pressure to create green hydrogen value chains inside Europe rather than rely on imported fossil inputs.

We then dive into implementation. BalticSeaH2 spans 9 countries and 40 partners, with a main valley between Finland and Estonia plus seven connected valleys included from the start. Susanna shares how that choice has shaped replication, social acceptance work and collaboration across different national contexts. We also talk about real project-life issues: investment delays, amendments, reporting across a huge consortium, hydrogen off-take, green ammonia and the question that hangs over the whole sector — how to move from promising production cases and pilots towards enough demand, market certainty and policy continuity to make a true European hydrogen economy possible.

Time codes:
01:57 Guest introduction and fly in
05:28 What is a Hydrogen Valley?
15:12 From Idea to Funded Flagship
25:03 Replication From Day One – The Structural Innovation
38:21 Midpoint Reflection – Is It Delivering?
49:40 Nordic Perspective: Security, Supply and Policy
56:26 Reflections and advice
01:00:31 The toughest challenge