The Grant

Collaboration: RM Framework Series (10) - Results of the Pilots 16.09.2026 36min

Testing the RM Framework – What the Pilots Taught UsRM Framework Series #10 with Marcos GomesCheck out the episode website for more informationIn episode #10 of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined again by Marcos Gomes from the University of Coimbra to look at the first lessons from the project’s pilot-testing phase. Different training providers across Europe have been using the draft handbook, working with RM Comp and testing elements of the proposed quality label in real training environments. The purpose was simple: does the framework actually work outside the project consortium? Marcos shares the patterns emerging from the feedback. The framework provides useful structure, but testers also asked for more practical examples, templates and guidance. And one message comes through particularly strongly: the goal is not to create one standard European training programme. It is to establish a shared foundation that different organisations can adapt to their own educational, institutional and national realities.Time codes:01:50 Guest introduction and fly in05:24 How the Pilot Testing Was Done09:15 What Did the Pilots Tell Us?30:20 Reflections & Next Steps

#242 How EU Funding Helps Health Technology Find Its Feet 14.09.2026 58min

From Idea to Market – Building Walk With Path with EU FundingAn in-person conversation with founder Lise PapeCheck out the episode websiteFor episode #242, I travelled to Walk With Path’s Copenhagen office for an in-person conversation with founder Lise Pape. We start with the technology and the story behind it: a medtech journey influenced by Lise’s experience of her father’s Parkinson’s disease, followed by more than a decade of product development, clinical validation and work with users. Today, Walk With Path develops wearable technology including a connected sensor-based insole for mobility, gait analysis and diabetic foot care. Then we follow the funding journey. Smaller grants eventually led to a €2.3 million SME Instrument project, and Walk With Path has since built experience across several European funding schemes and collaborative projects. Lise explains how a five-person company manages multiple funded projects alongside the commercial business, when external consultants make sense, how public support services can help, and why the long-term goal is increasingly to move from project funding towards commercial growth.Time codes:00:00 Arrival in Copenhagen05:47 Guest introduction and fly in08:22 The Company and the Story Behind16:35 Experience with Funded Projects39:12 Help and Support44:40 What Have You Learned?49:47 Future52:33 Reflections and The Toughest Challenge

#241 Innovation Fund - Proposal Writing (part 2) 07.09.2026 1t 29min

Innovation Fund Proposal Writing (2) – Writing & SubmissionWith Irene Larroy from EY and Marco Molica Colella from Hydrogen EuropeIn the second half of our Innovation Fund proposal-writing double episode, we move from preparation to actually building the application. Irene Larroy and Marco Molica Colella take us through the documents, annexes and evaluation criteria that make an Innovation Fund proposal such a substantial exercise. One of the first lessons: don't necessarily start with Part B. Build the feasibility study, business plan, financial model and other underlying elements first, then use them to create a consistent Part B. We go through project concept and innovation, GHG emission avoidance, technical, financial and operational maturity, risk, replicability, knowledge sharing, cost efficiency and work packages before finishing with the submission process itself. Throughout, Irene and Marco stress consistency, evaluator-friendly writing and rigorous document control. And the toughest challenge? Time. This is an application process that requires serious planning and significant internal capacity.Time codes02:04 Pen to paper - The Annexes28:12 Pen to paper - Part B 01:01:17 Submission 01:10:59 Reflections and advice01:22:50 The toughest challenge

#240 Innovation Fund - Proposal Writing (part 1) 31.08.2026 46min

Innovation Fund Proposal Writing (1) – Preparation & InnovationWith Irene Larroy from EY and Marco Molica Colella from Hydrogen EuropeCheck out the episode websiteIn this first of two episodes on Innovation Fund proposal writing, I’m joined by Irene Larroy from EY and Marco Molica Colella from Hydrogen Europe. We focus on the traditional Innovation Fund grants and Net-Zero Technologies calls rather than the auction mechanism. And the first lesson comes before the writing starts: because this programme is highly competitive and resource-intensive, applicants need to determine whether their project genuinely fits the Innovation Fund before investing heavily in the proposal. Irene explains how she starts by testing projects against the five evaluation criteria: degree of innovation, GHG emission avoidance, maturity, replicability and cost efficiency. We then zoom in on the degree of innovation. Marco explains why innovation cannot be assessed in isolation: it depends on the sector, competing technologies and what the Innovation Fund has already supported. Irene shows why applicants should study the Innovation Fund dashboard and compare themselves carefully with previous funded projects—including previous projects from their own corporate group. We also discuss the importance of the innovation annex in the call documentation and why a successful proposal process may require applicants to redesign parts of the project itself in order to build a stronger case. Time codes:01:55 Guest introduction and fly in06:00 Preparation31:35 Shaping of proposal concept with consortium

Collaboration: RM Framework Series (9) - Building the Future of Research Management in Europe 26.08.2026 53min

A New ERA for Research ManagementRM Framework Series #9 with Anna Seip from DG RTDCheck out the episode websiteWhy has research management become a European policy priority? In episode #9 of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Anna Seip, Policy Officer at DG RTD, to trace the policy journey behind the initiatives we have been exploring throughout this series. We go back to the renewed European Research Area and ERA Action 17 and look at how research management moved from a relatively undefined concept towards an increasingly recognised profession. Anna explains an important part of that history: the initiative did not simply originate inside the Commission. Member States helped put the issue on the agenda, after which the Commission, countries and stakeholder organisations worked together to define the challenges and determine what should happen next. Those challenges became upskilling, recognition, networking and capacity building. We discuss how projects such as RM Roadmap and RM Framework turn those policy objectives into practical initiatives, and why RM Comp has become an important common language for describing what research managers actually do. But creating frameworks is only part of the job. The next challenge is adoption: getting institutional leadership and Member States to recognise the profession, use the tools and invest in research-management capacity. It is a useful look behind the curtain at how a European policy priority gradually moves from discussion to concrete change inside research organisations. Time codes:02:23 Guest introduction and fly in06:11 Why Research Management Became a European Priority12:11 Building the Foundations: RM Comp and the European Framework19:02 From Policy to Practice: Implementing RM Comp Across Europe33:13 The Next Step: Shared Ownership Across Europe48:12 Reflections and Call to Action

#239 Exploitation - The Implementation Series (16) 24.08.2026 1t 16min

Exploitation in EU Projects – From Results to Real UseWith Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Director at IPS KonzaltingCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode of my Implementation Series, I’m joined by Ana-Marija Špicnagel from IPS Konzalting for a practical guide to exploitation in EU-funded projects. We begin with the basics: communication tells people what the project is doing, dissemination shares its results, while exploitation is about somebody actually using those results. And that does not necessarily mean selling a product. Exploitation can be commercial, regulatory, educational, organisational or linked to further research, depending on the project and the expected outcome. From there we move into implementation. How do you identify key exploitable results when many of them may not even be visible at proposal stage? When should you start talking to partners about commercialisation and IP? How do you deal with researchers, SMEs and other consortium partners having very different motivations? And how do you involve stakeholders early enough for their feedback to actually shape the result? Ana-Marija shares a concrete working rhythm for exploitation throughout a project and explains why the real objective is not another Excel sheet or polished deliverable. It is creating something that somebody wants to use — and ideally something that can continue living after the funding stops. Time codes:02:03 Guest introduction and fly in06:13 Defining Exploitation18:00 Designing for Exploitation from Day One31:57 The Consortium Challenge37:13 From Project Results to Real Adoption58:38 Life After the Project01:09:07 Reflections and advice01:10:29 The toughest challenge

#238 EU Funding in the Western Balkans: Building Research Capacity 17.08.2026 1t 11min

EU Funding in the Western Balkans – The View from AlbaniaWith Luziana Hoxha from the Agricultural University of TiranaCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode, I’m joined by Luziana Hoxha from the Agricultural University of Tirana to look at EU funding from the perspective of Albania and the Western Balkans. Albania is associated with Horizon Europe, so on paper its universities and researchers have broad access to the programme. But access and competitiveness are two different things. Luziana explains the challenges of joining established consortia when other European universities may have decades of experience, mature project offices, stronger research infrastructure and long-standing international networks. We also talk about how European programmes can gradually change that position. Erasmus+, earlier Tempus projects, mobility, Widening instruments and participation in international networks have helped universities build administrative capacity, modernise curricula and laboratories, and develop researchers who are increasingly able to write and lead proposals themselves. Luziana shares her own journey—including succeeding with a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship after previously doubting whether an Albanian researcher could compete at that level. It is a conversation about funding, but equally about visibility, confidence, relationships and becoming a trusted part of the European research ecosystem.Time codes:01:55 Guest introduction and fly in05:39 The View from Albania – What Opportunities Exist?16:08 The Challenges of Competing in European Funding 32:18 Building Capacity Through European Collaboration47:03 From Participant to Contributor58:42 Reflections and advice01:04:34 The toughest challenge

#237 RTOs - Bridging Research and Industry 10.08.2026 1t 17min

How RTOs Turn Research into Impact – The Spanish ModelWith Patricia Castillo, Director of Impact at EurecatCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode, I’m joined by Patricia Castillo, Director of Impact at Eurecat, to explore what research and technology organisations actually do and why they occupy such an important place in Europe’s innovation ecosystem. RTOs sit between universities, companies, start-ups and public authorities. Their purpose is to help move technologies beyond promising laboratory results and towards something that can be manufactured, scaled, financed and used by companies in the real world. Patricia explains why that process is not a simple linear transfer from science to market, but a continuous interaction between researchers, industry and society. We also examine the distinctive Spanish model, where RTOs are private non-profit organisations with limited baseline support and must combine competitive public funding with industry contracts and services. That creates a difficult but productive tension: responding to companies’ needs today while investing in the knowledge, people and infrastructure that may be required ten years from now. We discuss impact management, responsible technology development, long-term research capacity, tacit knowledge, falling success rates and why generic AI-written sections on impact, gender and dissemination are becoming increasingly easy for evaluators to recognise. Time codes:01:39 Guest introduction and fly in05:15 Understanding the RTO Model16:06 The Spanish Context26:41 Living with the Challenge49:09 The Book - Capturing Knowledge Before It Disappears01:01:17 Reflections and advice01:03:17 The toughest challenge

#236 Rethinking How to Create Lasting Impact 03.08.2026 1t 13min

Rethinking Impact – From Funded Projects to Real AdoptionWith Christopher Adlung from TU DelftCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode, I’m joined by Christopher Adlung, a PhD researcher at TU Delft and a medtech entrepreneur, to rethink what impact actually means in EU-funded research and innovation. Christopher studies the adoption and scaling of telemedicine in low-resource settings, and that adoption perspective shapes our entire conversation. A technology can perform brilliantly in a laboratory or pilot project, but real impact only emerges when the wider ecosystem can and wants to use it. That includes not only researchers and end users, but also procurement teams, administrators, investors, technicians, managers and everyone else whose decisions shape implementation. We also question whether Europe’s increasingly large and complex collaborative projects are always the right mechanism for innovative SMEs. Could smaller, simpler grants involving fewer partners create faster and more focused progress? Could new structures connect universities, companies and public authorities without forcing them into temporary consortia with very different incentives? Christopher also shares examples from telemedicine in Bangladesh, where innovation has grown from practical constraints and combines digital consultations, mobile health teams, diagnostic devices, pharmacies and local access points. It becomes a wide-ranging conversation about funding design, ecosystems, sustainability and why impact should be measured through adoption and long-term consequences rather than activity alone. Time codes:01:39 Guest introduction and fly in04:37 The Traditional Funding Model – Where Does It Fall Short?22:20 Beyond Silos – Do We Need New Ways of Organising Innovation?36:47 Inspiration Beyond Europe47:46 Rethinking Impact in Future EU Projects59:00 Reflections and advice01:06:11 The toughest challenge

#235 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with Disabilities 27.07.2026 32min

WIN4SMES – Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with DisabilitiesTwo pilot stories from Hungary and LithuaniaCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I return to the WIN4SMES universe with a closer look at two pilot stories that deserved their own spotlight. In the first half, I speak with Tamas Rettich from the Hungarian Association of Craftsmen’s Corporations about a one-week entrepreneurship camp for highly talented young innovators. The camp helps participants move from strong technical or scientific ideas toward real entrepreneurial thinking through business planning, finance, marketing, innovation management, leadership and teamwork. What I especially like here is the emphasis on collaboration: the young participants do not just refine ideas on their own, but learn that innovation also depends on trust, communication and shared problem-solving. In the second half, I speak with Egle Lizaityte from the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants about a pilot focused on getting young people with disabilities into the hospitality sector. Through collaboration between schools, employers and sector organisations, the project helps companies understand how to create inclusive workplaces and helps young people gain internships and jobs. The conversation is a strong reminder that workplace innovation is not only about technology or productivity. It is also about changing attitudes, widening the talent pool and building systems that allow people to contribute in ways employers may never have considered before.Time codes:00:18 Introduction to the episode02:11 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs in Hungary11:15 Young Disabled Professionals in the Hospitality Sector

#234 EU Funding for Culture and Creativity 20.07.2026 1t 28min

EU Funding in Culture and CreativityWith Paolo Montemurro from Matera HubCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Paolo Montemurro from Materahub to open up the European funding landscape for culture and creativity. This is a conversation I’ve wanted to do for a long time, because if you cover EU funding broadly, the cultural and creative sectors are too important to leave untouched. Paolo explains why the European Union invests in culture and creativity not only because of their economic contribution, but also because of their role in democracy, social inclusion, European values, mobility and innovation. We talk about how this recognition has grown over time and why the creative and cultural sectors now sit much more clearly inside the wider European policy and funding architecture. We then move through the actual opportunities. We start with Creative Europe as the main go-to programme, but also look at Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg and other relevant corners of the funding landscape. Paolo shares how Matera Hub has worked across these schemes since 2011, using culture and creativity as both a sector in its own right and as a methodology that can connect to entrepreneurship, skills, cultural heritage, innovation, audience development and social transformation. It’s an introduction episode, but a rich one — especially for anyone in the cultural and creative sectors trying to understand where to start and how broad the European opportunity space really is. Time codes:01:47 Guest introduction and fly in 05:11 Why Does the EU Invest in Culture and Creativity?18:57 The Funding Landscape50:28 Looking Ahead56:50 Materahub's Experience Across Programmes01:15:21 Reflections and advice01:19:15 The Toughest Challenge

The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (8): The Hungary Pilot 15.07.2026 30min

RM Framework (7) – The Hungary Pilot at Corvinus UniversityAccredited RM training, formal education and the limits of standardisationCheck out the episode websiteIn the seventh episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Associate Professor Éva Pinter and Éva Kőváriné Ignáth from Corvinus University of Budapest to explore the Hungarian pilot. Corvinus brings a very specific and valuable perspective to the project because it already runs a formally accredited postgraduate programme: the Research and Innovation Manager and Economist Executive Degree Programme. The programme runs over two full semesters, leads to a state-recognised diploma, and was developed in close cooperation with Hungary’s National Research, Development and Innovation Office. Unlike shorter professional workshops, this is a full higher education qualification for experienced professionals from universities, research institutes, public agencies and companies — as well as people transitioning into research management.That makes Corvinus a particularly interesting pilot case. Éva Pinter explains the pilot tests where the RM Framework handbook and quality label work well, and where they need more flexibility for multi-semester, ECTS-based degree programmes. Éva Kőváriné Ignáth adds the course-level perspective, drawing on shorter BA and MA courses developed through earlier European projects and now used to introduce students to research management and EU research funding. Together, the episode becomes a practical discussion about formal education, competence frameworks, quality labels, microcredentials and what it really means to build a European standard for research management training across very different national systems.Time codes:02:22 Guest introduction and fly in04:18 How You Train Research Managers Today 10:51 Working with the Pilot – Constraints and Reality23:36 Expectations & Final Reflections

#233 Interreg - An Introduction 13.07.2026 1t 27min

Interreg – An IntroductionWith Viktoria Nilsson from Lund MunicipalityCheck out the episode website for linksIn this episode I introduce the Interreg funding scheme together with Viktoria Nilsson from Lund Municipality. Interreg is one of the EU’s oldest territorial cooperation programmes, and its core idea is both simple and important: many societal challenges are shared across borders, so neighboring regions should work on them together. We talk about why Interreg exists, how it sits inside EU cohesion policy, and why it has become such a central instrument for cross-border collaboration in areas like innovation, green transition, sustainable transport and labour mobility. We also make the episode practical. Viktoria explains how a typical Interreg project is structured, what kinds of partners usually take part, how funding rates and project types work, what the secretariat does during the application phase, and what applicants should keep in mind around communication, indicators, end users and long-term impact. It’s the first episode in what I hope will become a broader Interreg series, and it is meant as a clear and usable entry point for anyone who wants to understand the scheme better.Time codes:01:31 Guest introduction and fly in08:36 EU motivation for the funding scheme19:16 Structure of funding scheme36:00 Target group stakeholders39:47 How to apply01:01:04 Evaluation01:05:06 When funding is received01:09:23 Do's and don't's01:16:44 The toughest challenge

#232 How Regions Build the Foundation for EU Funding 06.07.2026 1t 18min

How Regions Build the Foundations for EU FundingWith Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-BrabantCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-Brabant to talk about how regions build the foundations that eventually lead to EU funding. Noord-Brabant is one of Europe’s most innovative regions, with strong advanced manufacturing traditions and a global industrial profile. But what interested me in this conversation is not only the region’s success. It is the work underneath that success: building relationships with other regions, understanding what Brussels is doing, shaping a regional story around innovation, and creating the long-term trust that makes later project collaboration possible. We go into smart specialisation, the Vanguard Initiative, the importance of interregional networks, and how stepping-stone instruments can help SMEs move toward bigger European calls. Alina explains very clearly that proposals do not start when the call opens. They start much earlier — when regions know who they are, what they are good at, who they should work with, and how they want to position themselves in Europe. It is a really strong episode for anyone working in regional development, innovation ecosystems or the strategic side of EU funding.Time codes: 01:39 Guest introduction and fly in06:21 What Provincie Noord-Brabant is13:36 The Vanguard Initiative and Smart Specialisation35:05 The Importance of Relationships51:14 Long-Term Lobbying and Why the Region Invests in It01:08:33 Reflections and advice01:10:45 The toughest challenge

#231 The Widening Series (4) - Status on Widening in FP10 29.06.2026 45min

With Thomas Brent from Science BusinessCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Thomas Brent from Science Business for a practical status update on Widening in FP10. We go back to the roots of the debate: why Widening was created in the first place, how it was meant to help countries with weaker research capacity connect more effectively into the framework programme, and why some people have long argued that it does not fit neatly inside an excellence-based funding system. Thomas explains why that debate is now less dominant than before and why, despite some remaining criticism, Widening now looks likely to remain part of the next framework programme. From there we dig into what is actually on the table in the FP10 discussions. We talk about the proposed increase in the Widening budget, the idea of placing Widening in a new fourth pillar, the possible creation of “transition countries”, and the controversial conditionality around public investment in research and development. We also touch on the current state of the negotiations, the role of member states, and why the coming months should give a clearer picture of where the political compromises are heading. It’s a useful episode for anyone trying to follow the Widening file without getting lost in Brussels process language.Time codes:01:46 Guest introduction and fly in 04:06 The Original Debate – Excellence vs Development11:34 The FP10 Proposal – Splitting the Widening Countries23:58 The Conditionality Debate31:33 Where the Political Negotiation Stands Now38:04 Reflections and What Comes Next

#230 WIN4SMES Live from Hamburg - COVEs in Real Life 22.06.2026 1t 5min

A documentary-style episode from Hamburg on vocational excellence, inclusion and SMEsCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I try something new: a documentary-style montage recorded live during a WIN4SMES event in Hamburg. Instead of one long sit-down conversation, this episode moves through soundscapes, field notes, participant voices and short interviews to give a more immediate sense of what an Erasmus+ Centre of Vocational Excellence project looks like on the ground. WIN4SMES focuses on workplace innovation in SMEs, and the project’s different national pilots are working on themes such as inclusion, entrepreneurship, newcomers and skills development. Across the episode, I speak with the coordinator team about the training programme, hear from participants working with agile methods, design thinking and AI in vocational education, and zoom in on two of the particularly strong COVEs from the project. One from Hungary uses an entrepreneurship camp to support highly talented young people in developing business ideas. Another from Lithuania works with hotels and restaurants to create real job pathways for young people with disabilities. The result is a more atmospheric and people-centered episode about how vocational excellence is actually built in practice — not only in policy papers, but in classrooms, workshops, company relationships and human lives. Time codes:00:00 Airport opening 01:25 Arriving and introducing the training programme w/Anna Maria Czarny06:43 Meeting the training classes11:40 The Partner Dinner w/Maëla Barcon15:34 Introducing day 219:13 The Hungary COVE - Supporting Entrepreneurship w/Tamas Rettich28:20 The Lithuanian COVE - Young People with Disabilities w/Egle Lizaityte48:16 WIN4SMES - Status and where it is moving w/Max Hogeforster01:01:55 Farewell and outro

#229 Building Your Funding Team 15.06.2026 1t 18min

Building Your Funding Team – Skills, Structure & SurvivalWith Stephanie Harfensteller and David ChristensenCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Stephanie Harfensteller and David Christensen to talk about one of the most difficult and under-discussed challenges in EU funding: how to build a funding team that actually works. Stephanie has been building up an EU funding function at FIR since 2019, while David has been doing something similar inside BOFA on Bornholm. From very different organisational settings, they describe a remarkably similar reality: a strong funding unit is not just a service desk for forms and deadlines. It needs to support proposal development, project execution and long-term networking and positioning — and in smaller organisations, the same people often need to move across all of those roles. From there we dig into the real difficulties: how to identify the right skills, how to recruit people when profiles are hard to find, how to train juniors without losing all the knowledge when they move on, and how to create some form of knowledge management when most of the most important know-how still sits in people’s heads. We also talk about management commitment, public perception, long-term vision, the pain of falling proposal success rates, and the need to balance patience with pressure. It’s a very honest conversation for anyone trying to professionalise funding work inside an organisation without the luxury of a large specialist department. Time codes:01:48 Guest introduction and fly in 07:01 What Is a Good Funding Support Unit?18:08 The Skills Question28:28 Building the Team in Reality40:05 Keeping Knowledge in the Organisation50:45 Working Under Organisational Constraints01:06:07 Reflections and advice01:10:24 The toughest challenge

#228 Explain Science (1): EV Batteries and Life Cycle Assessment 08.06.2026 32min

Explain Science (1) – NoVOC, Batteries & Life Cycle AssessmentWith Kristin Fransson from RISECheck out the episode website with links to webinar, scientific paper, the NoVOC project etc.In the first episode of Explain Science, I’m joined by Kristin Fransson from RISE to talk about the NoVOC project and the science of life cycle assessment in battery innovation. Kristin explains that NoVOC is working on one very practical challenge: reducing the hazardous solvents used in battery manufacturing and exploring alternative dry and wet production methods that could make battery production more sustainable. From there, we use the project as an entry point into a much bigger discussion about how Europe develops cleaner battery technologies and why environmental thinking has to be built into research projects from the start.We then unpack what life cycle assessment actually means. Kristin explains how LCA looks across a product’s full life cycle, why it matters for battery research, and why it is so difficult to get right when projects are still working at lab or pilot scale. We talk about methodological choices, data collection, scale-up, recycling assumptions and the challenge of making sure that an innovation that looks promising in one corner does not create problems somewhere else. It’s a very accessible first episode for anyone curious about batteries, sustainability and what science communication can look like when EU-funded research is explained properly.Time codes02:40 A word from the collaboration partner 03:55 Guest introduction and fly in 08:17 What is Life Cycle Assessment?11:46 Why does this matter for Europe?18:28 Why is battery LCA difficult?27:19 Closing and event promotion

The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (7): The Spanish Pilot 03.06.2026 30min

Research management training, competence mapping and the quality labelCheck out the episode websiteIn the 7th episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Cristina Borrás Sardà and Cristina Bosch Pla from Generalitat de Catalunya / AGAUR to talk about the Spain pilot in the RM Framework project. We start with the training scheme they already run in Catalonia: a structured programme developed with universities and built around two microcredentials, one focused on pre-award and one on post-award. It covers everything from the EU funding system, consortium building and impact to grant agreement management, financial reporting and lump sum implementation — and is designed as a practical, modular and highly interactive offer for early-career research managers. From there we move into the pilot itself. Cristina and Cristina explain how the RM Framework handbook and RMcomp helped them map their existing training more clearly against competencies, identify where learning outcomes were already strong, and spot areas where the programme could become more explicit and coherent. We also talk about the value of in-person delivery, peer interaction, mentoring and the growing need for a European reference point that can support quality, mobility and career development across the research management profession. Time codes: 02:14 Guest introduction and fly in05:08 RM Training Good Practices 12:57 Experiences from the Pilot Testing Phase19:13 Why the RM Framework Matters at EU Level24:07 Expectations & Final Reflections

#227 Talent Attraction to Rural Regions and EU Funding 01.06.2026 1t 29min

Talent Attraction and EU Funding – A Regional Development Lens w/Maria Haglund and Nikolaj LubanskiCheck out the episode websiteIn this episode I’m joined by Maria Haglund and Nikolaj Lubanski to talk about how talent attraction can be supported through EU funding. Maria brings the perspective of a smaller region on the west coast of Finland, where the challenge is not only retaining university students but also attracting the skilled and blue-collar workforce needed by the regional economy. Nikolaj brings more than a decade of experience from Greater Copenhagen, where EU funding has helped build national and cross-border collaboration around international talent attraction, digital campaigns and long-term regional positioning. Together, they open up a very practical conversation about why funding matters in this area — and why it is about much more than just “getting money.”We then move into the how. What kinds of EU instruments actually make sense for talent attraction? How do you build a partnership that is based on trust rather than opportunism? What should a smaller region consider before stepping into its first bigger EU project? And how do you measure impact in a field where results can be diffuse and long-term? We talk about social funds, regional funds, Interreg, project structure, partnership agreements, cross-border cooperation with Umeå, and the importance of having both a strong idea and a realistic path to implementation. It’s a very useful episode for anyone working in regional development, international talent, place branding or skills policy.Time codes:01:55 Guest introduction and fly in05:55 The Motivation – Why Look at EU Funding? 21:20 Before You Apply – What Organisations Need to Consider First44:10 Building Partnerships and Entering the EU Ecosystem58:00 The Application Process – What Actually Happens?01:17:14 Reflections and Advice01:22:07 The toughest challenge

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