Grants in Practice 2017
14 July 9:30 - 18:30
EU Delegation Tokyo
check our GIP 2018 programme: 9-12 July 2018, Tokyo - Osaka
Thank you all for your participation! Pictures, presentation files and video recordings available now!
Presentation files: morning (ERC) sessions
Introduction to Horizon 2020: | Tom Kuczynski, Delegation of the EU to Japan, S&T Section |
About the National Contact Point (NCP) for Horizon 2020 in Japan: | Naomichi Yamada, NCP Japan |
About EURAXESS: | Matthieu Py, EURAXESS Japan |
ERC grants training I&II: - Introduction to the ERC grant schemes: gip_2017_tokyo_-_4.1_erc_training_pt.1.pdf - Applicant's training: how to write a convincing ERC proposal: | Katja Wirth, NCP for ERC, Switzerland |
Experience feedback by ERC grantee | Keisuke Yonehara, Aarhus University, ERC Grantee |
Presentation files: afternoon (MSCA IF) sessions
Introduction to MSCA and short overview of MSCA RISE: gip_2017_tokyo_-_6_msca_introduction.pdfgip_2017_tokyo_-_7_msca_rise_-_specific_aspects_for_japan.pdf | Tom Kuczynski, Delegation of the EU to Japan, S&T Section Naomichi Yamada, NCP Japan |
MSCA IF training I&II: - Experience feedback by alumni: gip_2017_tokyo_-_8_katsumasa_tanaka.pdf gip_2017_tokyo_-_9_taichiro_iki.pdf gip_2017_tokyo_-_10_takuma_suda.pdf
- The MSCA-IF-2017 call in detail, Interactive evaluation exercise of real past proposals,Interactive brainwalking exercise, Practical advice, hints & tips: | Katsumasa Tanaka, NIES, MSCA IF Alumni Taichiro Iki, Osaka University, MSCA IF Alumni Takuma Suda, University of Tokyo, MSCA IF Alumni Pierantonios Papazoglou, Scientific Coordinator, Cyprus Institute |
Full video recordings of the training sessions available on our YouTube channel:
Posters from the ERC and MSCA interactive exercises:
Artworks about ERC and MSCA
(illustrator: Chiyun Yeh, chiyun-yeh.com / yehchiyun[-at-]gmail.com)
What is this event?
Here, students, researchers and administrators can learn directly from experts and current grantees or alumni:
- What types of grants there are and when are the calls?
- What kind of documents and skills are needed for application?
- How can researchers and institutions benefit?
- How does the evaluation process work?
- How to optimize your proposal, how to find hosts, and how things work once you get the grant!
Which grants?
This event will focus on two grants: the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowships (IF) and European Research Council (ERC) grants. These are both grants for individual researchers wishing to spend several years in Europe either in a research team that already exists (MSCA IF) or by creating their own research group (ERC).
Event features
The event's main feature is a double seminar and interactive workshop proposed by professional trainers who come especially from Europe.
Grantees and alumni will also provide experience feedback and support the discussions and the different workshops with their know-how.
Attend, and you're sure to improve your grant proposal writing skills!
Organiser
Host & Support:
Delegation of the European Union to Japan
About the MSCA IF grant
The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowships (IF) aim at supporting the international mobility of researchers within and beyond Europe as well as helping to attract the best foreign researchers to work in the EU. The grant usually covers two years' salary, a mobility allowance, research costs and overheads for the host institution.
IF is for experienced researchers of any nationality, i.e. researchers holding a doctoral degree or at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline; in any discipline (no age limit).
Individual researchers submit proposals for funding in liaison with their planned host organisation. Proposals are judged on their research quality, the researcher's future career prospects, and the support offered by the host organisation.
There is a yearly call for applications which opened on 11 April and will close on 14 September 2017.
Further materials about MSCA IF:
Grant details, Tips & tricks for application, Interviews of grantees on EURAXESS website
About the ERC grants
The European Research Council (ERC) is a funding organisation for frontier research. It aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by funding the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, and supporting their innovative ideas. Researchers from anywhere in the world can apply for ERC grants provided the research they undertake will be carried out in an EU Member State or Associated Country. ERC grants are becoming more and more internationally recognised as awards for scientific excellence.
Research projects funded by the ERC can last up to five years and can cover frontier research in any scientific domain, including social sciences, humanities and interdisciplinary studies. The grants may help both emerging research leaders ('ERC Starting Grants' and 'ERC Consolidator Grants') and already well-established and recognised scientists ('ERC Advanced Grants'). Find out more about the different ERC grants.
If you are moving to Europe from a third country, you can apply for additional funding, which can total up to €2 million for a Starting Grant (instead of €1.5 million for those already established in Europe), €2.75 million for a Consolidator Grant (instead of €2 million) and €3.5 million for an Advanced Grant (instead of €2.5 million).
There are three calls per year according to each category. In 2017, the call deadlines are: October (yet TBA, Starting Grants); 9 February (Consolidator Grants); 31 August (Advanced Grants).
Further materials on ERC grants:
Trainers:
Katja Wirth, National Contact Point for ERC, Switzerland
Katja Wirth is a Member of the Management Board of Euresearch, the Swiss network providing targeted information and hands-on advice related to European research and innovation programmes. She has been NCP for the ERC since its start in 2007. Katja holds a PhD degree from the ETH and University of Zurich and spent one year in Japan as a postdoctoral researcher. Moreover, she was very active in research politics and founded actionuni, the umbrella organization for academic staff in Switzerland.
As an NCP for the ERC, Katja offers various services to researchers in Switzerland interested in ERC funding. These include the provision of information via various channels (events, webinars, personal meetings, Skype, email, e-alerting system, social media…). Moreover, Katja organizes different types of training for ERC candidates, such as applicant training events and interview training for 2nd stage ERC applicants, but also taylor-made workshops adapted to the needs of the clients. Katja is also responsible for the organization of big Horizon 2020 events in Switzerland.
Professional Website | LinkedIn Profile
Pierantonios Papazoglou, Scientific Coordinator, Cyprus Institute; former NCP for MSCA, Cyprus until January 2017
Pierantonios Papazoglou is an experienced Public Speaker and Trainer with specialisation in MSCA - Individual Fellowships. As a former NCP and Programme Committee Member, Pierantonios managed to increase the overall Cypriot submissions and successful proposals to the MSCA programme.
In 2016, Pierantonios was the instigator and main author of the widely used Net4Mobility's "Survivor's Guide to MSCA IF"
As NCP and Programme Committee Member, Pierantonios served "Horizon 2020" and FP7 functions for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, Environment, Space, and EURAXESS Programmes and Networks. From 2008 to 2017, he implemented an "intensive mentoring" approach of customised assistance to researchers and thorough prescreening of their proposals, which successfully increased proposals and funded projects. Pierantonios also actively participated, mainly with Capacity Building tasks, in all the respective Commission-funded NCP-projects, thus bringing in competitive funds.
LinkedIn Profile | ResearchGate Profile
Alumni & facilitators:
Grantees and alumni from ERC and MSCA IF will participate in the event with short feedback on their experience, and as facilitators to the interactive sessions.
For ERC:
Dr. Keisuke Yonehara, ERC Grantee, Group Leader, Aarhus University (Denmark) PhD in 2008 in Biology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies. From 2009 to 2014, Postdoctoral Fellow, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Switzerland. In 2014, he obtained an ERC Starting Grant (project CIRCUITASSEMBLY) and later integrated his current institution. |  |
For MSCA IF:
Dr. Taichiro Iki, Assistant Professor, Osaka University Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2008. Post-doc in National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) from 2008 to 2012, and in the group of RNA Biology of ETH Zurich from 2012 to 2016. Supported by MSCA IF from 2013 to 2015 (Project TiPTGSVSR). |  |
Dr. Takuma Suda, Research associate, University of Tokyo PhD. in physics at Hokkaido University in 2003. After several post-docs at the Research Center for the Early Universe, University of Tokyo and at Hokkaido University, went to Keele University for an MCA-IF fellowship between 2008 and 2010 (project OBSI-FSU) |  |
Dr. Katsumasa Tanaka, Senior Researcher, National Institute for Environmental Studies PhD degree from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany, in 2007. After two postdoctoral contracts in Austria and Norway, became an MSCA IF fellow from 2011 to 2013 at ETH Zurich, Switzerland (project ClimB), to finally come back to Japan in 2014. |  |
Morning sessions: ERC Grants
09:30 | Welcome address |
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09:35 | Introduction to Horizon 2020 | Delegation of the EU to Japan, S&T Section |
09:45 | About the National Contact Point (NCP) for Horizon 2020 in Japan | Naomichi Yamada, NCP Japan |
09:50 | About EURAXESS | Matthieu Py, EURAXESS Japan |
09:55 | Schedule overview & presentation of trainers and facilitators |
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10:00 | ERC grants training I: - Introduction to the ERC grant schemes [approx. 45 minutes, including Q&A] - Applicant's training: how to write a convincing ERC proposal [approx. 45 minutes including Q&A] | Katja Wirth, NCP for ERC, Switzerland |
11:30 | Coffee break |
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11:50 | ERC grants training II: - Experience feedback by ERC grantees [approx. 40 minutes] - Interactive exercise on ERC grant writing [approx. 30 minutes] | Keisuke Yonehara, Aarhus University, ERC Grantee Katja Wirth, NCP for ERC, Switzerland |
13:00 - Networking lunch buffet
Afternoon sessions: MSCA IF grants
Additional one on one counselling session with the ERC trainer available in parallel and in limited numbers, if interested please prepare info about your tentative ERC proposal before going through our registration process (main button in title section)14:00 | Afternoon welcome address |
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14:05 | Introduction to MSCA and short overview of MSCA RISE: - About MSCA in general [approx. 7 minutes] - About RISE in general [approx. 7 minutes] - About specific aspects for Japan [approx. 7 minutes] | Delegation of the EU to Japan, S&T Section Pierantonios Papazoglou, Scientific Coordinator, Cyprus Institute Naomichi Yamada, NCP Japan |
14:30 | MSCA IF training I: - Experience feedback by alumni [approx. 20 minutes] - The MSCA-IF-2017 call in detail [approx. 60 minutes including Q&A] - Interactive evaluation exercise of real past proposals [approx. 30 minutes] | Katsumasa Tanaka, NIES, MSCA IF Alumni Taichiro Iki, Osaka University, MSCA IF Alumni Takuma Suda, University of Tokyo, MSCA IF Alumni Pierantonios Papazoglou, Scientific Coordinator, Cyprus Institute |
16:20 | Coffee break |
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16:40 | MSCA IF training II: - Interactive brainwalking exercise: Common errors, Evaluator's eyes, and Best practice in MSCA-IF proposal writing" [approx. 60 minutes] - Practical advice, hints & tips [approx. 40 minutes] | Pierantonios Papazoglou, Scientific Coordinator, Cyprus Institute Facilitators |
18:30 - Networking reception
20:00 Wrap-up