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How to get EU funding? Q&A with Henrik Holbech
Why spend time applying for EU funding? We put this question to Henrik Holbech, a researcher in endocrine disruptors at the Department of Biology. He draws on five years of experience with EU applications – both as a partner in other projects and as a coordinator. Read and draw inspiration from the Q&A.
What do I get out of applying for EU funding?
Plenty of money to do super exciting research and build a team. Lots of publications. Lots of new networks. Many of the projects are also a great combination of basic and applied research, so these are societal problems that you are helping to solve. Networking becomes your ticket to research and methods that we don’t necessarily have access to ourselves – and the results speak for themselves. You become a ‘familiar face’ in your field and are suddenly automatically invited to join other projects.
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What should I be aware of when applying for funding?
Of course, there are several things, but in general terms, I can say: Find a call that matches your research academically and allows you to fulfil the impact part. That’s the way to go, otherwise applying is a waste of time. You don’t have to fulfil all the objectives yourself. Find partners and build a strong team to overcome your shortcomings. Join forces with your research network rather than competing for the same project. Being a partner is far less demanding than being a coordinator, so there are several ways to jump on the EU bandwagon. Find a writing coordinator. I highly recommend working with someone who is excellent at writing and has experience with EU applications. The Impact and Implementation sections are insanely important, and many researchers find them difficult to write.
How do I best utilise my resources?
Set aside funds – especially for administration. You simply can’t handle that unless you put your research on the shelf and play administrator. Set aside funds for a seasoned project administrator in research support who can act as a link to the PO in the EU (project and financial coordinator in the EU, ed.). Dissemination and communication: Spend money on a trustworthy partner with plenty of EU experience. It saves you an incredible amount of time and provides effective communication of your research.”Don’t be afraid to take the plunge. The rewards are huge.
What advice would you give to researchers without any EU experience?
Don’t be afraid to take the plunge. The rewards are huge. Be open, share knowledge in your network and ask colleagues if you can look at their applications. Don’t be put off by the financial demands of the call. If you’re within reason, it’s not the economy that determines whether you get a project or not. Get started in a timely manner: Look for calls well into the future.If you go the coordinator route: Find a few core partners that you trust professionally and personally and whom you can use as a sounding board. Your core partners are also involved in selecting other partners – ones they trust. They don’t have to be from your own area of research, as long as the partners match some of the tasks stated in the call.
What prejudices can we eliminate?
There are probably multiple, but one of them is experience. You don’t have to be an experienced coordinator to be successful. Around 20% of funded projects are coordinated by new applicants. It’s all about creating a really good application that academically hits the mark and contains a solid description of your team. Administrative monster: Yes, there’s a lot more paperwork involved than with Danish foundations, for example. But in areas such as budgeting, a lot has happened, and it has become much easier than before. The EU portal is also more accessible than its reputation. By also setting aside funds for other resource staff, as mentioned above, you make the task easier for yourself.Henrik Holbech has received EU funding for these research projects:
- ERGO
- EURION
- PARC