You help people to succeed in the European research system, how do you do that?
We run training courses with researchers to help them understand the European framework programme, how they can best operate in Europe and how to write competitive proposals for their research.
I work with one of my daughters, Sylvia. She is a policy analyst in Brussels. Last year we launched a course on getting ready for Framework 10, the upcoming EU framework that will fund research between 2028 and 2034.
What do you wish people knew about the European research ecosystem?
That it’s a system where researchers and politicians and the European Commission are in constant conversation. People think that success in research is all about getting money out of Brussels, but really it’s about researchers developing the skills to operate comfortably and professionally at European level.
A lot of researchers focus on the research they are undertaking, but the key is to understand the bigger picture of their research and how it can both fit in and stand out.
And what’s the secret to being successful there?
Every researcher, whatever stage of their career, should have a plan for engaging with Europe. And to write an effective proposal, you need to sell your research idea to the person who is evaluating it.
Researchers are highly intelligent and they are really passionate about their research, but they often need guidance on how to deliver the “wow” of their work. I always say, don’t tell, sell. Scientists are very good at telling, very poor at selling.
Make the first lines of your proposal exciting, show the evaluator why what you are doing is important and why you are the person to do it. In the training, we also show researchers how to map their proposals to the demands of the European Commission.
How did you become interested in this area?
I studied electrical engineering at University College Cork, and in the 1980s, I did my Master’s and PhD on a big solar energy project in Cork. We were way ahead in terms of gathering and monitoring data about the project and I went around Europe speaking about our approach. I was only in my early 20s, and it was a real buzz giving talks to these professors.
I fell in love with the politics and policies of the European research frameworks and in the 1990s I started training scientists in how to understand the European research system.
Since 1995, more 140,000 researchers have attended our courses in 29 countries, and if you list the top 100 Universities in Europe we have delivered training courses in 78 of these top 100 Universities.
How do you typically start your day?
Whenever I can, I spend my breakfast reading all the latest news and views about European research. LinkedIn is a great resource, and I’ll often be on it for an hour or more every morning, plugging into what people are discussing and thinking about.
And what do you like to do in your time off from work?
My biggest pastime at the moment are my five grandchildren. I also run a Facebook group for my native village of Drinagh in west Cork, and I collect old video footage from west Cork and share it online.
I love playing traditional music and I do a bit of wood carving. In 2023, at the age of 65, I also took up set dancing, and I love it. I get the same buzz from set dancing as I do from my European work.
