The tide is turning. Regulars of this podcast know that I detest the call deadline policy applied especially for Horizon Europe. With no shame call deadlines are scheduled right after the summer and Christmas holidays with administrators knowing very well that thousands of professionals preparing proposals for these calls will have their holidays and much-needed downtime with family destroyed by heavy work-intensive days and nights. I know, because I have been there myself.

But the tide is turning. I have just recently recording the episode you are about to listen to. Alice Barbaglio, Rita Gil Mata and I discussed the mental health issues connected with working in this field. Last week Rita shared the results of a poll made by another former guest of this podcast, Isabel Burdallo. It showed 61% are planning their holidays after EU R&D funding call deadlines. It is stunning. On top Rita had counted that there are 40 topic calls during the first 15 days of September. 40. And estimated around 8.000 people would be working on those calls….having their holidays destroyed.

The tide is turning. The post took off. Flooded with comments about how sick people are of this. And how the EU Commission is hiding behind weak arguments of planning of the evaluation regime.

It’s enough. So action will now be taken. We will gather people and start changing this. It has to end. This episode is an appetizer.

Time codes:

00:02:39 Introduction

00:07:12 Fly in

00:15:48 Challenges and Stressors in Research Management

01:01:56 The toughest challenge

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