In this episode I have invited back Ilaria Rudisi, a senior EU funding consultant, to explore how researchers can successfully prepare proposals for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Ilaria takes us through the entire proposal development process — from evaluating the feasibility of the research idea to building a competitive, impact-driven narrative. She further shares practical insights from her extensive consulting work, emphasizing the importance of early planning, clear articulation of impact, and understanding the expectations of the evaluators.

Listeners will gain an in-depth understanding of the structure and requirements of MSCA proposals, including how to write the B1 and B2 sections, define work packages, plan budgets, and address ethics and risk. The conversation also touches on the psychological and strategic dynamics between researchers and consultants, and why MSCA is not a good fit for everyone. This episode is a hands-on guide to building competitive proposals and a reality check for researchers who might be overconfident about the strength of their ideas.

Time codes:

00:01:42 Introduction

00:05:24 Fly in on MSCA

00:11:42 Preparation

00:32:24 Shaping of proposal concept with researcher

00:42:19 Pen to paper

01:19:15 Submission

01:29:10 The toughest challenge