How to write a successful HE MSCA doctoral network proposal?
Your Horizon Europe MSCA doctoral network proposal – Our tips and tricks in a glance
- Reviewers have no time! Go straight to your point to convince them.
- Prove you are going to change the world: Solve a major societal challenge.
- Surprisingly, training is more important than science: What makes a MSCA Doctoral Network proposal become a must-be funded project?
- Intersectoral, interdisciplinary, international: Gather the right players and win the game!
How to convince the reviewers that your MSCA doctoral network proposal should be funded?
Despite our IT-driven world, peer humans will review your project. On average, reviewers spend four hours on each proposal. Make their lives easier! The challenge is not to give as much information as possible but to be clear and concise and focus on bold, vital points.
Don’t forget to use pictures and schematics to help them understand your idea in a glimpse.
Tip#1 – Pitch your MSCA doctoral network project in a one page format
Your objective? The reviewer must have understood your project at the end of the very first page. Use images, short sentences, logical thinking, and funnel structures from significant challenges to precise answers. Your project has to look appealing enough so the reviewer wants to know more and read the entire proposal.
To help you to structure your pitch, you can answer the following questions:
- What big problem is the project addressing? Every good Horizon Europe project is a project that will solve a significant societal issue. For MSCA Doctoral Network proposals, this societal challenge is also the opportunity to train a new generation of young researchers (called ESR=Early Stage Researcher) that will be able to tackle this problem in the future.
- Which obvious solution will this consortium provide? Present the current limitations in this field and your novel solution to this big problem. The critical point is to show the reviewers the novelty of your idea and the advances made compared to the state-of-the-art.
- Why is it relevant to train young researchers in this field? Providing excellent training to the ESRs should be the primary objective of your project. Explain why educating young scientists in this field is essential and why your consortium will provide the best environment for this training.
- What are the significant steps to be followed to achieve the project? Explain briefly the methodology you are going to follow during the project. This is not the time for details; you will have plenty of space in the implementation part.
Tip#2 – Summarize your ideas at the beginning of each paragraph, give short and sharp conclusions at the end of each section
Even after the first page, you should continue presenting your ideas in a very structured way. Focus on what is essential and remove anything that is not necessary for the understanding of your project. Don’t go too much into technical details.
Tip#3 – The MSCA doctoral network guide for applicants is your best friend!
The Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network guide for applicants will explain everything that must be added to your proposal!
Please read it carefully and note every point you have to address. Ensure you have a 100% fit – even with 90%, your MSCA Doctoral Networks proposal will be rejected. Remember that this grant is very competitive: only perfect proposals will be granted.
How to stand out from the crowd with your MSCA doctoral network proposal?
Never forget the primary goal of an ITN project for the EU: to train highly qualified young researchers in a specific and novel field. They expect a return on investment thanks to the cutting-edge research that will be carried out by these young researchers in Europe. Training is thus more important than science!
Tip#4 – Invest time building your training programme
As a researcher, you may think that the excellence of the science would be the main criterion for the reviewers. But not at all! They want to see above all the quality of the training. Propose relevant workshops and summer schools to introduce the students to the scientific concepts of the project.
Don’t neglect the non-scientific training: train your students in communication, writing, teaching, project management, and market-driven research. After their PhD, they must have all the necessary skills for a successful academic or private career. In particular, it highlights how the non-academic sector’s contribution enhances the students’ career perspectives.
Be specific in your training plan to stay credible: explain which partner will be responsible for each training and the particular content.
Tip#5 – EU only funds outstanding consortia addressing big societal or technical challenges
Training is primordial, but that does not mean you can forget about the science. Your students need to be trained in a scientific field that matters. This is the key to allowing them to solve future significant societal issues!
What is an outstanding MSCA doctoral network consortium for Horizon Europe?
Build a strong consortium is essential to get your funding. Are you aware of the criteria of the EU?
Tip#6 – Respect the 3 “I”s rule: INTERDISCIPLINARY, INTERNATIONAL, INTERSECTORAL
It should not be artificial! The EU is looking for “TRANS” projects. Each student should have two supervisors from 2 different sectors, two countries, and two other fields.
Interdisciplinary
It is not only putting physicists next to biologists! Each skill gathered in the consortium must be essential for the project’s success. Never add a partner because of its excellent track record or because they are your friend.
Highlight the interdisciplinary aspect of each ESR project and explain why acquiring skills in these different fields will enhance their career perspective.
International
Keep in mind that the focus is always to enhance the career perspective of the student: working in several countries with different cultures will make them more flexible.
Here, the goal is not to put foreigners one next to the other to fulfill this rule. So, forget about integrating a little lab from another country just to be international. Be international because you need to gather the best consortium members.
Intersectoral
Don’t integrate companies to look pretty in the proposal; the EU wants them to have a proper role in the project to implement industrial applications/approaches. Involve the non-academic beneficiary in the training and supervision of each ESR. Make the most of each other’s skills: universities training in technical skills, and industrials in soft skills (business, innovation, market-driven research, scientific communication…).
Tip#7 – Complementarity of the ESR’s project, but no dependency
Clearly show interactions between the ESRs, but ensure that no ESR project depends too much on the results of another ESR.
Integrate secondments (<30% of the time) to promote knowledge transfer.
Tip#8 – ESRs must be trained by the bests!
Ideally, the PIs of the consortium should have a good track record of scientific achievement and previous experience in supervising ESRs. To receive the best training possible, each ESR must be co-supervised by an academic and non-academic partner.
Our microfluidic expertise and MSCA Doctoral network projects
We will be glad to participate in your project. Visit our dedicated webpage to learn more about our expertise as H2020 and Horizon Europe partner!
Curious about the calls currently open?
We are particularly interested in the following calls but remain open to any collaboration!
- EIC WORK PROGRAMME that supports all stages from R&D to industry for game-changing innovations
- HORIZON EUROPE RIA CALLS, specifically focusing on health and food, bioeconomy, natural Resources, agriculture, and environment
Have a look at our funded MSCA Doctoral Networks (formerly MSCA-ITN) projects:
Elucidating human enhanceropathies and their molecular basis using droplet microfluidics
From fundamental science to technological applications
Instantaneous mixing in microfluidic reactor for spatiotemporal control over chemical reaction network