ECS
02 Jun 2025

On 2 June 2025, the ACTRIS Early-Career Investigator (ECI) group hosted its first online workshop, marking the launch of a new peer-driven series focused on the professional and scientific development of early-career scientists across the ACTRIS community. 

The inaugural session focused on a key topic identified during ACTRIS Week in Matera: how to write competitive research proposals.

The 90-minute virtual workshop, co-chaired by Dominika Szczepanik and Laurence Windell, brought together 35 participants from across the ACTRIS community and featured three invited speakers:

  • Dr. Fabian Mahrt (Aarhus University, Denmark)

  • Dr. Robin Lewis Modini (Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland)

  • Dr. Monica Passananti (University of Helsinki, Finland)

ECS

All three speakers gave engaging and informative talks, each addressing the topic from a unique perspective.


Dr. Fabian Mahrt emphasized the importance of meeting funding agency requirements and tailoring project descriptions accordingly. He also addressed the technical side of proposal writing, such as filling in application forms, which can often be tricky. He stressed the need for careful selection of the funding agency and highlighted that writing a proposal is a time-consuming process that may require administrative support. Fabian recommended creating a detailed timeline to avoid missing deadlines and advised young scientists to read the literature, participate in workshops, and discuss ideas with colleagues.

Dr. Robin Modini, the second speaker, encouraged researchers to discuss their ideas with peers and ensure they are personally convinced by their project — confidence helps when presenting ideas to reviewers. He also stressed the importance of realistic planning, making sure the proposal is feasible. Rob recommended paying attention to formatting to make the proposal easier to read and evaluate. Lastly, he reminded participants to celebrate submission, marking it as a significant milestone in one's career.

Dr. Monica Passananti focused on the emotional aspects of proposal writing. She spoke about how to handle rejection and remain resilient. Using real examples, she showed that even experienced researchers often face rejection. Monica encouraged participants to use reviewer feedback as a source of improvement, but only after emotions have settled — to focus on the constructive content. She echoed Rob's advice about believing in your project, making the description more persuasive. Finally, she emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that "good science cannot be done alone."

Highlights from the workshop included:

  • Understanding funder expectations and planning with sufficient lead time (Fabian Mahrt)

  • Building confidence in your ideas and celebrating key milestones like submission (Robin Modini)

  • Staying resilient in the face of rejection and fostering scientific collaboration (Monica Passananti)

The session closed with a vibrant Q&A, enabling attendees to ask follow-up questions and share their own experiences.

This initiative was organized under the broader umbrella of the ACTRIS National Facility Scientific Forum (NFS Forum), co-chaired by Véronique Riffault and Iwona Stachlewska, which aims to support and engage the ACTRIS scientific community across all career stages.

The next ECI workshop is expected to take place around the ACTRIS Week in Évora (October 2025) and will likely focus on a scientific topic of interest to the community.

Stay tuned for updates!