Thread by @CamLBerthelot

As I'm super grateful to be receiving an #ERCStG, here is stuff that improved my grant application and interview. Hope it is helpful to others who are applying or considering to.



Possibly long thread, and all tips may not be universal - just reporting on my experience.

1/n. Early on, I reached out to folks that I know personally and who have had an ERC grant, and asked whether they'd be willing to share their applications.

1.5/n. It felt awkward but a) most people are happy to help and b) several spontaneously offered also to give me feedback on my application and/or interview if I made it there (thank you!).

2/n. I started writing before summer. Wrote for much of Sept/early October.



And a previous version had made it to review for a French grant the year before but was rejected. The feedback was very important to fix issues with the workplan and get my ERC application in shape.

3/n. Part B1 is paramount for the application - everyone will tell you this, it gets your application through the door for review.



HOWEVER... Part B2 gets you funded. I started by writing B2 and made it as mature and airtight as I could. Then decanted the essence into B1.

4/n. I got as many eyeballs on my application as I could. Asked colleagues to read and give me harsh criticism. Some junior, some senior - from my field, working on different subjects.

Some criticism was brutal but it helped me spot weaknesses in my application and fix them.

5/n. I went over my application over and over again to comb out all jargon and convoluted sentences. I tried really hard to make people's job of reading my application as easy as possible.

(Offer not applicable on this thread I'm afraid)

6/n. I started preping for the interview early and scheduled at least 7-8 mock interviews in the month leading to the interview. I made sure I had an interview with external people one month before the due date to FORCE myself to have a decent-ish draft presentation by then.

7/n. Again, I reached out far and wide into my network to give me mock interviews, including several big shot PIs I don't know *very* well. People are very interested in hearing that project of yours that made it to an ERC interview! And it's a great opportunity to network.

8/n. One of my mock interviews was with people who work in scientific communication. It was useful to a) see if they understood the core of the project, and b) get feedback on the form.



I had 10 minutes to pitch the project - the form had to be super polished.

9/n. I practised questions over and over and over again. Made lists, asked people to write down their questions in rehearsals. Identified recurrent questions, made sure I had answers ready. I wrote down some of the answers that I had trouble articulating concisely.

10/n. I also asked some of my mock juries to be ruthlessly brutal during questions - and boy did they deliver. I was more anxious during those than for the real thing, and felt like I'd been through a strainer by the end.

However, I arrived at the interview feeling prepared.

11/n. Of note: the panel at my interview were extremely nice. Everyone will tell you this. It's true, and it actually threw me off a little.

12/n. That's it for now. If I think of something else, I'll add it below.