All it takes for an idea to be born is a small stimulus. Something seemingly unimportant could start an entire course of ideas and efforts to create something amazing. : This is how it was and also how it would be for the years to come.
Scientists simply need a few seconds until they get that unique idea that can put them through years of research and work until they reach their desired result.
Scientific ideas can change the world and it takes a long time for them to transform into tangible results. Scientists try, to the best of their abilities, to conduct their research without any interruption, aiming at reaching their goal as soon as possible, with the means they have at their disposal.
Research is a capital-intensive industry and getting this funding is a demanding process, There are so many aspects to be taken into account and this article helps you do.
Can I get funding for my idea?
Is the Idea good enough? Is it able to provide a solution to a current problem? Is it going to get enough funding to be completed? These questions are always in the minds of aspiring researchers. And most of the times, the problem is that they do not know where to get the funding they need for their research.
Now a bit of online research is going to reveal a golden opportunity for every researcher. EU Programmes. And in particular EU programmes specifically created in order to fund research ideas aiming at solving current problems and have an impact on European societies. This is the main issue of EU agenda and that’s why it allocates big budgets for supporting research organizations and young researchers.
Funding can be found in many different ways and from many different sources. The limit when it comes to your options is very small. But what you, as a scientist will want to look for, however, is going to be trustworthy and efficient funding. In most cases, clearly, EU funding policies are the most efficient. Big funding frameworks like Horizon 2020 or ERC are some of Europe’s strongest programmes. They are able to support scientists through their research by providing them with the capital they need.
To get funding for your idea, however, you do not have to be a scientist and the idea does not have to revolve around the scientific sector. It is not just scientists that have amazing research ideas waiting to be implemented. A research idea can be innovative and make a great difference, in every sector. Great research ideas can be all about businesses, about culture, about society and pretty much about everything else that can affect life as we know it.
Scoring EU funding for your research idea
If you are planning on funding your idea through European programmes, you need to familiarize yourselves with the plethora of EU programmes available to you. There are many European projects implemented every year. Only a handful of those, however, will be able to cover the needs for your idea.
At the same time, there are certain eligibility criteria that you need to meet in order for you to be able to apply for EU funding. The most important of that criteria is the consortium of partners that will be a part of your research program.
A consortium of partners is essential and the consortium itself needs to be able to cover parts of the research based on their professional expertise. You cannot implement a research programme on education without teachers. You cannot implement a research project on medicine without doctors. You cannot implement a research programme on entrepreneurship without including an expert partner on the field of entrepreneurship.
If you have never applied for a EU programme before and if, you did not know about these programmes, it is completely reasonable to assume that you might not know exactly how you can apply and how you can find your partners. At the same time, if you are experienced in the field of EU programmes and EU partners, you already know how hard it is to manage and find the right partners to add to your consortium.
There are, of course, ways for you to find the projects that will suit your needs the most, and partners that will be able to support you and your idea. You could start by searching for directories providing you with that information.
Directories are always a good choice during any sort of research. And EU Programmes directory can certainly save you a lot of time and effort.
Use the right tools to find your partners
In 2015, the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development developed the EUcalls directory to help aspiring researchers and EU partners, find the programmes and calls that suits them the most, and the partners to help them implement their ideas.
EUcalls is a directory with regular updates, free to use and ready to answer to your need of finding appropriate partners for your projects and, of course, the right projects to apply for. Even, perhaps to become a part of someone else’s consortium for their project proposal. It is the kind of tool that can help both new and aspiring researchers as well as experienced partners in the field of EU programmes.
Easy enough to use, EUcalls gives you access and information on all the current calls that you can apply for. By declaring your interest, you will be contacted by other organizations interested in the same call. The aim will be to create a partnership and start writing your proposal. At the same time, you can see which organizations have declared interest for the calls that you have your eye on, and contact them yourselves in order to start your future partnership.
By subscribing to EUcalls or any other equivalent directory, you are immediately putting your name out there. By contacting partners that are more experienced than you in EU funding, you will immediately be able to start forming your proposal and request the funding that will help you conduct your research and bring your idea to life.
There are many different variables that can form a successful proposal and score you the EU funding you need for your research ideapPartners’ expertise, applicant’s country of origin, and of course the value of the idea itself. A reliable consortium can help you shape your idea in such a way that will guarantee the funding. Therefore, finding experienced partners needs to be your number one priority.
Find the EU programme that you are interested in, apply for the call that can support your idea, finding reliable, experienced partners and start working on your proposal. With proper guidance and good foundations from more experienced partners on the field of EU Projects, you will get the EU funding you need to do the research that could help you make a difference.
