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Meet an IOF Marie Curie fellow. An IOF/IIF Marie Curie fellowship: what and why? Benefits for you, your research, your institutions, your community and your family? Challenges and Recommendations. IOF / IIF Marie Curie fellowships. Career development fellowships
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Meet an IOF Marie Curie fellow • An IOF/IIF Marie Curie fellowship: what and why? • Benefits for you, your research, your institutions, your community and your family? • Challenges and Recommendations
IOF / IIF Marie Curie fellowships • Career development fellowships • Great if you are looking for funding to carry out your research in: • A country outside Europe – IOF (international outgoing fellowship) • A country in Europe – IIF (international incoming fellowhip) • Aim: gain new skills and expertise while conducting high-level research in a country in/outside Europe
RETURN host OUTGOING host RETURN and HOST institutions:Experts in the field and wold-class 24 months 12 months PROJECT: Role of microbiota in mucositis Expert in gut mucositis Expert in role of gut microbiota
Benefits for you Big investment – Big return • Gives you the opportunity to travel, meet other cultures • Nice salary and living allowance, but limited budget for research • Widens your competences: • scientific skills: new techniques or instruments, etc. • complementary skills: proposal preparation to request funding, patent applications, project management, tasks coordination, technical staff supervision, etc • organisational skills: organisation of training sessions, dissemination events • communication skills: project meeting, journal clubs • Freedom vs Responsibility: you are the manager of your project (under supervision)
Benefits for you Big investment – Big return • Meet the top experts in your field and they are happy to have you in their team - you are the link! • More opportunities: • for funding • long term joint collaborations and publications • your network will grow exponentially – not two-fold! • Recognition: people know that MC sponsored research stands for quality, excellence and innovation • A lot of doors open: EXAMPLE Belgian Scientists Event in collaboration with the Belgian Embassy
Belgian Scientists Event March 7th Concrete talks to intensify collaboration between Belgium and Australia
Benefits for you Big investment – Big return • Personal ‘enrichment’: • getting out of your comfort zone • pushing your boundaries • reinventing yourself/new tactics • breaking routine • improving your language skills • trouble-shooting • decision-making
Benefits for your host institutions Small investment – Big return • Not a lot of hosts have had MC fellows before and are very happy to have you in the lab (Recognition AND they get you for free!) • Your host benefits from what you achieve (EXAMPLE) • Exposure: usually mentioned in the uni news • Host shares expertise but at same time you transfer knowledge/techniques/technologies too • Opportunity to form the basis for long term joint collaborations • Shared publications, joint conferences • Also the host’s network will grow exponentially
Benefits for the community • Big investment – Big return • EU is committed to spend a lot of money on research and innovation because it is the only way to economic prosperity • EU is committed to solve the biggest challenges of tomorrow: focus on climate change, antibiotics resistance, aging, chronic illnesses • Through my reserach, I am committed to reduce, refine and and replace the number of laboratory animal used for research (EXAMPLE)
Benefits for your family • Big investment – Big return • Many challenges! • Travelling/moving usually exhausting • It takes time to settle (new house, not immediately new home!; new school for kids) • New culture in every aspect • New language • Homesickness (thank you Skype!) • Living in another time zone and season (other climat) • New environment – impact on your health • Building a new social network takes time, keeping it alive too • Big return: traveling and living abroad is eye-opening: (takes away prejudices, respect for immigrants in your home country, overcoming the challenges make you a ‘richer’ person, a stronger family)
Challenges and recommendations • Take enough time to prepare your application – you want to avoid amendments! (3 months at least) • Make sure you have all the ethical approvals before submission and ask help from your host institution (takes time!) • The online system is very complex and overwhelming • Read the guidelines! (takes time!) • Ask help from your local Research and Development department - get to know them and talk with them, you will need them also during your fellowship • Outgoing phase: aim for a realistic time frame (2 years)
Challenges and recommendations • Check your visa conditions! • Once started: get to know your Project Officer (contact and helpline) – EC is a very bureaucratic system • Invest in social events (work-related or not) • Value your family and listen to their complaints/concerns • Enjoy it ... It is truely a unique, life-changing experience!