Working Scientist

A funder's guide to tackling setbacks and winning grants

Aug 31, 2023

Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council, shares advice for writing grants and advocating for more funding. She discusses the importance of incremental research and the personal nature of reviewing and rejection. Leptin emphasizes that all types of research deserve funding, not just groundbreaking work.

31:27

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Maria Leptin

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Maria Leptin emphasizes the importance of deep preparation, critical thinking, seeking critique, and honesty in grant applications.

Maria Leptin highlights the value of incremental research and encourages researchers to learn from feedback and try again.

Deep dives

Good360: Closing the Need Gap

Good360 works with socially responsible companies to donate goods and close the need gap. They donate items like clothing, hygiene products, and home goods to help those in need. Their goal is to help communities thrive while meeting business, social impact, and sustainability goals.

Introduction

2min

Transition and Funding in the ERC

13min

Funding Cultural Institutions vs. Curiosity-driven Research

13min

The Personal Nature of Reviewing and Rejection

2min

The Importance of Incremental Research and Funding

2min

The Importance of Incremental Research and Ads for Another Bite, Stamps.com, and Bakers

2min

In November 2021, Maria Leptin became president of the European Research Council. After a long career in biological research, Leptin admits that starting the process of closing her lab at the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) before taking up her new role, was difficult. “You win some you lose some,” she tells Nature careers editor Jack Leeming of this new career step. “It's painful, but that's the decision I've made.”

Leptin shares some advice for early career researchers writing grants and how researchers can advocate for more funding of science from politicians. She also speaks about the different types of research that deserve to be funded. It doesn’t all need to be ground-breaking, she says, adding: “Just because it's incremental and is not another breakthrough, doesn't mean it's not important. It's extremely important.”

This episode is part of an ongoing Working Scientist podcast series about funding in science.

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Working Scientist

A funder's guide to tackling setbacks and winning grants

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Good360: Closing the Need Gap

European Research Council and Funding Grants

Attracting Funding and Dealing with Rejection

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts