The META-TOO project is pleased to announce two upcoming workshops organised by the IDIBAPS Pre-award Research Management Office, offering valuable opportunities for researchers to strengthen their professional skills, enhance their career prospects, and explore new pathways within and beyond academia.
Designed for researchers at different career stages, these interactive sessions focus on two essential areas: developing competitive fellowship applications and discovering career opportunities in Research Management and Administration (RMA).
Writing Winning Fellowship Applications
Date: 18 May 2026, 11:00 CEST
Duration: 2 hours
Securing competitive research funding is a crucial milestone in academic career development. This workshop will equip participants with practical tools and strategies for preparing high-quality fellowship applications, with particular emphasis on prestigious funding programmes such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Through practical examples, expert guidance, and proven best practices, participants will learn how to design clear, compelling, and well-structured proposals that effectively respond to funding call requirements. The session will also highlight the importance of integrating cross-cutting priorities, including sex and gender dimensions, ethics, open science, and research data management, into project design, implementation, and expected impact.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Identify and interpret key funding call requirements.
- Develop an effective proposal-writing strategy.
- Structure and draft the main sections of a competitive grant proposal.
- Understand essential concepts in project design and management.
- Integrate open science, data management, ethics, and sex and gender considerations into research proposals.
The presentation is available here !
Beyond Academia: Exploring Careers in Research Management and Administration
Date: 3 June 2026
Duration: 2 hours
Academic research develops a broad range of transferable skills that are highly valued beyond the laboratory. This interactive workshop introduces participants to the expanding field of Research Management and Administration (RMA), showcasing professional roles such as grants officer, research project manager, and technology transfer officer.
Participants will gain insight into how their research experience can translate into rewarding careers supporting research and innovation. The workshop will also explore gender representation across the research career pipeline and examine the important role RMA professionals play in fostering gender equality and more inclusive research environments.
Following the session, participants will:
- Understand the scope and diversity of careers in Research Management and Administration.
- Recognise the transferable skills developed through academic research.
- Explore real-life career pathways in the RMA profession.
- Reflect on their own interests, motivations, and suitability for careers in research management.
Researchers, postdoctoral fellows, early-career scientists, and research support professionals are warmly encouraged to participate in these workshops. Together, the sessions provide practical guidance for building successful research careers while opening the door to new professional opportunities within the wider research and innovation ecosystem.
The presentation is available here !