June 2026

In June 2026, we had the opportunity to deliver a training on writing European project proposals at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU.cz) — one of the Czech Republic’s leading universities in the fields of life sciences, environmental research, and sustainability.

What made this training particularly rewarding was its diverse audience. Unlike more narrowly focused courses, this session brought together three distinct groups: active project managers, researchers involved in project preparation, and PhD students taking their first steps into the world of European funding. This mix created a dynamic learning environment where participants could exchange experience across roles — those managing running projects bringing practical insight into what works in implementation, while emerging researchers contributed fresh perspectives and new research ideas.

The training was organised within the framework of the HIVE (101187384) project, reflecting CZU’s active engagement in European funding and its commitment to building internal capacity in competitive grant writing.
The training covered the full lifecycle of a European grant proposal — from identifying the right funding call and defining clear objectives, to building a convincing methodology, realistic work plan, and budget. A significant part of the programme was devoted to understanding how proposals are evaluated, drawing on over 17 years of the trainer´s experience as an evaluator, rapporteur, and vice-chair for the European Commission and other European institutions.
The cross-disciplinary and cross-role format proved to be one of the most valuable aspects of the course. Discussions naturally moved between theory and practice, and participants left not only with stronger proposal-writing skills, but also with a broader understanding of the European funding landscape — from the perspective of both applicants and evaluators.

We look forward to further collaborations with CZU Prague and to supporting researchers and project teams across Europe in their efforts to secure competitive funding.