Training sessions for researchers & research support staff
Horizon Europe training that strengthens decision-making — not just knowledge
Most institutions already offer courses explaining how Horizon Europe works.
What is often missing is something else entirely: support at the moment when researchers and research support staff must make real decisions under pressure — about project logic, priorities, coherence, and positioning.
This is where my training and workshops begin.
I do not approach training as a transfer of theory, nor as a generic overview of rules and procedures. My sessions are designed to help participants think clearly inside real Horizon Europe constraints, so that writing, coordination, and support become more intentional, efficient, and effective.
In other words: this is not training about Horizon Europe. It is training for working well within Horizon Europe.
How my training is different
Across all formats, my workshops share a few defining principles:
Decision‑anchored: sessions focus on the choices that shape proposal quality, not on explanations of the programme.
Proposal‑proximate: exercises and discussions are grounded in real calls, real examples, or live project ideas.
Applied clarity: participants learn how to identify what really matters — and what can be let go.
Ownership‑preserving: the goal is not to replace researchers’ or staff’s judgement, but to strengthen it.
Participants leave not with more information to digest, but with clearer priorities, shared language, and a stronger capacity to act.
Who this training is for
My training and workshops are designed for:
Researchers
who are expected to contribute to, lead, or coordinate Horizon Europe proposals and need support turning ideas into coherent projects.
Research support staff and grant offices
who want to strengthen their ability to guide researchers applying to Horizon Europe at critical moments — without taking ownership of the proposal away from them.
Format and delivery
Training sessions can be delivered as:
interactive workshops (online or in person),
half‑day or full‑day sessions,
modular programmes combining multiple formats over time.
Each session is adapted to the institution’s Horizon Europe experience and goals.
Let’s design the right training for your institution
If you are looking for training that goes beyond theory and supports real decision‑making inside Horizon Europe proposals, I invite you to get in touch.
In a free introductory call, we will discuss:
your institutional context and current challenges,
the profile of participants,
and the type of support that would make the greatest difference.
From there, I will propose a tailored training format aligned with your goals and timelines.
Who am I?
Hi! I am Serena,
for more than 20 years I have worked exclusively on European research funding — and in particular on Horizon Europe and its predecessor programmes.
I have supported hundreds of researchers in the health domain, across different career stages and institutional contexts.
This means I am deeply familiar with:
the structure and logic evaluators expect
the recurring weaknesses in health proposals
the decision points that most often undermine otherwise strong ideas
