Not long ago, I heard the great news that this year 6 young scientists have successfully secured the Marie Skłodowska Curie Individual Fellowship with ICIQ. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of them and welcome them to join the ICIQ-MSCA community.
Finally, I got some time to sum up my own experience with regards to the MSCA fellowship.
Working abroad, exposing myself to a totally new cultural atmosphere has always been on the top of my wish list. During the last months of my previous contract in Denmark, I started thinking about what would be the next in my life for the following years. Having been spoiled in one of the happiest countries for several years in Scandinavia, I planned to experience something of more difference, either getting a position in industry or continuing another postdoc abroad. Obviously, I have followed the second choice.
About 7 years ago, I heard about the Marie Skłodowska Curie Action for the first time, when I started applying for my PhD position, though with very limited knowledge. To apply for a fellowship to fund my own idea was of great excitement for me ever since then. Securing a fellowship will definitely help me gain more decision-making power in choosing a position, more importantly, it offers the opportunity to receive the experience on how to prepare a grant application.
Why ICIQ?
What really attracted me the most in the beginning was the great line-up of research groups in this institute. And among them, my host, the Martin group, a young and dynamic team with ample expertise in the activation of carbon dioxide becomes the most suitable accommodation for my proposal, which contains the carboxylation of nonactivated carbon-hydrogen bonds.
To apply for this grant was not a solo show. From the moment I made up the decision on starting the application, the project management department and the host group were ready to team up offering their best knowledge to help.