SoilCritZone IntroductionVamos Workshop near Chania

ESR TrainingSeptember 2008

Vala Ragnarsdottir

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Importance of Soil Research

• Young people will inherit the Earth• It is imperative that there is a strong community world-

wide that works on soil restoration• This is why we have here 50 young soil scientists• The future of this planet is up to you!• There are not many jobs on Earth that are more

important!!!

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Problems arise when people loose sightof the “big picture”

Is this you?

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New paradigm for soils: a sustainable system

Soil

problems

Healthy

soil

Silo/box thinking Holistic/cyclic

thinking

Work against nature

Work withnature

Soil restoration

VisionBaseline

BackcastingSteps

Degradation, salinisation, erosion… Everything in system linked…

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Looking for a pos doc

• Search on the web• Ask people you like at conferences whether

they have a position• www.jobs.com • http://www.findaphd.com/ • EU portal• Marie Curie individual fellowships• ESR programmes

EU portals

• FP7 http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html – People – Has all Marie Curie Programmes

• Individual fellowships• Initial Training Programmes

– Cooperation• Environment (including climate change)• Energy• Nanosciences• Socio-Economic Sciences• Food, Agriculture, biotechnology• Health

Marie Curie opportunities

• http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/opportunities/opportunities_en.html

Other Framework 7 programmes

• Ideas– European Research Council

• Capacities– Infrastructure– International cooperation• INCA

Writing an EU proposal

• Marie Curie individual fellowships

• Environment programme

Individual Fellowships

• Decide where you would like to go and to work for whom

• Email to him/her and ask whether their institute will host them

• Find a place if you can where there already are EU funded post docs

• Quality of institution is important

Individual fellowships

• Follow the guidelines very carefully• Find a successful proposal through contacts and

write a better one!• Read the evaluation criteria BEFORE you write the

proposal – also DURINNG and AFTR• Ask trusted colleagues to read the proposal for

comments• Don’t write the proposal at the last minute• Your host institution has to submit proposal

Environment Programme

• 7th framework – 2007-2012• Calls every year in June• Read the overview of the programme to anticipate

what may come next– Workprogramme– Guide for applicants

• Formulate a team of people that are fun, reliable and you get along with

• Check European assistance within your institution

Environment Programme

• Best if the team can meet• Follow the guidelines carefully• Choose a coordinator who is organised• Read the evaluation criteria• Join the review team – by filling in your details on

the 7th Framework website• Split work into work-packages giving roles to

partners• Make sure that partners interact

Evaluation

• Proposal evaluated by 3-4 people• Evaluation in Brussels or remotely• Then meeting in Brussels to discuss proposals

write a evaluator reports• Each proposal has a rapporteur• Report sent to applicants

Successful Proposals• Contract negotiations– Based on application and comments from evaluators

• Partnership agreement• Annual reports– Scientific achievements– Partner activities

• Partner meetings

– Management– Accounts audited

Its fun!!!!!