LS4FUTURE has successfully completed the second edition of its capacity-building courses on European research funding, held between 16 and 27 June 2025 and hosted by Chaperone.

Designed to empower researchers with essential tools and strategies for navigating the competitive landscape of European funding opportunities, these courses attracted enthusiastic participation from early-career researchers to group leaders.

Delivered by Trainer Rita Gil Mata, a senior research manager and evaluator with over 20 years of experience and more than €25 million in successfully secured funding, the program covered both foundational and advanced aspects of funding strategy and proposal writing.

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Course 1 – Foundations of European Research Funding Applications

Held in person at ITQB NOVA on 16–17 June
This introductory module focused on understanding the European funding ecosystem—particularly Horizon Europe—equipping participants with practical skills to identify, analyse, and align funding opportunities with their research goals. Tailored for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, the course helped demystify the early stages of the application process and laid a strong groundwork for confident engagement with funding calls.

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Course 2 – Advanced Grant Writing for European Research Funding

Online across four sessions on 18, 20, 25, and 27 June
This intensive, hands-on course provided experienced researchers with expert guidance on developing each core section of a competitive proposal: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. Participants were guided through real-world examples, engaged in proposal refinement exercises, and explored visual communication techniques to improve clarity and persuasiveness in submissions.

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Both courses align with LS4FUTURE’s mission to foster internationalisation and research excellence by building internal capacity to secure competitive European funding. The initiative supports researchers at all career stages and across disciplines in strategically positioning their work within the evolving European research and innovation landscape.

The LS4FUTURE Coordination Office extends its thanks to all participants and to Rita Gil Mata for her dynamic and expert-led instruction. Stay tuned for future editions and additional training opportunities for our community.