Jobs

Dear readers, from the series in which we introduce you to our network and the people in it, this month we meet Martina Pestoni, Grants Officer and Company Advisor at the Euresearch Office Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) for the Region Ticino. We are happy to have her with us in the Euresearch team.

How long have you been working for Euresearch and what was your career like beforehand?
I have been working for Euresearch for almost 10 years now. Before that, I did my Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Slavic studies, English literature and linguistics, and comparative literature, graduating from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lausanne in 2013. At the beginning of 2014, I joined the Euresearch Office Ticino, integrated in the Grants Office of the Università della Svizzera italiana. I always enjoyed being immersed in a multicultural environment – hence the humanistic studies – and therefore I was very lucky to find this particular job. The R&I landscape, with its many features and peculiarities, gives me the opportunity to constantly learn new things and be confronted with different approaches.

What are your daily work challenges?
In the current situation, where Switzerland is not associated to Horizon Europe, I have to pay more attention to eligibility conditions and participation requirements, as well as being ready to suggest alternative funding schemes. While this is quite challenging, it also motivates me in the sense that I am happy when I see that researchers are continuing to participate in EU projects.

What do you enjoy most about your work at Euresearch?
I love the interaction with researchers from all over the world who work in completely different domains. Helping people is what drives me in my daily work, so enabling researchers to focus mostly on the scientific part of a grant application, relieving them of some of the administrative burden, always pushes me forward. I also love being part of Euresearch because it is like a family. We are a strong network and support each other in the best possible way. I greatly enjoy the exchanges with colleagues all over Switzerland, sharing best practices but also common issues. I never feel alone!

What else inspires you?
In my free time, I love hiking and running in the woods. When I want to relax, I enjoy baking and taking care of my many plants. On weekends, I also do volunteer work in a fair-trade store, to try to make a small contribution to a sustainable development movement that puts people’s dignity and the planet first.

Facts & Figures – Euresearch Office USI for the Region Ticino
Being a small office allows us to support a wide range of researchers in different disciplines and at different career stages. We have many ongoing Horizon 2020 projects, especially ERC Grants, and now with Horizon Europe, we are starting to have more collaborative projects.

Interviewer: Maya Meier, Euresearch Communication Team

Dear readers, in this series we introduce you to our network and the people in it – what drives them, what is important to them, what makes them laugh. This month we meet Nadine Liechti Gaxholli, our Head of Secretariat at the Network Office. She has been with Euresearch for 17 years, has seen the organisation grow, and has welcomed almost all the current Euresearch team.

What was your career path before Euresearch and what attracted you to your current position?
After graduating from Hotel Management School, I worked for a while in a hotel. Then I completed further education as a business specialist and changed to an import/export company. I stumbled upon Euresearch by chance and the job interested me straight away thanks to the international nature of the organisation, its link to the research landscape, and the diversity of the work environment.

17 years is a long time! How have Euresearch and your role in it evolved?
When I started, there were about 12 people and the Regional Offices were smaller and much fewer in number. Back then, my tasks were purely secretarial. Within 5 years, we had almost doubled in size. During that time, my work became more varied and I gained more responsibility and independence. Change is ongoing within Euresearch and my work will eventually be different again. I am looking forward to it!

What do you enjoy most about your work at Euresearch?
The independence I have in doing my job is definitely something I appreciate a lot. Over the years, I've been able to learn new things, for example regarding the finances, which is now one of my favourite tasks. Also, I find the research and innovation landscape very exciting, and even though my role has nothing to do with it, I am learning something for myself. Finally, family and career are completely compatible at Euresearch, so I don’t have to compromise. I'm very thankful for that.

What do you do in your free time?
My kids and husband are everything to me and I love spending time with them. I enjoy organising family outings as well as baking and just sitting with them and friends over coffee and cake. When we have time, my husband and I drive somewhere with no destination in mind, just to enjoy the landscape.

Facts and Figures
The Secretariat is part of Central Services, the team that supports Euresearch by providing administrative, IT and communication services. The team is responsible for human resources management, technology infrastructure, process management and corporate identity. Euresearch has 1 Network Office in Bern and 16 Regional Offices, with a total of more than 100 personnel throughout Switzerland.

Interviewer: Andrea Iafelice, Euresearch Communication Team

Dear readers, in this series we introduce you to our network and the people in it – what drives them, what is important to them, what makes them laugh. This time we meet Jennifer McClung, National Contact Point (NCP) for European Research Council (ERC) and Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society (Cluster 2). Jennifer started at Euresearch as a Grants Officer in the Regional Office Neuchâtel & Jura in 2019 and joined the Network Office in 2021.

What did your working days as a postdoc look like, and how did you join Euresearch?
As a postdoc at the University of Neuchâtel, I carried out a variety of activities, from managing experiments and writing up publications to teaching cognitive science. While I enjoyed the work, it became almost impossible to find grants and the pressure of academic life was no longer compatible with my family life. So I decided to look for something outside academia. I wanted a more stable position but something that would keep me close to research. A friend of mine alerted me to the open position at the Euresearch Regional Office in Neuchâtel and I am glad she did!

Which elements of your job tell you that you made the right decision?
Firstly, I can still be close to the world of research. I work with researchers from all over Switzerland across many different domains. I interact with them and help with network building and proposal advice. As such, I feel like I can still make a difference to the state of research funding here in Switzerland. Secondly, I enjoy working at Euresearch because here I have found in my colleagues that rare mix of productivity, efficiency and humanity.

How does having a PhD support you in your daily work?
More than anything, doing a PhD teaches you how to think critically and how to write in a logical and clear way. I apply this on an almost daily basis as an NCP. For instance, being able to assess the structure of a proposal and the proposed research is a key part of my work. Doing a PhD is not only about learning about a single domain, but also about developing skills that transfer across domains. Given my background in both the natural and social sciences, I can now easily advise and help researchers from different backgrounds. This comes in handy as I am NCP for both ERC and Cluster 2.

You have lived in many countries. What could you no longer do without after having lived in Switzerland?
It's true.I originally come from Texas and I have lived in Scotland and the Ivory Coast, among other countries. I like the fact that things function in Switzerland – you can rely on basic things like infrastructure and the education system (I am especially impressed by Swiss schools). Although it seems to take a long time to make personal connections, Swiss people have a strong sense of community and civic duty, and this, I think, provides the basis for a transparent and functional society. What could I no longer do without? Definitely Gruyère cheese!

Facts & Figures 
Euresearch NCPs offer a range of services from providing basic information and eligibility checks to giving detailed feedback on the content and structure of proposals. In a regular year, ERC NCPs review 40-50 proposals. In 2021, around 20 researchers received advice on European funding in Cluster 2 and 6 proposals were reviewed.

Andrea Iafelice, Interview

Dear readers, in this series we introduce you to our network and the people in it – what drives them, what is important to them, what they laugh about. This time we meet Sofia Karakostas, Co-head of EU GrantsAccess, the Euresearch office for both ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. Sofia started in this position in 1998, a year after the joint office was founded, and has seen Euresearch evolve through its 20-year history into the current advisory network.

What do you find especially inspiring in your work? When I was offered the chance to be Co-head, I saw it as a great challenge and an opportunity to learn more about the art of counselling. I knew it was my vocation to provide face-to-face support to people. During the first year, I realised how fascinating it was to counsel researchers in particular, so I am glad I took the job. My responsibilities have changed since then and now focus on the administration of the office, together with my Co-head, Agatha Keller. Our team serves researchers from two institutions, which brings great synergistic effects. And as for direct contact with researchers, I am happy to be able to still keep that up, albeit nowadays mostly in the scope of our Science Stories magazine.

You describe yourself as a Greek person in Zurich. Why is that? I was born and raised in Zurich, and I have lived in the city my whole life, but I grew up Greek. My parents moved here from Greece and I was deeply instilled in the culture from birth. I have always spent time with people from different backgrounds and origins. I suppose this is one of the reasons I like my job so much: EU-funded projects are about collaboration with partners in Europe, and an open mind and interest in people are prerequisites for success.

How do you see the future of Swiss-based researchers in EU projects? Having been a part of the Euresearch network since its beginning, I have witnessed different phases in Switzerland’s EU Framework Programme association status through the years. This brings me a certain calm in the face of the current situation. I am convinced that we will be associated again, even if we don’t know when. Meanwhile, researchers from Switzerland should not feel discouraged. They have a lot to offer European projects and there are many possibilities out there, even now.

What are your passions in life? I love cooking and can think of nothing better than spending time with family and friends around the table. I am also passionate about societal issues and politics, and have been a member of the Municipal Council of Zurich for about 2 years now.

Facts & Figures:
EU GrantsAccess has a team of 22 people. Under Horizon 2020, the office provided support to hundreds of funded projects at ETH Zurich (Excellent Science Pillar: 416, other Pillars: 171) and the University of Zurich (Excellent Science Pillar: 156, other Pillars: 63).

Hanna Estadieu, Interview