Training Session: How to Write a Competitive Proposal for Pillar II

Please note that this training session is already fully booked. Only a waiting list is available in case spots open up (for Members in Good Standing only).

Date: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Time: Bogotá (UTC-5) 07:00–09:00 | Berlin (UTC+1) 14:00–16:00 | Bangkok (UTC+7) 19:00–21:00 | Beijing (UTC+8) 20:00–22:00
Target Audience: Researchers and Research Managers

This workshop provides participants with proven strategies used by researchers who achieve high success rates in Pillar II proposals under Horizon Europe. Drawing on the expert’s extensive experience, participants will benefit from insights gained through years of hands-on involvement in European research projects. Key takeaways include:

• Insights from Dr. McCarthy’s experience with over 150 research proposals
• Lessons from evaluating more than 200 European research proposals
• Best practices from coordinating 16 European research projects

The session is particulaly aimed at staff of WAITRO Members in Good Standing. Please find a detailed list of these members below*. If you are interested in becoming a WAITRO member or in upgrading your organization’s status to one of those listed below, please contact us at at a.brangs@waitro-operations.org.

Welcome by WAITRO Operations e.V.

A short introduction and overview of the session’s objectives and its relevance for WAITRO members.

Workshop by Dr. Seán McCarthy

1. Sources of Information for Pillar II Proposals

The workshop starts with practical insight into Pillar II Work Programmes, followed by key information on proposal and evaluation forms and supports participants with services designed to strengthen successful proposals.

2. Profile of Researchers with High Success Rates

Presenting skills of researchers with high success rates this part focuses on guiding participants to transform excellent ideas into competitive, winning proposals.

3. Pillar II Proposal Evaluation Criteria & How Proposals are evaluated

Our experts will provide a clear understanding of Pillar II evaluation criteria and how to effectively address them in proposals. After that they will focus on the evaluation process and the roles of both remote evaluators and the evaluation committee.

4. How to Analyse a Pillar II Work Programme

After laying the groundwork, participants will be guided through the analysis of Pillar II Work Programmes, linking EU policies to specific topics and exploring expected outputs, outcomes, and impact pathways.

5. Proposal Intelligence (Who Wrote the Topic?)

Focusing on proposal intelligence researchers will gain insights into tracing Pillar II topics back to relevant EU policies and understand in which way expert groups are consulted in their development.

6. Guideline for Writing Pillar II Proposals

The last part of the workshop offers a practical guide to writing Pillar II proposals, covering idea screening, visualizing proposals with diagrams, and compiling a complete submission.

Closing by WAITRO Operations e.V.

A brief summary of the session followed by concluding reflections and key takeaways.

Please note that this training session is already fully booked. Only a waiting list is available in case spots open up (for Members in Good Standing Only).

Dr. Seán McCarthy has been actively involved in the European Commission’s Framework Programmes since 1980. Over the years, he has contributed to more than 150 research proposals and participated in over 60 Framework projects, serving as coordinator in 16 of them. More recently, he has focused on designing and delivering training courses for researchers and project managers. In 30 years of training, his courses have reached over 80,000 participants across 29 countries.

Sylvia McCarthy is an EU Policy Analyst based in Brussels since 2008. She has extensive experience working in the European Parliament as well as with various EU consultancies and representations. Sylvia holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from University College Cork, Ireland, and a Master’s degree in International Politics and Europe from the University of Warwick, UK.

More information on: www.hyperion.ie

Scientific Research Council (SRC), Jamaica | TÜBİTAK, Türkiye | CeNAT, Costa Rica | Danish Technological Institute (DTI), Denmark | Instituto Tecnológico de Galicia (ITG), Spain | Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), Thailand | Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Germany | Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI), Taiwan (China) | Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, India | Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), Sri Lanka | SINTEF, Norway | SIRIM Berhad, Malaysia | Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), Trinidad & Tobago | Centro Tecnológico de Antioquia (CTA), Colombia | Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Jordan | Kibabii University, Kenya | Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), Botswana | University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom | Baku State University, Azerbaijan | Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa | Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Colombia | Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), China | University of Namibia, Namibia | IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL), Sweden | Uganda Christian University, Uganda | Universidad CES, Colombia | Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), Colombia | Fraunhofer Chile Research, Chile | Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Türkiye | North-West University (NWU), South Africa | Laboratorios Técnicos – Ministerio de Energía y Minas, Guatemala | National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile | Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium

If you are interested in obtaining membership in good standing, please contact us at a.brangs@waitro-operations.org!