2020 Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020)

[Frank198]

Is there anyone knows the criteria of Seal of Excellence? I found a statement "The Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to MSCA applicants whose proposals scored 85% or more, but could not be funded due to budget limits. " But 85% or more is not a clear criterion, right? Thanks!

[marinemicrobe]

I got my rejection email this morning, too - it's good to be able to see the evaluation report, at last!

Thanks again, Dreamer Girl, to have volunteered to give us our results, it was difficult to swallow but I'm happy I gave myself a few days before getting my official results. You were very kind, I wish you the best with your fellowship!

I'm sharing many of other people's feelings about the evaluation... basically I have some similar comments in the strengths AND in the weaknesses, I'm like "well which one is it?" . I also feel like they are looking for things to criticize to justify lowering the score, in the end it depends if people like your project or not. At the end of the day, not everyone can be funded, so they have to find things to remove 85% of applications.

It's good to read the evaluation, the comments on the strengths of the proposal are actually really encouraging. It helps me remember I'm not a bad scientist and this was a good project, and just because it wasn't picked doesn't mean anything other than there isn't money for everyone.

Thank you everyone for the amazing spirit on this forum, you all helped so much with last week's anxiety. Big congrats to those who got funded, make the best of the opportunity, and good luck everyone else, other opportunities will arise.

[112_MC]

Got the rejection letter...Rejected with very high score (94) in LIF. Reviewers comments were quite absurd. It sounds like they cannot fund many people and need to justify somehow why they don't fund you, if you are not lucky enough. I did not read anything about the Seal of Excellence....

Question about the new limitation, in case you know. If you got your PhD in 2013, I suppose. you cannot apply again, correct? Or, it would be the last chance since it is within thew 8 years?

Congrats to all of you who have got it and best of he luck to the others? Maybe there will be something better waiting for us..who knows

[martadz]

Is there anyone knows the criteria of Seal of Excellence? I found a statement "The Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to MSCA applicants whose proposals scored 85% or more, but could not be funded due to budget limits. " But 85% or more is not a clear criterion, right? Thanks!

It is quite clear though, all the proposals that got >85% but are not funded (= not in the main list) get the SoE.

[no42]

Received the rejection letter one hour ago. From SE panel.

I do not know if I will apply again.

This is for the future SE applicants, some industry does avoid to give the 'EXACT' details of methodologies to be applied in the project. So make sure that your host organization is describing the methodologies step by step and very clearly and not just 'in generally'.

Also, do not think that one should be in the back seat because of their CV. If you are eligible as an applicant then that would be enough. I do not have that much publication record but still I got very good comments from the reviewers. Since I have just completed my PhD, they have considered me as an young researcher with compliments.

Good luck to everyone!

Hey Tuhina, sorry you didn't make. I am sure you can get it next year. I wouldn't worry too much about publication if you are a recent graduate/phd student. But please remember, next year you'll have got an year/several years of postdoc/industry experience. They might start to whine about it. So, publish.

I'd like to make a comment on methodologies, if you're concerned about a novel idea being stolen because you wrote it there. I'd publish a paper/or apply for a patent, so nobody can actually steal your ideas.

[Frank198]

I thought so, but in some sections who scored 27% has already been founded. So I guess it is not that clear....

[Frank198]

Is there anyone knows the criteria of Seal of Excellence? I found a statement "The Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to MSCA applicants whose proposals scored 85% or more, but could not be funded due to budget limits. " But 85% or more is not a clear criterion, right? Thanks!

It is quite clear though, all the proposals that got >85% but are not funded (= not in the main list) get the SoE.

I thought so, but in some sections who scored 27% has already been founded. So I guess it is not that clear....

[Anni_LIF]

Rejection finally received. Faster than expected.

In the Excellence part, there are a lot of contradicting comments. Most of my weaknesses also that with the word "Although". Although this is very well addressed, it does not...

For a few things I do not really know what I could have done different: Did anyone get a similar comment and those who did not, what was different in yours: "The proposal provides unclear information regarding the distribution of person-months across tasks, undermining the demonstration that the
work plan is credible."

I do have descriptions on how many months for which project, also in the Gantt chart. Also got complimented on the Gantt chart.

I am overall still very very sick. I had another negative grant outcome, two weeks ago. And these two were my big ones this year. Here in France, there are no national Grants (from their national grant agency) for postdocs. Simply you can not apply for anything without a permanent position. So the only possibility are European grants.

I think I am done with this job. You are always on the bottom, never feeling like moving forward and getting better. Have not lived with my husband/boyfriend for 14 years now, because we put Science first, not life.

[mzach]

Rejection finally received. Faster than expected.

In the Excellence part, there are a lot of contradicting comments. Most of my weaknesses also that with the word "Although". Although this is very well addressed, it does not...

For a few things I do not really know what I could have done different: Did anyone get a similar comment and those who did not, what was different in yours: "The proposal provides unclear information regarding the distribution of person-months across tasks, undermining the demonstration that the
work plan is credible."

I do have descriptions on how many months for which project, also in the Gantt chart. Also got complimented on the Gantt chart.

I am overall still very very sick. I had another negative grant outcome, two weeks ago. And these two were my big ones this year. Here in France, there are no national Grants (from their national grant agency) for postdocs. Simply you can not apply for anything without a permanent position. So the only possibility are European grants.

I think I am done with this job. You are always on the bottom, never feeling like moving forward and getting better. Have not lived with my husband/boyfriend for 14 years now, because we put Science first, not life.

I can understand your frustration! Just take it as you did your best and did not happen, like for another 10000 people (including myself). It's really random (good referees, day they read it, competition etc..) except if you had a groundbreaking idea that could change the world (save these ideas for later :p). If I was you I would try to live with my partner, since at the end of the day what matters is to have a balance and healthy life.

[Guigui]

Dear all,

I also got my rejection email this morning, in the LIF pannel. Similar to most of us on this forum, I got very positive comments from reviewers about the overall design and timely hypothesis we would like to address. However, what reviewers put forward as strengths of the proposal, they then criticize it in weakness. It is not making sense at all...Well, still don't give up.

As it is my first attempt to get funding, I am not very familiar with the criteria for resubmission. It is now one year that I am in the hosting lab. Am I still eligible to re-apply the same proposal in the next IF-ST calls? Is the stay in the hosting country took into account for resubmission?

Best.