2021 Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (HE-MSCA-PF-2021)

[ririanna]

Hi everyone,

Just to change a small poll while waiting for the results, would you prefer to have a msca grant or a first author publication in a high level journal (nature, science, cell...)?

I suppose it depends on your goals and discipline. I remember someone on here saying that the msca doesn't significantly increase their chances of getting a permanent academic position and that a high impact publication would matter more in their CV. But I don't see why you can't do both because surely you'd want to produce a high impact paper during your msca? That's definitely what I'm aiming for anyway. The msca would give me a chance to get a break from all the admin and teaching duties to focus more on research, writing, disseminating and networking and boost my publications.

[MSCA20]

On Wednesday, March 9th, the EC sent the official notification email to the successful candidate for the ERC cog 2021 call. Comparing to that call, I suppose msca received a high number of proposals; so they will most likely begin sending by tomorrow in order to complete the notification emails by Friday. Best of luck to everyone!

[MSCA20]

I hope not all the proposals were written by the best scholars in Europe. They are quite number of worst universities in EU and they are also eligible to apply I suppose. Including my university were I carried out my phD.

The truth is that most of the projects are made by scholars who have an excellent curriculum and are among the best researchers in Europe in the various disciplines. This very high level turns this competition into a stroke of luck. The one who finds the referees who like the project wins, the project can be written even worse than another.
Another problem, but it can't be otherwise, is that referees know who you are. At least in SOC this means that if you find a referee who disagrees with your work idea or what you do, he destroys your project, and that is wrong.
Last year they gave me two very favorable opinions. One of the referees was completely against it, and in order to lower it as much as he could he wrote false things (like that I had not described some things that were well listed), and in fact I bring the action. Was it served? No. Did it give Me satisfaction? Yes .

[mekemeke]

The paper. It would help with a permanent position. Published in PNAS a few months ago (not counted for the MSCA application because was after). Still that paper hasn't helped me with other applications it's crazy out there, guys! MSCA would be absolutely amazing and it would also help a LOT!

But unfortunately I think a high impact paper would increase our chances more than any grant (except if it it a junior ERC).

Hi everyone,

Just to change a small poll while waiting for the results, would you prefer to have a msca grant or a first author publication in a high level journal (nature, science, cell...)?

[Interstellar]

most of.....

I hope not all the proposals were written by the best scholars in Europe. They are quite number of worst universities in EU and they are also eligible to apply I suppose. Including my university were I carried out my phD.

The truth is that most of the projects are made by scholars who have an excellent curriculum and are among the best researchers in Europe in the various disciplines. This very high level turns this competition into a stroke of luck. The one who finds the referees who like the project wins, the project can be written even worse than another.
Another problem, but it can't be otherwise, is that referees know who you are. At least in SOC this means that if you find a referee who disagrees with your work idea or what you do, he destroys your project, and that is wrong.
Last year they gave me two very favorable opinions. One of the referees was completely against it, and in order to lower it as much as he could he wrote false things (like that I had not described some things that were well listed), and in fact I bring the action. Was it served? No. Did it give Me satisfaction? Yes .

[Frydendahl]

Don't something like 50% of ERC starter grant recipients have a MSCA? I already have a few nice papers, the MSCA however would prove to an eventual employer for a permanent position at a university that I know how to navigate the EU funding scheme jungle.

[Msca21]

I’m sure worst universities are eligible but not so popular as host institutions, as this is one of the most important aspect to be evaluated. One of the main problem of MSCA evaluation process is the total casualty of everything: if evaluators know your kind of work research topics etc they may rightly judge you and your project. If they don’t, it is not their fault, but yours, and you loose. In my field I saw some strange weird awful projects without any scientific basis being victorious and others so innovative written by colleagues with huge experience almost not considered. And the only possible reason is that the way EC choose its reviewers is casualty. So, in my opinion, maybe it would be not time to ask EC to review not our proposals, but its entire peer review process.

most of.....

[quote=MSCA20 post_id=19628 time=<a href="tel:1647779141">1647779141</a> user_id=1807]
I hope not all the proposals were written by the best scholars in Europe. They are quite number of worst universities in EU and they are also eligible to apply I suppose. Including my university were I carried out my phD.

[quote=Interstellar post_id=19614 time=<a href="tel:1647757899">1647757899</a> user_id=1596]
The truth is that most of the projects are made by scholars who have an excellent curriculum and are among the best researchers in Europe in the various disciplines. This very high level turns this competition into a stroke of luck. The one who finds the referees who like the project wins, the project can be written even worse than another.
Another problem, but it can't be otherwise, is that referees know who you are. At least in SOC this means that if you find a referee who disagrees with your work idea or what you do, he destroys your project, and that is wrong.
Last year they gave me two very favorable opinions. One of the referees was completely against it, and in order to lower it as much as he could he wrote false things (like that I had not described some things that were well listed), and in fact I bring the action. Was it served? No. Did it give Me satisfaction? Yes .

[/quote]
[/quote]

[michelef]

Don't something like 50% of ERC starter grant recipients have a MSCA? I already have a few nice papers, the MSCA however would prove to an eventual employer for a permanent position at a university that I know how to navigate the EU funding scheme jungle.

In my experience with the ERC-stg (rejected) my previous msca fellowship was noted by some reviewers as a positive thing, but by others as "only little evidence for the ability to attract independent funding." In the absence of any other grants, it's probably better to have it rather than not, but it is still a postdoctoral grant, not an actual PI-level grant, which is what institutions want when evaluating a candidate for a PI position

[fique86]

So, a new week is coming, and with it, something that we have all been anxiously waiting for. All the best guys. I really truly hope all of us win the fellowship.

[horizon]

Some person posted on the FB group, the 'magic link' and asked for their opinion. Its hilarious to read the replies since they are going through the crash course cycle which we have been going through for weeks now