2023 Reserve list (HE-MSCA-PF-2023)

[ella_]

Regarding the 2022 RL: I have no idea about my ranking. I submitted my first proposal less than 3 months after obtaining my PhD, so the fact that I made it onto the RL and SoE was already unexpected. However, my ranking was probably quite low, as I scored 90 and the cutoff was 93.

Regarding the 2023 RL: I'm unsure how to feel about it. I confess I might be overthinking things a bit (is she trying to lower my expectations so I don't stress over it? Does my ranking at 26 already exclude all UK applicants?). Let's see what happens in the coming months...

Hope people keep updating this forum!!

That would seem weird to me, but did you not get your actual ranking, only the RL? SOC had 248 projects on the ML right, so would be nice for you to know your actual ranking I guess...

Sorry for any confusion earlier; I realize I touched on two different topics and may not have been entirely clear. Let me try to clarify.

In the 2022 call, I tried for the first time and scored 90, getting into the RL. I only received a letter stating I was in the reserve list, and I didn't get any information about my ranking. I didn't ask, and my host didn't tell me. I was VERY below the cutoff (which was 93 in 2022), so no one bothered.

Now we're talking about the 2023 call. I resubmitted and got 94, with a cutoff of 94.6. I contacted my NCP the same day the cutoff was published, and they mentioned I was 26th in the RL. They also mentioned there were 35 UK applicants in the ML. No clarity as if my 26th RL position is already removing the UK applicants - I believe it is counting UK awardees. Today, out of nowhere, my host contacted me confirming my position in the RL list and that we RL applicants will start hearing something in 3-4 months. Then, they mentioned that my chances are small.

Yup, that was clear! I was just wondering if you can't contact your NCP to ask your overall rank on the list so you can be sure they didn't do any magic with deducing UK projects (which I would definitely doubt they would). The Dutch NCP seems so much more generous with info. They just said I was on position 136 of the list, with 113 projects on main list, which included 31 UK projects, so I just know for sure that my RL position includes the UK projects.

[gincidentallyinquiry]

That would seem weird to me, but did you not get your actual ranking, only the RL? SOC had 248 projects on the ML right, so would be nice for you to know your actual ranking I guess...

Sorry for any confusion earlier; I realize I touched on two different topics and may not have been entirely clear. Let me try to clarify.

In the 2022 call, I tried for the first time and scored 90, getting into the RL. I only received a letter stating I was in the reserve list, and I didn't get any information about my ranking. I didn't ask, and my host didn't tell me. I was VERY below the cutoff (which was 93 in 2022), so no one bothered.

Now we're talking about the 2023 call. I resubmitted and got 94, with a cutoff of 94.6. I contacted my NCP the same day the cutoff was published, and they mentioned I was 26th in the RL. They also mentioned there were 35 UK applicants in the ML. No clarity as if my 26th RL position is already removing the UK applicants - I believe it is counting UK awardees. Today, out of nowhere, my host contacted me confirming my position in the RL list and that we RL applicants will start hearing something in 3-4 months. Then, they mentioned that my chances are small.

Yup, that was clear! I was just wondering if you can't contact your NCP to ask your overall rank on the list so you can be sure they didn't do any magic with deducing UK projects (which I would definitely doubt they would). The Dutch NCP seems so much more generous with info. They just said I was on position 136 of the list, with 113 projects on main list, which included 31 UK projects, so I just know for sure that my RL position includes the UK projects.

Will do! Let's see what happens...

[Mimi]

Hi, I hope everything goes well for you. I just feel weird that you still guess that you are 26th (removing out-of-UK applications) in RL when you have 94 scores with only a 0.6 difference from the cut-off score (94.6 in the SOC panel). If so, you have a very small chance since it is impossible to have 26 EU-based proposals given up. However, I think you should be 26th on the reserve list without removing UK-based proposals. Otherwise, that is very crazy in your panel.

[gincidentallyinquiry]

Hi, I hope everything goes well for you. I just feel weird that you still guess that you are 26th (removing out-of-UK applications) in RL when you have 94 scores with only a 0.6 difference from the cut-off score (94.6 in the SOC panel). If so, you have a very small chance since it is impossible to have 26 EU-based proposals given up. However, I think you should be 26th on the reserve list without removing UK-based proposals. Otherwise, that is very crazy in your panel.

Hey Mimi! Just to be clear, I'm not entirely doubting about my position. I was simply trying to understand how it's possible to have slim chances, like my host mentioned, with 35 UK applicants in the main list. So, I began speculating and ended up venting here. I didn't mean to cause any anxiety for others in similar situations!

[emmi]

Hi, I hope everything goes well for you. I just feel weird that you still guess that you are 26th (removing out-of-UK applications) in RL when you have 94 scores with only a 0.6 difference from the cut-off score (94.6 in the SOC panel). If so, you have a very small chance since it is impossible to have 26 EU-based proposals given up. However, I think you should be 26th on the reserve list without removing UK-based proposals. Otherwise, that is very crazy in your panel.

I’m totally agree with you. Otherwise, there can not be that many people in only 0.6 difference between the threshold value. The rank 26 should be with UK-based projects. So when they are being removed, he will be eligible for funding.

[emmi]

Hi, I hope everything goes well for you. I just feel weird that you still guess that you are 26th (removing out-of-UK applications) in RL when you have 94 scores with only a 0.6 difference from the cut-off score (94.6 in the SOC panel). If so, you have a very small chance since it is impossible to have 26 EU-based proposals given up. However, I think you should be 26th on the reserve list without removing UK-based proposals. Otherwise, that is very crazy in your panel.

Hey Mimi! Just to be clear, I'm not entirely doubting about my position. I was simply trying to understand how it's possible to have slim chances, like my host mentioned, with 35 UK applicants in the main list. So, I began speculating and ended up venting here. I didn't mean to cause any anxiety for others in similar situations!

I think you are eligible from now. If 35 UK projects are in the main list and you are the 26th in the reserve list. It is very very small possibility there could be more than 50 people between 0.6 point.

[znqm]

I think they need to compensate the number of UK proposals dropping each panel. For instance, if 1% of the proposals in the main list of SOC corresponded to UK projects. The budget will go first to the panels having more drop outs and what is left would be proportionally distributed among panels…right ?

[ella_]

I think they need to compensate the number of UK proposals dropping each panel. For instance, if 1% of the proposals in the main list of SOC corresponded to UK projects. The budget will go first to the panels having more drop outs and what is left would be proportionally distributed among panels…right ?

No that's probably not how it works, they will want a roughly equal success rate across panels. There's several posts on this forum with sort of plausible scenarios on how the money could be distributed. But also the process is obscure and nobody has the exact numbers of previous years, so they may also want to just redistribute as they please??

[Mimi]

I think they need to compensate the number of UK proposals dropping each panel. For instance, if 1% of the proposals in the main list of SOC corresponded to UK projects. The budget will go first to the panels having more drop outs and what is left would be proportionally distributed among panels…right ?

No that's probably not how it works, they will want a roughly equal success rate across panels. There's several posts on this forum with sort of plausible scenarios on how the money could be distributed. But also the process is obscure and nobody has the exact numbers of previous years, so they may also want to just redistribute as they please??

I don't know if there is a strategy they will follow: The EU will take priority for the proposals that have no other sources to be funded as a SoE (Seal of Excellence). For example, they will not consider Sweden/Italy-based proposals since they can be funded by Sweden/Italy even though applicants have higher scores. I don't know how it works but seems to be not following the current scores/ranking to determine their decisions. Probably scores in the excellence section may have a greater impact on their decision...

[znqm]

If they expect the same success rate for each panel, to make a rough calculation we would need to know how many UK proposals were submitted to each panel, including those that are not in the main and the reserve lists (though it would be nice to know the RL numbers too)...does anyone know that ? My NCP didn't give me any information...