RADIANCE · Research Advisors in action, NCP cooperation for excellence

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EU’s flagship funding programme for researcher training, are complex and highly competitive within Horizon Europe. MSCA National Contact Points (NCPs) face numerous calls and applicants, which is particularly challenging for newcomers, widening, and third-country NCPs. RADIANCE aims to enhance transnational cooperation among MSCA NCPs and professionalize their services across Europe, with a focus on widening and third countries. The project will improve MSCA support services through targeted tools, training, and resources, ensuring consistency across Europe and beyond. RADIANCE aligns with the call's scope by boosting researcher coaching quality, equipping over 160 MSCA NCPs with tailored tools to better advise the scientific community. The project combines innovative tools like AI with traditional methods, offering activities such as benchmarking, workshops, brokerage events, training, twinning, mentoring, and self-guided learning, supported by a personal skills development plan, documents, videos, and e-learning material. It strengthens research capacity by supporting MSCA NCPs, facilitators, the scientific community (especially in widening and third countries), and stakeholders like the European Commission (EC), the Research Executive Agency (REA) and the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) through mutual knowledge transfer and collaboration. We also foster synergies with various initiatives, such as Euraxess or the Horizon Academy with a focus on long-term sustainability of the project’s impact. RADIANCE will achieve its goals through five Work Packages (WPs): WP1 (Coordination and Communication), WP2 (Capacity Building), WP3 (Project Life Cycle), WP4 (Digital Tools), and WP5 (Synergies and Support to widening and third countries). Governed by a Steering Committee, the project has a budget of €1'998'132.50 and will last 36 months. It unites a consortium of 20 beneficiaries and 6 associated partners.