- What challenges did you encounter in the course of your 2-year MSCA fellowship?
There were no substantial challenges in the last 2 years of my MSCA fellowship. Fortunately, the assistance provided by the whole ERIS team was of utmost importance and of huge help when arranging the fellowship start and moving to Brussels (i.e., visa application). Likewise, the host research lab (PI, secretary office, and team members) were very helpful and accepting, which allowed a smooth and quick integration in the team.
- What were the most rewarding aspects of being a MSCA fellow in this IMPACT program?
Being involved in a prestigious MSCA grant is definitely one of the most rewarding aspects. In addition to being a well-known EU-funded grant, it is focused on personal and professional development of the postdoc, which tremendously helped in expanding current and developing new skills, especially those regarding science-business aspects and entrepreneurship skills. An additional rewarding aspect was the possibility to carry out my research in one of the world-leading groups in the field, which significantly helped shaping my research curriculum.
- In what way did the MSCA program (including the pitch of your business case) has helped or will help you in mapping out your next career path?
The whole training scheme provided during the MSCA program was extremely useful in developing the business case of my own research project. Through these extensive trainings and constant support, I was able to learn a great deal about entrepreneurship side of academic research and about different possibilities existing outside academia. This aspect of the MSCA program will undoubtfully be useful in my future research career. It will allow me to be well aware of different aspects of my research, especially those related to business, and scientific and societal impact development.