1. What's your position now and how long have you been in it?
I am based in the Research Office in AFBI as the NI Contact Point for the agri-food, environment and bioeconomy areas under the Horizon Europe Funding Programme. I provide information about Horizon Europe funding and support applicants from both within AFBI and external to it. I joined AFBI nine years ago when I took up the Contact Point position.
2. What has your career and/or academic path looked like, in leading you to your role at AFBI?
I’ve had a very varied research career, exposed to many different areas. Following a microbiology PhD at Queen’s University with ICI Seeds, I spent five years as a post-doc in England, working this time with the nuclear industry. Coming back to Queen’s in 1996 and continuing to work with industry, I became adept at grant writing, especially for European funding. As my job became more about grant applications and project management, moving into a support and advisory role was a logical step.
Elaine Groom
3. What does a typical day look like for you, if such a thing exists?
There is definitely no such thing. I might have an online meeting with a European researcher seeking funding to come to AFBI, prepare and send a company information in follow up to a meeting, or review notes from an EU-level workshop. On another day I could be helping AFBI colleagues overcome an issue in an ongoing project, providing information for internal reporting, preparing a newsletter, or reading and commenting on a draft proposal. Later this week I have a meeting with the UK National Contact Point to plan a UK event about the forthcoming Soil Mission call
4. Tell us more about your work and what impact it has (or is expected to have)?
My work has its biggest impact on a small number of people – those who seek my assistance to work closely on an application. I can provide information and advice, but I need to do much more than that. My job is essentially to be a critical friend. I understand enough science to be able to ask awkward questions and challenge applicants to ‘up their game’ and be more ambitious. To do that I also need to keep abreast of developments in Europe across a wide range of scientific areas – what new strategies are being developed, what has been funded already (and where there are gaps), and how best to address new requirements in funding applications.
5. What do you enjoy most about your working day?
It is great getting to know researchers and their research ambitions, helping them craft a proposal with a strong, succinct story around their planned work and its anticipated impact. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I especially enjoy helping those who are just starting out in making grant applications.
