Vilnius
Lituanie
We are pleased to announce that the DN34 conference on Discourse, Identity and Polarisation will feature two pre-conference workshops on 9 November, the day before the main conference programme (10–12 November). These workshops are designed especially for doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career scholars, offering practical guidance and opportunities for discussion on key aspects of academic research, career development and interdisciplinarity in discourse studies. At the same time, participants at all career stages — from undergraduate students to senior researchers — are warmly welcome to attend.
The workshops aim to provide participants with tools and insights that complement the academic programme of the conference, while also creating a space for exchange and networking (and warming up for the conference!).
Below we present the first confirmed workshop.
Applying for MSCA and ERC Starting Grants: Strategies, Evaluation Criteria, and the Discursive Construction of “Excellence” in European Research Funding
Eleonora Esposito
Institute for Culture and Society
University of Navarra
European research funding programmes such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the ERC Starting Grant represent two of the most important opportunities for early-career researchers in Europe. Yet navigating these schemes can be challenging, particularly for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers who are approaching European funding for the first time.
This session provides a practical introduction to how researchers can successfully prepare competitive applications for MSCA fellowships and ERC Starting Grants. It will explain the objectives, structure, and evaluation criteria of the two programmes, highlighting key differences in terms of career stage, expectations of scientific leadership, mobility requirements, and proposal design.
Alongside this practical guidance, the lecture will also reflect on the broader research policy context in which these programmes operate. In particular, it will examine how concepts such as “excellence”, “impact”, and “frontier research” are articulated in European funding frameworks and how applicants learn to position their work within these narratives. From this perspective, writing a successful proposal is not only a technical exercise but also a process of discursively framing one’s research agenda and academic trajectory within the discursive expectations of European research funding.
The session will combine practical advice on proposal preparation with reflections on academic career development in the European research landscape. It will be particularly relevant for postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars interested in applying for European funding schemes.
The talk will include time for questions and discussion.
Further details about the second workshop will be announced soon. We would also like to remind you that the Call for Papers remains open until mid-May.