Call for Participation - How to Navigate the SE Funding Landscape: An Academic Perspective

24-Sep-2025

📅 Date: October 23, 2025

📍 Venue: Radboud University, Nijmegen

👥 Audience: “Junior” academics (final-year PhD candidates, postdocs, and assistant professors)

About the event Securing research funding is a crucial step in building a successful academic career; however, navigating the complex landscape of opportunities in Software Engineering (SE) can be challenging. This event brings together experienced researchers and funding experts to provide insights, share lessons learned, and offer practical guidance on establishing and sustaining collaborations with academia and industry.

Through keynote talks, small-group mentoring, and networking, participants will learn valuable tips and strategies for developing successful grant proposals and managing collaborative projects.

Confirmed speakers

• Paul Blank, Program Officer ICT at NWO
• prof. dr. Marieke Huisman, Full Professor at the University of Twente
• prof. dr. Paris Avgeriou, Full Professor at the University of Groningen

Programme

• 13:00 – 13:15 Welcome
• 13:15 – 13:45 Tips for thematic calls – Paul Blank (NWO)
• 13:45 – 14:30 What you need to know about NWO, before you start writing your project application Marieke Huisman (University of Twente)
• 14:30 – 15:15 “Show me the money!”, said the promotion committee to the tenure-tracker – Paris Avgeriou (University of Groningen)
• 15:15 – 15:45 Coffee break
• 16:00 – 17:00 Small-group discussions with mentors
• 17:00 – 18:00 Networking & drinks

Keynote - Marieke Huisman What you need to know about NWO, before you start writing your project application In this presentation, I will give my view on what you can do to increase your chances of success when submitting proposals to NWO. The presentation will be based on my own experiences, both as proposal writer and as NWO panel member.

Keynote - Paris Avgeriou. “Show me the money!”, said the promotion committee to the tenure-tracker: Research funding is an indispensable part of academic life and often the bane of tenure-trackers’ existence. The scope of this talk covers European-level, collaborative research projects through both Horizon programs, as well as ITEA which is rather popular in Software Engineering research. I will discuss my own meandering path towards obtaining grants and share some tips and pitfalls along the way.

Registration Participation is free of charge, but seats are limited to 50 participants. To apply, please complete the online application form (https://fmru.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41IAjyReJEEiFYG) by October 16, 2025.

VERSEN Community Events group: Mairieli Wessel, Samira Shirzadehhajimahmood, Önder Babur, Felipe de, Azeredo Coutinho Xavier, Daniel Feitosa, Sangeeth Kochanthara, Tijs van der Storm, Mauricio Verano Merino