The world of European programmes is based on ideas, facts and research on pretty much anything that has to do with improving the labor market, the scientific world, current technologies, and society as we know it. If your organization or you as a researcher want to become a part of the programmes then you are going to need to work on a specific idea.
In most cases, the project starts based on the call to action provided by the European Union. And yes, this might be considered one of the easiest ways to do so. The Commission requires specific actions to be taken on a specific matter. If your organisation can form a proposal suggesting solutions to those actions then you just write your proposal, you submit it to your national agency and if approved you start implementing the project.
And yes, this might be a great way for you to start entering the world of European programmes. However, it is not the kind of way that will make you a well-known experienced partner or someone who is making a great impact through European programme implementation.
The solution, in this case, is a research idea. Instead of creating a proposal and by default the project based on a call, you could create a research idea that serves a particular purpose. After you do so, you can match that idea to a specific European commission call and build the entire proposal around it. But why is this such a good way to start?
This is a valid question. In most cases, people will claim that this is quite a complicated process. Why create a research idea when you can just create the proposal based on what the court requires? The answer is quite simple. A research idea and a very specific matter that offers a very specific solution will attract a much better consortium. The entire proposal that will be built around that idea will have a purpose. You will notice that writing that proposal is going to be a lot easier if you have a research idea. Last but not least, you are going to build a reputation. If you do have the ability to create your research ideas, the kind of ideas that people will like them by default more and more partners will want to become a part of your consortium.
Writing the idea
Coming up with a research idea can be quite complicated. There are a lot of different things that will need to be taken into account. First and foremost, you will need to focus on the expertise of your organization to build the idea. For example, if you are an expert in entrepreneurship you cannot hope to build a research idea specified in the health department. Coming up with a product or a machine that will help solve a worldwide health crisis is not something the businessman can do.
However, as a researcher, you can focus on your expertise which could be pretty much any scientific field and start building a specific research idea. You will want to narrow down your options to the one subject matter that you can support the best with valid arguments and provable solutions.
Do your research
Let's assume that you are a researcher on the health field and you are interested in creating a research idea that will help solve a very specific problem. Before you start writing the idea you need to do your research to know exactly what kinds of actions have already been taken regarding the problem you are attempting to solve.
That alone is going to help you create the research idea. You can draw from those actions are perhaps even use them as arguments to suggest your solutions. Moreover, you could use the results of those actions as a way to boost your very own research idea thus giving it a lot more prestige.
Now your limits
As a researcher, whether you are working alone or are employed in a research facility, you will need to know your limits. There are only so many things you can do as an individual or as part of the consortium. Creating a research idea that will require top-quality partners, expertise and technology that is difficult to find is not going to make things easy for you.
On the contrary, if you keep your idea just a tad lower you could find a consortium capable of supporting that idea that's creating an effective proposal. If that proposal gets approved and that research idea is implemented then you can simply take things to the next level. Use the results of the first project to create a new research idea, maybe an improvement of the old one. In other words, built on your ideas one step at a time. A process like that could take years to be completed and as a researcher, you already know that.
Take your time to create the idea
This is a common mistake that a lot of researchers out there might make. They get excited about a project or a concept and they start creating a research idea aiming at completing it very fast. As a result, they will have an inconclusive idea in their hands. More importantly, they will not be able to find a call to match the idea. They are most likely going to apply to a call that does not have complete relevancy resulting in the idea of getting rejected.
By taking the time to create your research idea you will have the opportunity to gather as much information as possible. At the same time, you will study all of the European Commission's calls around your sector and the sector of the research idea, aiming at finding the one call that will suit you the best.
Create drafts
Rome was not built in a day. No research idea can be born and completed in one night. You will need to create drafts upon drafts, built on the idea in multiple different ways and try to combine as many of them as possible until you have a final product in your hands. Those drafts will help you create the final idea which will be the center of your proposal.
Simultaneously, the drafts you will create could provide you with more ideas for the future. Keeping notes and creating drafts is certainly going to give you enough material to build your research idea focusing on the important aspects of it and of course, utilizing all information and possible outcomes the right way.
Create your database
Who's to say that the idea you are currently working on has not already been developed by someone on the other end of the world? By taking your time as suggested above, you will have the opportunity to do a lot of research and find all the valuable information concerning your research idea.
By doing so, you will start creating a massive database of information surrounding a particular subject matter. You need to try and think about this as your library. A library that will contain all the valuable information regarding your research idea and any kind of research you might want to conduct in the future.
Editing is important.
This is a much more technical process but it is most certainly a very important one. A research idea can be quite complicated and by not processing it correctly you could end up with a bad result. You are going to be presenting that idea to your potential partners.
Proper wording will make it easier for you to process and explain your idea as well as others to understand it!
As a researcher, you already know how to conduct proper research to form an idea. As a business owner, our most valuable tip is the following. Do not appoint the task of creating a research idea to someone inexperienced or irrelevant to the field of the idea. Always make sure that your researchers will be up to the task and ready to create the best research idea for project proposal!
