Interview Preparation
Securing an invitation to interview is a major achievement—but success ultimately depends on the applicant’s ability to communicate a compelling scientific vision with clarity, confidence, and conviction. Our interview preparation services are designed to help applicants maximise their performance during one of the most critical stages of the evaluation process.
Drawing on the expertise of former evaluators, panel members, and experienced ERC consultants, we provide realistic mockinterviews, strategic coaching, and personalised feedback tailored to the applicant’s proposal, panel expectations, and scientific field.Our objective is to ensure that applicants can effectively communicate the novelty, ambition, feasibility, and transformative potential of their research while responding confidently to challenging questions from evaluators.
Our interview preparation sessions are delivered by former ERC evaluators, panel members, and senior funding experts with extensive experience in ERC proposal assessment and interview coaching. Depending on the selected package, mock interview panels typically consist of 2–3 experts, providing applicants with diverse perspectives and realistic evaluator-style feedback.
European Research Council (ERC) Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants
We provide intensive interview preparation for applicants invited to the ERC Step 2 interview stage.
Our support includes:
- Comprehensive review of the ERC proposal (Part B1 and Part B2)
- Presentation and slide deck review
- Mock interviews conducted by former ERC evaluators and senior experts
- Proposal-specific Q&A preparation and anticipated question analysis
- Detailed feedback on scientific content, presentation style, structure, and delivery
- Coaching on scientific storytelling, confidence, timing, and panel interaction
- Training to effectively communicate scientific ambition, independence, leadership, and high-risk/high-gain potential
- Guidance on panel dynamics, questioning styles, and interview strategy
European Research Council Synergy Grants (SyG)
The ERC Synergy interview presents unique challenges, requiring multiple Principal Investigators to communicate a unified scientific vision while clearly demonstrating complementarity and added value.
Our support includes:
- Joint mock interviews with senior ERC experts and former evaluators
- Assessment of scientific integration, complementarity, and collaborative vision
- Coaching on team dynamics, role distribution, and coordinated responses
- Review and optimisation of presentation slides and overall presentation flow
- Proposal-specific Q&A preparation for all Principal Investigators
- Training to demonstrate why the proposed research can only be achieved through the combined expertise of the team
- Strategic feedback on communication, interaction, and panel engagement
Our Approach
Our interview preparation combines strategic coaching with realistic panel simulations designed to replicate the interview experience as closely as possible. Each preparation programme is tailored to the applicant’s proposal, panel, and scientific discipline, ensuring highly relevant feedback and targeted recommendations.
By the time of the interview, applicants will have refined their scientific narrative, strengthened their presentation skills, anticipated challenging questions, and developed the confidence needed to communicate their research vision.