UKRO has just opened registration for several forthcoming information and proposal writing events in over the coming months. These events are specifically targeted at academic staff and researchers who are interested in applying for the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks and Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways schemes.

The aim of the session is to provide participants with an overview of the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITNs) and Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP), and with a deeper understanding of the proposal format and the key issues they are required to address in planning and writing their proposal.

Who should attend?
The sessions will be of particular interest to UK-based researchers who are interested in and/or are planning to submit a proposal to the Marie Curie ITNs call, which opened on 20 July and closes on 26 January 2011, and the IAPPs which opened on 20 July and closes on 7 December 2010.

We should emphasise that while the IAPP scheme is more obviously aimed at the private sector, the participation of the private sector is also essential for the ITN scheme. Therefore these events are relevant for representatives from private sector research organisations as well as those from the academic sector.

The session will include a presentation on the schemes, highlighting changes that have occurred since the previous calls. It is also hoped that the session will provide a forum for discussion, and to answer questions that applicants may have relating to ITNs and IAPPs, and preparing a proposal.

Programme outline
As these events are focused on two Marie Curie actions, they will each last a day split into 2 sessions (morning and afternoon). Delegates can attend either or both of the sessions. Each session will provide an outline of the Marie Curie Actions, specific details on the actual scheme and the application form and guidance on planning and writing your Marie Curie proposal. There will be the opportunity to ask questions throughout the sessions.

Dates and locations of all the events are as follows:

• Invest Northern Ireland, Belfast – 10th September 2010 – only an afternoon overview of the two schemes
• In partnership with West Midlands European Service, Aston University, Birmingham – 17th September 2010
• Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) – 20th September 2010
• Natural History Museum, London –  28th September 2010

To register you should fill in the form available on the UKRO website: http://www.ukro.ac.uk/mariecurie/events/index.htm

You can find more information about both of these calls here. ITNs enable a consortium of universities to support the initial training of early-career researchers, while IAPPs support networks and collaborations between publicly-funded research organisations and private commercial entities.