Strategic Group Interview Training
Securing a major collaborative grant—whether it’s an ERC SyG, NWA-ORC, NWO-KIC, Gravitation or Summit—hinges on your ability to present as a unified, synergistic team. You’ve already done the work of bringing together leading researchers and institutions, crafting a compelling proposal that highlights their diverse expertise and the unique value of your joint project. Now, the final, decisive challenge is the interview: translating that collective brilliance into a single, cohesive, and persuasive performance.
The unique dynamics of a multi-investigator interview demand more than individual preparation. It’s about forging a seamless performance where every voice strengthens the overall narrative and demonstrates the collective’s shared vision and capability.
Without specialized preparation, a group interview can lead to crucial missteps:
- A lack of visible synergy among members, undermining overall credibility.
- Uncoordinated or inconsistent responses to critical panel questions.
- Difficulty in presenting a unified project vision across all participants.
- Key insights or unique selling points getting diluted or lost.
- A perceived disconnect within the group, raising doubts for reviewers.
Securing a large, collaborative grant is a game-changer. It enables multi-faceted research programs, establishes new enduring partnerships, and significantly elevates the profile of every contributing institution and researcher. It acknowledges not just the scientific merit, but your collective leadership, strategic foresight, and shared vision.
Maximizing Impact: Our Approach Group Interview Training
We understand the value of your time. Our Group Interview Training is meticulously designed to deliver maximum impact in condensed, highly efficient sessions. We transform individual experts into a cohesive, persuasive unit, ensuring your collective brilliance shines through. While we offer a high degree of flexibility, our trajectory has two core focal points for a truly convincing group performance:
- Strategic Presentation Development (PI & Key Presenters): If your interview starts with a presentation (e.g., ERC Synergy, NWO-KIC, Gravitation), we help you craft a powerful strategy, script, and impactful slides. We work through individual sessions with the PI and/or group sessions if all team members present. The goal is to build a narrative that convincingly presents the unique selling points of both the project and the integrated group.
- Synergistic Group Dynamics & Q&A Mastery: This crucial component focuses on demonstrating authentic synergy. We facilitate a strategic discussion to agree on roles, division of labor, and ‘rules of engagement’ – who takes the lead, who embodies which unique selling point, and how to respond as a unified group. We then conduct rigorous practice sessions for both presentation and Q&A. This includes refining answer length and formulation, managing nerves, and effectively responding to a variety of tricky questions (e.g., curveball, hostile, surprising, broad, and narrow). A full mock interview with a representative panel serves as the ultimate general rehearsal.
On-Site Convenience: Training Where Your Group Needs Us
Bringing together researchers from different cities and even countries for training can be a logistical challenge. We offer maximum flexibility to accommodate your group’s location and schedule. If your team is already meeting on-site, we are happy to join you there for in-person training. If not, we can seamlessly transition to an effective online alternative. The added value of training on-site, especially when your interview is in-person or involves a site visit, is that we can “walk the talk” together, practicing the choreography of the event and ensuring a smooth, confident performance. This premium, convenient service ensures the most effective preparation with minimal disruption to your research. For individual PI sessions, online delivery is efficiently utilized.
Streamlined Preparation, Even for Last-Minute Requests
Ideally, we recommend starting your preparation at least two months in advance to fully develop your script, slides, and collective practice. However, we are adept at responding to the realities of complex grant timelines. We have frequently demonstrated our capacity to answer even last-minute requests successfully, delivering high-value training in condensed periods of time to meet tight deadlines.
Our Proven Track Record with Leading Research Groups
Since 2011, we have successfully supported over 350 candidates and numerous groups preparing for interviews at top agencies, including ERC (Synergy Grant), NWO (KIC, Gravitation, NWA, Research Infrastructure, Summit), and Wellcome. Our comprehensive approach helps diverse groups forge into cohesive, high-performing interview units, significantly increasing their chances of securing these highly competitive grants. Our overall success rate for relevant grants stands at 50%, consistently around 10 to 20 percentage points higher than the overall success rates for these interviews.
Partner with Us for Your Group’s Grant Success
Maximize your group’s chances for success. Let’s discuss your specific interview challenge and discover how our expert training can align your collective strengths and significantly boost your funding prospects.
