Message from the Board - September 2025

Dear MCAA Members,

We hope you’ve all enjoyed a refreshingsummer break and are returning inspiredand energised for the academic yearahead. September is always a time of newbeginnings, setting fresh goals, and amoment to reconnect. As we move into thisnew season, we are excited to share some ofthe activities and achievements of the MCAA.

MCAA advocacy and global cooperation

This summer, the MCAA joined forces with 16 organisations in advocating for a different approach to the proposed MSCA directionality, standing up for research that remains open, independent, and inclusive. We are also proud to announce our involvement as a partner in the MSCA Global Cooperation: Policy Enhancement and Strategic Promotion (MSCA-GLOPOL), a newly EU-funded project. On 26 June, the kick-off meeting took place in Brussels and online, marking the start of an exciting collaboration with PRACSIS, the project coordinator, aimed at enhancing global cooperation and visibility for MSCA programmes across 26 target regions, with strong involvement from the MCAA Chapters across the targeted regions.

Recent engagements and representations

Over the past months, the Board and Secretariat have held productive meetings to review progress, discuss strategic priorities, and explore new ways to support members. On 27–29 June, the Secretariat, with the MCAA Chair, Gian Maria Greco, convened in Brussels to review ongoing activities and engage with the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Unit. These exchanges reinforce our collaborative spirit and ensure that the Association’s strategic goals translate into concrete outcomes for members.

In the same month, the MCAA Executive Director, Mostafa Moonir Shawrav, and Career Development Manager, Pooja Khurana, participated in citizen science events in Brussels: on 18 June, the Citizen Science Fair, bringing science closer to citizens with interactive exhibitions, live demos, and open dialogue, on 19 June, a cluster event on advancing public engagement and citizen science in the European Research Area, and on 20 June the third European Citizen Science project meeting. On 24 June, Mostafa Moonir Shawrav and the MCAA Policy Officer, Tereza Szybisty, represented the MCAA, partner of the CoARA Boost project, at the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) Steering Board and the CoARA Boost project consortium meeting in Brussels to discuss strategic priorities and next steps in advancing reform in research assessment. On 3 July, Gian Maria Greco joined the COST Cross-Cutting Activity meeting on career development for young researchers in Brussels. This initiative was launched last year and aims to improve career conditions to attract and retain research talent in Europe.

A fundamental moment this autumn is the MSCA Presidency Conference 2025, which will take place on 18–19 September in Lyngby, Denmark, at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), as part of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference will host stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how to attract, support, and retain research talent. For the MCAA, it will be a strategic platform to enhance the partnership with the MSCA programme and to promote members' interests. The Board will participate in panels, highlighting how the Association fosters excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Interacting with policymakers helps ensure that the perspectives of global researchers shape MSCA policies. This event also provides a chance for European researchers to see their experiences reflected in high-level discussions, learn from peers, and connect with decisionmakers, shaping research funding and careers. This engagement strengthens the MCAA’s role as a bridge between the MSCA programme and alumni, keeping the programme flexible, inclusive, and responsive.

Key milestones of our mentoring platforms

The MCAA Academy forums are now active, offering a dedicated space within the Academy platform for all members, mentors, mentees, and anyone curious, to exchange experiences, spark conversations, and build meaningful connections. The forums are open to the entire MCAA Academy community. Another important news is that the Peer Exchange Platform for Narrative-style CVs (PEP-CV) has reached 1,000 members worldwide. The platform continues to foster a supportive mentoring culture, recognise diverse contributions beyond publications, and contribute to global research assessment reform alongside CoARA, the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and Open Science more generally.

Chapters and Working Groups (WG) activities

On 22 July, the MCAA Africa Chapter, in collaboration with the MCAA Communication WG organised a webinar on the power of mentorship in academia as part of the Around the World Webinar Series, to focus on mentorship and its potential to shape the future of academia. On 4–6 August, the third Annual Meeting of the China Chapter was organised in a hybrid format, where the MCAA Vice-Chair, Corinne Portioli, gave a welcoming speech on the MCAA and her MSCA journey, in the session “Cocreating the Future with Alumni”, to promote knowledge exchange and strengthen the global network.

Regarding the upcoming events, on 11–12 September, the MCAA Research Management WG will hold its second annual meeting, an opportunity to share best practices in research management and collaboration across Europe. On 19 September, the MCAA Denmark Chapter will host a satellite event to the MSCA Presidency Conference on career planning post-fellowship, offering practical guidance for researchers navigating the postfellowship phase. On 26–27 September, nine Chapters and two WGs will organise the MCAA Central European Meeting at the University of Warsaw, as an opportunity for researchers and science policy advocates to bring dialogue, collaboration, and policy engagement on brain drain and gain, science diplomacy and policy, research funding and the widening participation agenda, to Central and Eastern Europe.

Finally, on 3–4 October, another regional event will take place in Mexico: “The MCAA Latin America (Latam) Meeting 2025: Science for a Better World: Bridging Research and Society.” The event, led by the MCAA Mexico Chapter and co-organised by four other MCAA Chapters and EURAXESS Latin America and the Caribbean, will bring members together to reflect on the MCAA’s core values from a Latin American perspective and to share opportunities on topics such as the MSCA fellowships and collaborations with Europe.

Welcoming new members to MCAA projects

We welcome new MCAA team members to the MSCA-GLOPOL project: Communication Officer, N’zallah Zamani Haro, and Project Officer, Armela Dino. We are also pleased to introduce four new members of the MCAA Secretariat: Project Officer (Proposal Writer), Silvana Munzi, Policy Officer, Nicolas Defaye, Partnership & Sponsorship Officer, Harshita Murarka, and Admin Assistant (Community), Salome Toliashvili.

Looking ahead, a formal MCAA Board meeting will be held in September, as an opportunity for the Board and Secretariat to provide updates on the status of various activities to our members, and to engage MCAA Chapter and WGs Chairs in key discussions on collaborative events and joint forces.

With the start of this fresh period, we want to thank each of you for being part of our global community. The past year and a half has been an incredible experience for the current Board, and it is truly inspiring to be actively shaping the future of our Association at this very moment. We look forward to sharing news, ideas, and opportunities in the months ahead, continuing to support, connect, and advocate for our members worldwide. We wish you a pleasant reading with the articles prepared for you by the MCAA Newsletter Editorial Board.

On behalf of the MCAA Board,

Maria Romano
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MCAA Board Member
maria.romano@mariecuriealumni.eu

Corinne Portioli
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MCAA Vice-Chair
corinne.portioli@mariecuriealumni.eu