For personal grants, the interview stage can already be challenging – or should I say: nerve-wrecking? But besides the tips & tricks that also apply for personal grant interviews, something extra is required for interviewing with a group.
Who to bring?
The first strategic decision to be made: who will represent the consortium during the interview? Of course, all key expertise areas should be represented to enable in-depth answers to all potential questions. Next to this, you may want to reflect diversity in terms of career stage, age, and gender. Especially for proposals that promise societal impact, and where non-academic stakeholders are part of the consortium, we strongly advise to also bring representatives of key stakeholder groups as part of your team. This helps to convey the societal needs, show the links between science and practice, and make the proposal come to life in terms of real-world results.
Demonstrate synergy
Consortium grants require synergy, and evaluators know this. So how to demonstrate this essential aspect during the interview?
Make sure you divide roles beforehand. Who will take on what kind of questions – also the more general ones? Will the main PI distribute the questions to be answered or can you practice a natural flow? And who will be responsible for mentioning which unique selling points of the project, if at all related to one of the questions asked?
Even though you’re nervous, try to demonstrate enthusiasm throughout the interview – even when you’re not speaking. An active posture helps, as does nodding when someone else is speaking. You can add to an answer provided by a team member, but only if you have an essential additional point to make. And obviously, you never publicly (even mildly) disagree with what your fellow consortium member just stated.
Practice, practice, practice
Especially with group interviews, it can take a few rounds of mock interview sessions before everyone is comfortable with their role and attuned to each other. Make sure you also ask someone to check the dynamics of how you come across as a group.
Need help?
Our full support trajectories include help with interview preparations. We advise on the best team to represent the consortium during the interview, help you come up with questions that might be asked (and what to answer), and are happy to participate in mock interviews to help you practice. While we’re no experts in developing your pitch per se, we can refer you to excellent support on preparing a compelling presentation. Contact us if you want to know more!
