Meet Alessandra, our business developer in the ERIS team. If you’re a researcher in the Humanities and Social Sciences who applied for collaborative EU funding, you most likely have met Alessandra. At ERIS she supports SSHA researchers in finding the right EU call to co-writing EU applications.
What is your role at VUB TechTransfer?
I am a business developer in the European Research & Innovation Support team.
What are your main responsibilities in this role?
I support VUB researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences when they want to apply for collaborative EU funding. The support involves identifying relevant calls, co-writing the EU applications, participating in consortium meetings, preparing the budget, and taking care of the administrative forms. I am also part of the management team of our MSCA COFUND Impact project and I am involved in the training and support activities of the EUTOPIA Health project. Additionally, starting from September 2026, with our team we will manage a new MSCA COFUND project called InterACT, focused on societal impact.
How long have you been with VUB TechTransfer?
I have joined TechTransfer exactly 4 years ago, in August 2022.
How have you seen VUB TechTransfer evolve in recent years and how do you look back on it?
There have been many changes inside and outside VUB in the past 4 years. As TechTransfer, we have to be very agile and address the effects of new technological advancements and new geopolitical contexts on our daily work. AI, for instance, is shaping the way researchers write their proposals, so we need to adapt our support accordingly. I appreciate the willingness and ability that TechTransfer has to step up to these challenges.
What is the project you are most proud of at VUB TechTransfer?
I am always proud of the EU projects that I help co-develop and that receive funding. It is nice to see the impact of our work and to know that the researchers were happy with the support that they received. I am also very proud of how our own MSCA COFUND InterACT project, which will start in September. During a 5-year period, we will aim to recruit an exceptional group of postdocs who are very motivated to grow professionally and create positive societal impact.
What is an ideal day off for you?
An ideal day off would be in a new and unexplored city. I like to get an early start with a good breakfast and then walk until late with my photo camera, stopping from time to time at coffee places to observe the locals passing by.
Last but not least, we have to know, what is your favourite invention of all time?
I am a big food lover and I like having always something to snack on, so… The vending machine!
