EURAXESS Smart Talks

In this episode of EURAXESS Smart Talks, we sit down with Dr. Brian Cahill — Grant Manager of the ReMO COST Action (CA19117) on Researcher Mental Health for a wide-ranging conversation about why researcher wellbeing has become one of academia's most pressing, and most overlooked, issues.
Brian traces his own path into this work back to his years chairing the Marie Curie Alumni Association, where he became a first point of contact for early-career researchers hit by funding cliffs, precarious contracts, and difficult supervisor dynamics. From there, the conversation moves through the ReMO COST Action's community-building approach across policy, institutional, and individual levels; the well-documented bias of "publish or perish" evaluation criteria and the CoARA/OPUS push to reform how researchers are assessed; and practical, evidence-informed advice for researchers, mentors, and institutions — from Brian's own "build a life outside the lab" philosophy to Hochschule Bielefeld's peer-mentoring model for supporting postdocs into professorships.
Whether you're an early-career researcher, a supervisor, or a research manager shaping institutional policy, this episode offers a grounded, three-level roadmap — individual, institutional, and policy — for building healthier, more sustainable research careers.
Guest: Dr. Brian Cahill is Managing Director of the Center for Cooperation and Career Management at Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and a member of the Learning and Skills Analytics Lab at the Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology (TIB) in Hannover, where he manages the ReMO COST Action (CA19117) on Researcher Mental Health. He is a Board member of the SciLink Foundation and served as Chair of the Marie Curie Alumni Association from 2016 to 2018. Brian trained as a mechanical engineer in Ireland, earned his PhD in electrokinetically-driven fluid flow from ETH Zürich, and worked as a Marie Curie fellow researching droplet-based microfluidics before moving into research-career policy and researcher wellbeing.

🔑 Key Topics Covered
Brian Cahill's path into researcher mental health work through chairing the Marie Curie Alumni Association
Why project-based, fixed-term funding creates precarity — and how it shaped the MSCA Guidelines on Supervision
The ReMO COST Action (CA19117): building a community of practice across policy, institutional, and individual levels
Lessons from institutional culture change
Why personal relationships and interests outside research matter for wellbeing, especially for internationally mobile researchers
Max Weber's 1917 warning and modern survey data on how "publish or perish" still drives career evaluation
Reforming research assessment: the OPUS project and CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment)
How metrics become targets — and stop measuring what they were meant to measure
The PATTERN project's open-access training on supervision, career insecurity, and transferable skills
Peer mentoring and network-building as an individual strategy, including the REBECA mentoring programme
Mentoring postdocs into professorships through peer-style supervision
Aligning policymakers, funders, and institutions around funding that serves researchers' real needs

⏱️ Question Timestamps

 | Time | Segment | 00:00 | Podcast intro
| 00:54 | Guest introduction: Dr. Brian Cahill
| 01:09 | Q1: What first drew you into researcher mental health and mobility support?
| 01:54 | Brian's path in: chairing the Marie Curie Alumni Association, funding cliffs facing PhD candidates, and the resulting MSCA Guidelines on Supervision
| 05:31 | Q2: How much does funding and "publish or perish" culture drive researcher mental health? What is the ReMO COST Action?
| 07:04 | Brian on ReMO's three-level strategy (policy, institutional, individual) and case studies from Toronto and Barcelona
| 10:34 | Q3: What tips and lessons can researchers take away?
| 10:51 | Brian's advice: personal relationships and a life outside research, especially for mobile researchers
| 12:39 | Q4: A 1917 Max Weber quote and a survey on how professors are really evaluated — your reaction?
| 13:28 | Brian on how evaluation metrics shape behaviour, plus the OPUS project and CoARA research-assessment reform
| 15:47 | Q5: What resources would you recommend to listeners?
| 16:05 | Brian on the PATTERN project's training modules and ReMO's open resources
| 17:38 | Q6: What would you suggest researchers do at an individual level?
| 18:09 | Brian on peer networks, mentoring, and the REBECA programme
| 19:42 | Q7: What should institutions do differently?
| 20:11 | Brian on mentoring postdocs into professorships, and aligning funders, policymakers, and institutions
| 24:43 | Closing thanks
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In this episode of EURAXESS Smart Talks, we sit down with Dr. Tanel Aruväli, an MSCA postdoctoral fellow originally from Estonia (TalTech), now researching at the University of Malta. Tanel shares the story behind his research on simulation-based stress testing for resilience assessment in manufacturing companies — explaining what "resilience" really means for a factory floor using a simple ruler analogy, and how VUCA-era disruptions (geopolitical tension, supply chain shocks, energy crises) make this work more relevant than ever.
Beyond the science, Tanel opens up about the practical side of an MSCA mobility: choosing where to go with a family in tow, what makes a good supervisor, how his proposal evolved through multiple rounds of feedback, and where AI tools do (and don't) belong in grant writing. He also reflects candidly on relocating to Malta with his children, navigating a new school system, and what comes next after the fellowship — ERC grants, commercialization, or staying in academia.
A grounded, honest conversation for any researcher weighing a mobility move or preparing an MSCA application.
 Key Topics Covered
What "resilience" means in manufacturing, and how stress testing/simulation is used to assess it
The VUCA framework and current disruptions affecting manufacturing (geopolitics, supply chains, energy, inflation)
Choosing a mobility destination: balancing family, institution/equipment, and supervisor fit
The supervisor's role in shaping and validating an MSCA proposal
Structuring a successful MSCA application (excellence, impact, implementation)
Using AI/LLM tools responsibly in proposal writing — where they help and where they don't
Relocating internationally with a family: schooling, timing, and language considerations
Career paths after an MSCA fellowship: ERC grants, commercialization, or academic continuation
STEM vs. social sciences/humanities industry collaboration opportunities
Question Timestamps
01:27 – Can you tell us about your research topic and how you decided to apply for the MSCA postdoctoral fellowship?
04:22 – What was the hardest part of deciding where to go for your mobility?
05:58 – How did your supervisor help you during the mobility process?
09:31 – What was your approach to a successful application — was excellence, impact, or implementation the hardest part?
12:49 – What's your experience with AI tools in proposal writing, and how can they be used ethically while keeping the proposal human-led?
15:14 – You moved to Malta with your family — what were the challenges and opportunities for them?
18:05 – What are your career plans after this mobility?
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Today we take you beyond Earth to the icy moons, dusty plains, and hidden subsurface oceans of our Solar System. Our guest is Professor Elena Pettinelli, a physicist and planetary scientist from Roma Tre University. Prof. Pettinelli is the Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded project SWIM (Surfing radio Waves to detect liquid water in the solar system), which investigates planetary subsurfaces using electromagnetic waves. With publications in Nature and Science, she is a world-renowned researcher who also directs the Master’s Programme in Science Communication at Roma Tre. 
In this episode, we dive deep into why searching for water beyond Earth is the essential first step in looking for potential life. We discuss her transition from applied physics and seismology to planetary science, the importance of science communication, and her perspective as a woman in a male-dominated field. Prof. Pettinelli also shares an incredibly candid look into her successful, first-try application for the ERC Advanced Grant, offering invaluable advice for young researchers on managing failure, ambition, and the high-risk, high-gain nature of scientific funding. 
Project SWIM: https://www.swim-erc.eu/

You can also watch a VIDEO of this episode: https://youtu.be/_Vw7V4kyudw
Key Topics Covered
The SWIM Project: Using radio waves to scan beneath the crusts of planets and moons to detect liquid water. 
The Search for Life: Why finding liquid water is the fundamental first step in searching for potential chemical markers and the development of life in the Solar System. 
Space Missions & European Collaboration: How Prof. Pettinelli's work supports the ESA's mission. 
Science Communication: The critical balance between formal scientific education and accessible communication, and why researchers must learn to communicate their work effectively to the public. 
Securing an ERC Grant: A behind-the-scenes look at applying for the ERC Advanced Grant, including the rigorous interview presentation, the importance of peer feedback, and handling intense panel questions. 
The Future of Space Exploration: The practical, terrestrial benefits derived from space research, the potential of the Moon as a scientific base, and the extreme challenges of human missions to Mars. 
Episode Timestamps

 | Timestamp | Topic / Question 
| 0:40 | Introduction to the episode and guest Professor Elena Pettinelli. 
| 1:47 | Could you explain the SWIM project to non-physicists? What does it mean? 
| 3:14 | Why is finding liquid water beyond Earth so important, and what bigger questions does it help answer? 
| 4:30 | How do you bring all the physics, astronomy, and high-tech together while keeping your team motivated? 
| 5:58 | How does your work fit into the larger European space community and ESA collaborations? 
| 10:28 | Can subsurface exploration be done in other ways besides using radio waves? 
| 11:29 | What were the turning points and important moments in your development as a researcher? 
| 14:22 | Did you always know physics was the field you wanted to pursue? 
| 15:32 | Have you faced any challenges being a woman in a heavily male-dominated field? 
| 17:40 | How did you get involved in science communication, and how does it empower your research? 
| 20:51 | Where do you think education ends and science communication begins? 
| 23:58 | What was the decisive moment that motivated you to apply for the ERC Advanced Grant? 
| 32:00 | Were there any unexpected questions during your ERC panel interview? 
| 34:37 | How did getting the grant change your research and open up new perspectives? 
| 36:12 | What key advice do you have for early-stage researchers looking to apply for grants? 
| 38:44 | How do you advise researchers to balance the "high-risk, high-gain" aspect of ambitious projects? 
| 40:44 | In which direction do you believe planetary investigations are going in the next 10 to 15 years? 
| 49:15 | What results do you expect to deliver in the next five years? 
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In this episode, we talk with Dr. Elisa Garcia Garcia, of EURAXESS Spain (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, FECYT), about one of academia's most under-addressed issues: researchers' mental health. Drawing on her own move from bench researcher to research manager, Elisa breaks down what "institutional support" really means in practice, introduces SATIS — a new self-assessment tool helping universities audit their own mental-health support across eight key areas — and shares results and lessons from the REBECA mentoring programme, which tackles career uncertainty, one of the biggest stressors researchers face. The conversation moves from policy frameworks and EU-wide recommendations down to concrete, low-cost interventions that institutions of any size can start putting in place today.

 Link to additional resources: https://www.euraxess.es/spain/self-assessment-tool-institutional-supportive-measures-mental-health-researchers
Guest
Elisa Garcia Garcia, PhD — Project Officer at the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and Trainer/Career Advisor with EURAXESS Spain. A former researcher herself, she now works on researcher mobility, career development, and institutional well-being policy across the EURAXESS network.
Key Topics Covered
The hidden mental health toll of academic careers: chronic stress, heavy workloads, and competitive culture, seen from both the researcher and the research-manager side
The WHO definition of mental health and why EURAXESS frames its work around well-being, not just illness
SATIS: a self-assessment tool helping institutions benchmark their support across 8 areas — policy and leadership, coordination, evidence-based planning, promotion, prevention, intervention, and monitoring/visibility
Real institutional models referenced, including Luxembourg University's interconnected support network and input gathered from Spanish, French, and Portuguese EURAXESS partners while building SATIS
The REBECA mentoring programme: addressing career-path uncertainty as a major stressor, and what worked (and didn't) about delivering it online
Why even non-clinical interventions — mentoring, career guidance, peer support — measurably improve researchers' sense of well-being
What's next: leadership training for junior group leaders/PIs, and embedding mental-health measurement into everyday EURAXESS activities
Timestamps
00:00 – Episode intro and recap of the EURAXESS Smart Talks series
00:54 – Meet the guest: Elisa Garcia Garcia (EURAXESS Spain)
01:58 – Q1: What does EURAXESS offer for researchers' mental health, and what resources are available?
05:54 – Q2: What do we mean by "institutional" support — research managers, PIs, or dedicated units?
10:21 – Q3: For institutions without an established system, what guidance and materials exist to help them get started? 
16:19 – Q4: Lessons from delivering mentoring and support sessions online vs. in person
19:24 – Does it actually work? Measuring the real impact of these interventions on researchers' mental health
23:13 – Closing thoughts, thanks, and where to find the resources mentioned
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About This Episode
What does it really take to stay mentally well in academia? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Gábor Kismihók — a researcher at the intersection of learning analytics, career development, and wellbeing — for an honest, grounded conversation about mental health in the research community. From the early warning signs supervisors should watch for, to the role of institutional culture, personal career decisions, and the rise of AI, this episode covers the full landscape of what it means to be a whole human being inside a research career.
Guest
Dr. Gábor Kismihók Internationally recognized researcher working at the intersection of research careers, learning analytics, and wellbeing. His work focuses on understanding and improving mental health, skills development, and sustainable career pathways in academia and beyond.
Key Topics Covered
Early warning signs of mental health struggles in researchers
The power of communication and open lab culture
Institutional responsibilities toward researcher wellbeing
The deeply personal nature of a research career identity
Onboarding and first impressions for joining a research group
Dr. Kismihók's personal PhD journey between Budapest and Amsterdam
How AI is reshaping research culture — and the risks it brings
Whether AI chatbots can play a role in mental health support
What it means to preserve human value in an AI-driven world
Final advice for early career researchers struggling silently
Question Timestamps
 | Timestamp | Question / Topic 
| 00:01:28 | What are the early warning signs that a researcher is struggling with their mental health?
| 00:03:10 | What strategies do you suggest to help researchers handle mental health challenges?
| 00:05:32 | As a PhD yourself — how do you personally stay mentally healthy during high-pressure periods like deadlines, grants, or mobility phases?
| 00:07:58 | Do you have opinions on what institutional procedures or resources can help researchers struggling with mental health?
| 00:11:19 | As a young researcher, what was your own onboarding experience? Was there a structured process with your supervisor?
| 00:13:47 | What changes in culture, structure, or policy do you see as most important for research in the next few decades?
| 00:16:53 | Do you see artificial intelligence as a possible solution for mental health support in academia?
| 00:20:24 | To conclude — what message would you give to early-career researchers who are struggling silently?
Key Takeaways
Withdrawal is a signal. When a researcher goes quiet — stops participating in lab discussions, disappears from shared routines — that is often the first visible sign something is wrong.
Talk. Always. Dr. Kismihók's core strategy as a non-psychologist is deceptively simple: open a conversation. Whether it's a colleague, a friend, or a family member — sharing the burden matters more than who you share it with.
Research is creative work, not factory output. Institutions that treat researchers purely as productivity units miss the deeply personal relationship people have with their work. Culture matters as much as policy.
AI brings both opportunity and risk. While AI tools can support literature reviews and data analysis, the speed of AI-generated content is already overwhelming human-led quality assurance systems — and increasing isolation risks.
AI chatbots have a role — but a limited one. For researchers with no access to professional support, talking to an AI chatbot may help. But it is not a substitute for human connection or quality wellbeing services.
You are allowed to leave. For PhD researchers in harmful environments: you are talented enough to find a fulfilling path elsewhere. Leaving is a valid, courageous option.
Resources & Links
EURAXESS Portal: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu
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