Thirty years ago, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) were named after the remarkable Polish-French scientist who discovered radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes.
In an interview, Prof. Dr. Hélène Langevin-Joliot, granddaughter of Marie Skłodowska-Curie, reflects on her family’s legacy and the values that shaped her career. (See the video). Since their inception, the MSCA have supported over 150,000 researchers at all stages of their careers, promoting international mobility, cross-sector collaboration, and excellence in research throughout Europe and beyond.
Over the last four years, the GEOCEP project has contributed to achieving this goal in its own way by organising 140 secondments. By placing researchers in prestigious institutions, GEOCEP has provided a valuable professional stepping stone. Secondments have often provided early-career researchers with an additional credential to help them obtain appointments, and have helped experienced researchers to be promoted. Secondments have also led participants to international joint publications and projects, as well as an appointment as editor-in-chief of a high-circulation, peer-reviewed journal in the field.
Furthermore, the project has bridged the gap between abstract science and public governance. Some researchers provided policy models to advise the national Ministry of the Environment, while others helped private energy utility companies navigate the energy transition. Some others advised international organisations, such as the World Bank, on the economic impact of climate change.
These international exchanges enabled participants to gain tacit technical knowledge directly from the inventors of advanced methodologies, moving beyond scientific literature. “It's about talking to the researcher who invented the method. They can explain the details better when talking to you in person,” one participant reported.
The resulting innovations now provide government agencies and international bodies with the practical tools needed to address climate change and the energy transition. These include high-resolution forecasting models and data-driven system emulators that approximate the outputs of complex climate models, as well as optimising models for the use of distribution feeders and transformers by electricity operators.
Through these international secondments, GEOCEP created a lasting impact in developing a more connected and scientifically skilled global research community on the modelling of climate and energy policies, positioning Europe at the forefront.