Daria Julkowska has a PhD in molecular biology and pursued her scientific vocation by the post-doctoral experience in cellular biology, at Institut Pasteur, Paris and extensive training in communication and European Union counselling. She also holds MSc in Management of Research from the University of Paris Dauphine. Daria has worked in the rare diseases field since 2010, developing collaborations and facilitating research, including the partnerships with European research infrastructures, patients’ organizations, and industry. Prior to being the Scientific Coordinator of ERDERA, she led the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases, ERDERA’s predecessor. She has an extensive knowledge and understanding of European funding schemes and programmes and served as the chair of the Expert Group on support for the strategic coordinating process for European partnerships of the European Commission. In 2020, Daria received the EURORDIS Black Pearl Award for the European Rare Diseases Leadership. In 2024, she obtained the title of “Remarkable Pole” in France, as well as the INSERM Prix in the category of Research Support for her achievements and continuous support of research in the rare diseases field.

Maica spent six years working as a researcher at The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, UK, initially as a PhD candidate and later as a postdoctoral research fellow. Her research focused on potential drug targets and biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with international universities, Maica contributed to over ten biomedical research projects, some of which were presented at various conferences and published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, she gained experience in identifying and preparing grant proposals to expand her team and further her research. In 2018, Maica’s career geared towards innovation management in the private sector when she worked for two years as a consultant in London. There, she assisted UK companies, mainly SMEs and start-ups, in obtaining funding for innovation through public grants and R&D tax claims. She developed expertise in the biotech, med-tech, AI, and software sectors. Additionally, she led the project management activities and managed the Innovation team’s client portfolio.

Pauline has a double Master’s degree in international governance from Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Grenoble (France) and International University of Rabat (Morocco). She had first internship experiences in Senegal and Morocco, working for NGOs involved in linking research with public policies, local stakeholders’ capacity building, and topics related to public health. During the pandemic, she worked on medical human ressources support operations at the Ministry of Health Crisis Center, and then as a scientific project manager in the COVID international surveillance team at Santé Publique France.

Clément has a Master’s degree in European and International Project Management from the University of Nantes (France). After a first internship experience in project management and awareness of European issues at the Association Jean Monnet in 2019, he worked for two years at University Côte d’Azur (UCA, Nice, France), where he was the manager of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building projects (ERASMUS+, KA2) involving UCA.

Anna’s career in the field of European Funding project management began at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), where she provided support to the Project Management team of EUTOPIA 2050, a part of the European Universities initiative which is funded by Erasmus+. She was extensively involved in coordinating, planning, and implementing the project’s large-scale, multilingual, and multi-stakeholder tasks. During her tenure at UPF, Anna developed a strong interest in the financial management of European Commission projects. She played a key role in the successful bid of the European Universities pilot project, helping secure continued funding from the European Commission. Additionally, she is skilled in managing the EC’s Funding and Tenders portal.

Silvina has a background in communication, social psychology, and institutional organisation. Her professional career has been focused on the strategic management of EU and international projects, with an emphasis on developing sustainable and collaborative proposals. In project management, her experience covers international mobility, media, and educational and cultural initiatives, specializing in dissemination, institutional representation, the creation of strategic partneships, and the the comprehensive management of all associated projects and activities.