Minja Maric

Background

About Minja Maric

I have always been driven by a strong curiosity for cultures, languages, and international environments—an interest that naturally evolved into a career dedicated to building European partnerships and supporting international cooperation through research, innovation, and regional development programmes. With 15+ years of experience, I am a senior programme and grants professional supporting governments, research infrastructures, and international consortia in the design, implementation, and evaluation of EU-funded programmes and projects. I currently lead the development and operations of a Grants Office at ELI ERIC, overseeing the full grant lifecycle—from opportunity identification and proposal preparation to contracting and post-award management—while coordinating multi-stakeholder teams across scientific, legal, financial, and administrative domains. My core expertise includes: • Call design and implementation, including application and evaluation processes • Project appraisal (100+ proposals assessed) • Programme and project implementation (6 Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe projects), monitoring and evaluation (25+ projects) • Interreg, IPA, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe frameworks • Cross-border cooperation and capacity building. Throughout my career, I have built strong partnerships across the Adriatic–Ionian region and beyond, supporting beneficiaries and institutions in navigating complex EU funding landscapes. I have coached 180+ project beneficiaries and contributed to strengthening administrative capacity and European integration processes. In parallel, I have worked closely with leading European research organisations on multi-million-euro projects in photonics, laser science, and flexible electronics, ensuring effective delivery, compliance, and impact. A confident communicator and facilitator, I regularly engage in international events, governance meetings, and evaluation panels. Colleagues and project partners often describe my approach as pragmatic, hands-on, and collaborative, valuing my ability to provide clear guidance, build consensus among diverse stakeholders, and maintain momentum in complex international projects. I believe successful project delivery is built not only on sound processes and compliance, but also on trust, openness, and respectful collaboration.