Dr. Mostafa Moonir Shawrav

Executive Director, Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA)

Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA)

Wien, Austria

18 profile visitsMCAA Chapter

My organisation

Other

Wien, Austria

The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) is a global network of researchers, who have benefited from or are benefitting from the Marie (Sklodowska) Curie Actions. MCAA supports, and contributes to, the advancement of knowledge for a global, diverse, and informed society. MCAA enhances the flow of knowledge across different countries, sectors of the economy, and scientific disciplines. By encouraging networking, cooperation, and mutual understanding among MCAA members and external stakeholders, MCAA serves as a forum of debate between researchers and society. The key focus of MCAA is to promote career development, offer networking and science policy. Since the establishment in 2014, MCAA has contributed in shaping the future science policy in Europe, providing different career development opportunities and supporting the wider research community on topics affecting research and researchers' lives. Currently, MCAA has over 22,000 members from 150+ countries. MCAA has 37 geographical chapters and 11 thematic working groups. In addition, MCAA is well established in the EU research policy landscape. MCAA member is part of ERA Forum, Coalition for Advancement of Research Assessment (CoARA) and chaired the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance. MCAA is also a member of the International Science Council (ISC), the Initiatives for Science in Europe (ISE). MCAA is also committed to several ERA Actions, such as ERA Actions 3 - Research Assessment, ERA Action 4 - Promote attractive research careers, ERA Action 9 - Promote a positive environment and level playing field for international cooperation based on reciprocity ERA Action 14 - Bring science closer to citizens, ERA Action 16 - Improve EU-wide access to excellence, ERA Action 17 - Enhance the strategic capacity of Europe’s public research performing organisation Enhance public research institutions' strategic capacity, ERA Action 19 - Establish an efficient and effective ERA monitoring mechanism

About me

Mostafa has over 15 years of experience in research, innovation, and policy across academia, industry, and nonprofit sectors in Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA). As the Executive Director of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), he guides a team of over 18 people, contributing to policy and advocacy efforts, enhancing career development opportunities for researchers, and fostering a connected global community. His previous role as co-chair of the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance and chair of the MCAA demonstrates his influence on the international network of researchers and scientists. He is a working group 2 Co-leader of the COST Cross-Cutting Activity (CCA) on Career Development for Young Researchers. Throughout his career, he has established and maintained over 70 cross-sector collaborations, fostering impactful partnerships.

Over the past eight years, Mostafa has participated in several policy initiatives, including the publication of the MSCA Supervision Guidelines in 2021 and its revised version in 2025, engaging in consultations for researchers, representing researchers, and organising policy debates and dialogues with European Commissioners, Ministers, and Members of the Parliament. He has authored several policy statements and reports.

He served as an independent expert in the Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on Knowledge Valorisation- Focus on Skills, Intersectoral Cooperation, and Incentive Systems and also as the researcher mobility expert on the “Knowledge Ecosystem in the new ERA” study. He also worked on the Sustainable Careers for Researcher Empowerment (SECURE) project. He was a member of the EU Science Diplomacy Steering Team, which coordinated the Report on a European framework for science diplomacy.

In addition to his current role, he actively contributes to projects, including Sustainable Careers for Research Empowerment (SECURE), SECURE2, European Citizen Science (ECS) and the CoARA-Boost project.

His engagement on global platforms includes the Global Research Council, World Science Forum, International Science Council, European Open Science Forum, American Association for Advancement of Science, Science Europe, Science Business, EuroScience Policy Forum, and Vitae Conference. Combining this with his experience as a science entrepreneurship trainer and jury member for three MSCA Falling Walls Lab competitions provides him with a comprehensive view of knowledge valorisation. He has also contributed his expertise in sustainable research careers, science policy & diplomacy, and career planning for researchers at over 80 events, including those hosted by eight different presidencies of the Council of the European Union.

Social media

Skills

science policy
science diplomacy
Nanotechnology
ERA
career development

Interests

Research Assessment
science diplomacy