Adrenaline matters when competing at the highest level, in football and in research
Published:
I was full of excitement before the #FWC2026 match between #Norge and #Brasil. Norway played with intensity and conviction, and secured an impressive win over five-time champions Brazil.
I felt the same surge of adrenaline in April while I was in Brazil for two excellent conferences, XP 2026 and ICSE 2026. At the same time, I was coordinating a major Horizon Europe proposal as lead PI, competing for EUR 19 million in a call with a success rate of around 2%.
In #saopaulo, I co-organised and co-chaired the AI4TD workshop, which drew more than 30 participants, many from industry. I also gave a presentation at XP, had a 4 am online meeting with partners in Europe, and then joined a 6 am morning run with international XP participants in beautiful Ibirapuera Park.
In #riodejaneiro, I delivered an industry talk, met many colleagues at the conference, and worked intensively on the proposal with key partners who were also attending. The only social event I managed was the Fla-Flu derby at the iconic #Maracana stadium on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, together with other conference participants.
We did manage to submit a strong proposal, with the deadline falling right in the middle of ICSE.
Norway’s adrenaline-fuelled run at the FIFA World Cup 2026 ended in the quarter-finals, but that is football. The team returned to Norway and were welcomed as national heroes.
As researchers, whether we secure funding in a race with a 2% success rate or not, we still compete at the highest level.