Initial training
Funding schemes:
Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN)
Objective
This action aims to improve early-stage researchers' career prospects in both the public and private sectors, thereby making research careers more attractive to young people. This will be achieved through a transnational networking mechanism, aimed at structuring the existing high-quality initial research training capacity throughout Member States and Associated Countries.
What will be funded
The action will be implemented by supporting competitively selected networks of organisations from different countries engaged in research training. The networks will be built on a joint research training programme, responding to well identified training needs in defined scientific areas, with appropriate reference to interdisciplinary and newly emerging supra-disciplinary fields.
Support will be provided for:
- Recruitment of researchers (who are still within the first five years of their careers in research) for initial training.
- Recruitment of Senior Visiting Scientists of outstanding stature in international training and collaborative research to strengthen transfer of knowledge.
- Networking activities, organisation of workshops and conferences, involving the participants own research staff and external researchers.
Training will be primarily focused on scientific and technological knowledge through research on individual, personalised projects, complemented by substantial training modules addressing other relevant skills and competences. Examples include research in the field of management and financing of research projects and programmes, intellectual property rights and other exploitation methods of research results, entrepreneurship, ethical aspects, communication and societal outreach.
The action will be primarily for the recruitment of researchers from Member States and associated countries, but also open to researchers from third countries. Researchers are normally required to undertake trans-national mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up appointment.
Participants
Participants are organisations that are members of a network selected by the Commission which contributes directly to the implementation of the joint research training programme of the network, by recruiting and employng and/or hosting eligible researchers, by providing specialised training modules or by participating in other dedicated actions. Therefore ITNs are typically set-up as multi-site projects.
However single research organisations or twinning of research institutions may also be eligible to participate in this action. In such cases, participants would need to clearly demonstrate that the necessary elements of the research training programme are effectively addressed through well-established, international collaborations with other research institutions without the latter formally being part of the network.
Last updated on: 2008-12-01