The road to success: How the European network IDPbyNMR helps to prepare young researchers for a competitive and successful career.
"Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est". (If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable) Lucius Annaeus Seneca If we are looking for changes and renewals for our world, the hopes are pinned on young researchers. They have the best school- and professional education and they have the will to perform exceptionally well in their research. Because who else is discovering new drugs? Who else is developing new diagnostics instruments for the diseases of tomorrow? It is the young, ambitious and well educated scientific elite. They come from all over the world – from Spain to Hungary, from Russia to China. And they have been chosen by their professors to be part of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) IDPbyNMR. The Marie Curie programme funded by the European Commission offers these Initial Training Networks as a unique opportunity to organise and advise young researchers in a goal-oriented way. IDPbyNMR aims to prepare young people for their career. In scientific trainings, they learn to tap their potential and to create something new. The first of these trainings took place in Budapest in autumn 2011, where the researchers have been introduced to databases and to the analysis technology of intrinsically disordered proteins. But to succeed in research, the scientific skills alone are not sufficient. The researchers need more. The „Complementary Skills Trainings“ of this project are designed exactly to meet this demand. In February 2012 the young researchers have met again, this time in the Swiss mountains, in the picturesque ski village of St. Moritz. There, they learned and were encouraged to define their objectives in analogy to the quote above from Seneca. On the agenda of the researchers was how to plan and present their work as well as how to control themselves and assess the quality of their results. The view across the endless mountain peaks, the snowy landscapes and conversations along with a glass of wine by candlelight helped to expand their horizon. It is not a „jute instead of plastics“ training as they are often held at universities when the talk is about soft-skills. No, scientists are extremely critical persons. They do not like all too emotional trainings. By the way, in Europe they also do not let themselves get fooled by the American-style science-marketing. The trainings are well thought out, meticulously planned and held according to strict output-criteria by trainers from Germany, Switzerland and Norway. In the following months, scientific writing as well as composition of research grants and business concepts will be on the programme. The huge effort of the trainers is always worthwhile. It is a contribution and a big opportunity to give young people instruments and motivation in order that they can set their sails and guide their boats in the right directions so that each wind will be favourable for them. In a rapidly changing world this is the only way to succeed. The highly positive feedbacks and the happy faces of the 14 PhD students confirmed: The programme has convinced and inspired and it is on a really good way to serve its purpose also with respect to the promotion of innovation in Europe. More Information about the Marie Curie Initial Training Network: www.idpbynmr.eu More information about the complementary skills trainings for researchers: www.EUrelations.com
Countries
Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, United Kingdom