European Regulatory Science on Tobacco - Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

Project Information

EUREST-RISE

Grant agreement ID: 101008139

DOI

10.3030/101008139

Project closed

EC signature date 20 November 2020

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 31 May 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 1 150 000,00

EU contribution

€ 1 150 000,00

Coordinated by

EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR SMOKING PREVENTION
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EUREST-RISE (European Regulatory Science on Tobacco - Research and Innovation Staff Exchange)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project achieved its goals through 4 specific objectives (WPs):
1 – Facilitating smooth implementation of secondments and research exchanges;
2 – Facilitating the exchange of expertise on complex dataset analysis and interpretation at both the product and population level through unique secondary dataset analyses;
4 – Exchanging expertise and gain experience in advocacy, policy integration and communication on tobacco control;
5 – Ensuring dissemination and communication of the results to stakeholders.
Actions were taken to implement these objectives through secondments and supporting activities. Specific objective 3 was not achieved, as secondments did not take place within this WP:
3 – Exchanging expertise on the sensory and chemical analysis of tobacco, e-cigarettes and novel product flavour additives.
Consequently, no allocation of secondment time or budget was requested under this Work Package.
Conclusions per specific objective (WP):
1- The overall administrative and financial management of the project was coordinated during the whole project durationn by providing overall administrative support to individual WPs. ENSP, as the coordinating institution, facilitated the provision of financing to the project participants and provided additional administrative assistance to facilitate the internal administrative processes of secondments (WP1);
2- One of the secondments’ objective was to reinforce the exchange of knowledge on the use of large databases in responding to tobacco control challenges from the product level or the population level perspective, interpreting EU Common Entry Gate (EU-CEG) data and European secondary population-based datasets. This was the objective of the majority of secondees, secondments and scientific outputs, which are analyzed in detail in the Periodic Reports (WP2);
3- No secondments conducted (WP3);
4- Researchers received training on communicating research to policymakers/stakeholders, peer scientists, the general public and the media. Specific objectives were to train researchers in advocacy activities and policy integration, facilitate training in peer-to-peer communication and facilitate training on communication to media and the general public, with a focus on high-risk groups. A significant number of secondments took place within this Work Package (WP4);
5- During the M1-M48 period of project implementation, numerous activities were undertaken to disseminate information and the project’s results to the public, regulators and researchers. Specific objectives included to disseminate, as widely as possible, the process, updates and recommendations of the action by producing written material, manuscripts, policy reports, conference abstracts, and digital leaflets/ documentation through multiple avenues of communication and integrating with existing networks of policymakers, professionals, and other stakeholder (WP5).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the 48 months of implementation of the project, ENSP has coordinated the overall administrative and financial management of the project by providing scientific support and mentorship in individual WPs through facilitating, as possible within the context of the COVID-9 pandemic, the smooth exchange of researchers that were seconded.A total number of 177,5 Person-Months of secondments were conducted from M1 to M48, out of 250 PMs included in the Grant Agreement. The majority of secondments took place during Reporting period 2 (149.5 PMs), while 28 PMs of secondments were conducted in Reporting Period 1. A total number of 73 secondments took place during the project implementation (10 in RP1 and 63 in RP2), while 57 reserachers were seconded during both periods (10 in RP1 and 47 in RP2). The male/female ration during all this period was 13:37 (26% male, 74% female).

As presented above, the project achieved its 5 objectives, with the exception of objective 3, where secondments were not conducted, as it was duly justified in the Periodic Reports.

Dissemination of information relevant to Tobacco Products Directive and tobacco control, in general, was essential for maximizing the impact of EUREST-RISE. During the M1-M48 period of project implementation, numerous activities were undertaken to disseminate information and the project’s results to the public, regulators and researchers. Within the context of RP1: a) A number of presentations were made to both national and international audiences b) An informative flier was created and circulated during the 2022 ENSP Conference, which was then disseminated at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva (October 2022) and at the Hellenic Thoracic Society Conference (December 2022) c) A series of written material (manuscripts, editorials) was produced to disseminate the findings and recommendations of the project d) The EUREST-RISE website, the project Twitter and the project logo were developed.

Within the context of RP2: a) The EUREST-RISE Project Leaflet was updated to support the project’s global dissemination efforts. Initially produced in both digital and printed formats during RP1, the leaflet was subsequently updated in RP2, after the amendment and once more at the end of the project. A final
version was also created, summarizing the main points, partners, and conclusions of the project. This version additionally included a QR code that links to the project website. All leaflets have been made available on the EUREST-RISE website, under the “Project Outcomes” tab. Leaflets were disseminated at as many events as possible during RP2, including but not limited to the 2023 (Florence) and 2024 (Athens) European Conferences on Tobacco Control. Leaflets were also distributed at the 2024 ECTOH (Madrid, Spain) b) Eight (8) manuscripts with project findings were published during this period, while more than 10 manuscripts will be published after the project's conclusion, due to the time required for publication and peer-review c) The project was presented in a number of regional and international conferences, with its abstracts published in the different conference abstract books d) Additional reports and policy briefs were created and disseminated at different events, conferences and meetings.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The expected results of EUREST-RISE aimed to create a cohort of scholars with cutting-edge hands-on training on European tobacco product regulatory science by providing a unique framework of exchange on common research and innovation projects. Researchers are now able to examine tobacco product systems, their mechanisms and purpose, the interactions between key design characteristics and the assessment of measurable effects in populations of users. EUREST-RISE resulted in scientific skills, knowledge, data and publications for the scientific, research and academic communities, policy recommendations and reports for EU and MS policymakers, as well as education and expertise for professionals and other stakeholders involved in tobacco control. EUREST-RISE is expected to have a significant impact on the research sector through the establishment of a network of excellence on European tobacco product regulatory science and the outreach activities that took place, thus fostering the availability of knowledge in the field and increasing awareness.

EUREST RISE logo