Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RItrainPlus (RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE TRAINING PLUS)
Période du rapport: 2021-04-01 au 2022-09-30
Research Infrastructures (RI) are standing pillars for excellence in science and a vital element for the realization of the European Union as a knowledge-based society. Together with Core Facilities (CF)- existing in many universities, academic research centers and national nodes of distributed RI- RI are major actors in the implementation of the EU Open Science and Open Innovation strategy and a major factor for its success. As RI and CF increase in importance, questions about how to organize, maintain, manage and finance them have become a major topic for funding and research organizations.
The overarching goal is to design and deliver a training program to fulfill the competency requirements for the current and future managers of European RI and CF.
RItrainPlus objectives are:
1) create a foundation for the long-term provision of highly qualified personnel for managing RI and CF by developing Learning Activities embedded in existing university programs and a certifiable European Longitudinal Learning Track;
2) drive excellence, operational improvements and long-term sustainability of European RI and CF by developing: formal learning activities: executive post-graduate courses; learning on the job: staff exchange, with a short-term mobility programme at different RI/CF locations; peer learning: a Community of Practice, within all RI and CF, able to promote existing excellence and experience, and share knowledge;
3) establish a permanent and self-sustainable European School for Management of Research Infrastructures. In the four-year project all the required steps will be performed, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the design process.
The overarching goal is to design and deliver a training program to fulfill the competency requirements for the current and future managers of European RI and CF.
RItrainPlus objectives are:
1) create a foundation for the long-term provision of highly qualified personnel for managing RI and CF by developing Learning Activities embedded in existing university programs and a certifiable European Longitudinal Learning Track;
2) drive excellence, operational improvements and long-term sustainability of European RI and CF by developing: formal learning activities: executive post-graduate courses; learning on the job: staff exchange, with a short-term mobility programme at different RI/CF locations; peer learning: a Community of Practice, within all RI and CF, able to promote existing excellence and experience, and share knowledge;
3) establish a permanent and self-sustainable European School for Management of Research Infrastructures. In the four-year project all the required steps will be performed, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the design process.
RItrainPlus project brings together, for the first time, research infrastructures, core facilities, business management Schools and European universities, to empower human resources for international scientific facilities in Europe.
To identify the training needs and define the competency profile RItrainPLus performed a quantitative online-survey among 330 members of Research Infrastructures and Core Facilities followed by qualitative guided interviews among managers from eight structurally selected countries. https://zenodo.org/record/7542429#.Y-FTcezMLlw
Then, to achieve objective 1, RI, CF and Universities jointly developed training schemes, necessary learning resources and policies for acquiring the necessary transversal skills needed by operators and managers of RI and CF. The key outcome is the development of a set of standardized, certifiable, student-centred Learning Activities, that will be available to all European Universities for embedding in existing university programs at different EQF levels to form an innovative, flexible and certifiable European Longitudinal Learning Track (LLT).
For objective 2, RItrainPlus brought together key experts of RI and CF, Universities, and stakeholders’ organizations with the needed expertise in management to define Continuous Professional Development courses for management of RI and CF as "formal learning" activities. These courses are complemented by a trainers’ kit to allow other providers to replicate and to ensure the scalability of the CPD Courses.
These courses enables RIs and CFs across all domains to gain expertise in an international RI context on RI & CF Management, Team building and development, Socio-economic impact of RIs, Data policy and management, Communication and stakeholder engagement, Innovation, entrepreneurship, and engagement with industry, ELSI.
A staff and knowledge exchange with a short-term mobility program at different RI/CF locations was developed to promote the "learning on the job" approach and a community of practice was set up to structure opportunities of knowledge and best practices sharing, through a "peer learning" approach. For the time being 2 staff exchanges have been realized, 2 webinars have been recorded and 2 knowledge workshops have been organized.
To achieve objective 3 a workshop was held on May 2022 with the participation of key stakeholders and leaders in the field, such as university and policy representatives at national and international level. The agenda covered topics ranging from the overall scientific training landscape, highlighting the (political) need of a school. Aspects such as accreditation, course focus (knowledge, skills, methods, governance, and management practice within RI), course delivery, training sustainability and exchange programs were also covered. The workshop outcome was a clear understanding of the necessities and requirements. https://zenodo.org/record/7457243#.Y-FSjuzMLlw
https://zenodo.org/record/7371610#.Y-FTE-zMLlw
To identify the training needs and define the competency profile RItrainPLus performed a quantitative online-survey among 330 members of Research Infrastructures and Core Facilities followed by qualitative guided interviews among managers from eight structurally selected countries. https://zenodo.org/record/7542429#.Y-FTcezMLlw
Then, to achieve objective 1, RI, CF and Universities jointly developed training schemes, necessary learning resources and policies for acquiring the necessary transversal skills needed by operators and managers of RI and CF. The key outcome is the development of a set of standardized, certifiable, student-centred Learning Activities, that will be available to all European Universities for embedding in existing university programs at different EQF levels to form an innovative, flexible and certifiable European Longitudinal Learning Track (LLT).
For objective 2, RItrainPlus brought together key experts of RI and CF, Universities, and stakeholders’ organizations with the needed expertise in management to define Continuous Professional Development courses for management of RI and CF as "formal learning" activities. These courses are complemented by a trainers’ kit to allow other providers to replicate and to ensure the scalability of the CPD Courses.
These courses enables RIs and CFs across all domains to gain expertise in an international RI context on RI & CF Management, Team building and development, Socio-economic impact of RIs, Data policy and management, Communication and stakeholder engagement, Innovation, entrepreneurship, and engagement with industry, ELSI.
A staff and knowledge exchange with a short-term mobility program at different RI/CF locations was developed to promote the "learning on the job" approach and a community of practice was set up to structure opportunities of knowledge and best practices sharing, through a "peer learning" approach. For the time being 2 staff exchanges have been realized, 2 webinars have been recorded and 2 knowledge workshops have been organized.
To achieve objective 3 a workshop was held on May 2022 with the participation of key stakeholders and leaders in the field, such as university and policy representatives at national and international level. The agenda covered topics ranging from the overall scientific training landscape, highlighting the (political) need of a school. Aspects such as accreditation, course focus (knowledge, skills, methods, governance, and management practice within RI), course delivery, training sustainability and exchange programs were also covered. The workshop outcome was a clear understanding of the necessities and requirements. https://zenodo.org/record/7457243#.Y-FSjuzMLlw
https://zenodo.org/record/7371610#.Y-FTE-zMLlw
RItrainPlus will lay the foundations for professionalizing the training of both current and future managers of RI and CF that serve the long-term needs of the European research community. The project will contribute specifically to:
Impact on professionals’ development and competitiveness.
The professionalization of the staff, and the efficient management of RI is promoted by the development of: a) formal learning activities: executive post-graduate courses (CPD); b) learning on the job: staff exchange, with a short-term mobility program at different RI/CF locations; c) peer learning: Community of Practice, within all RI and CF, able to promote existing excellence and experience, and share knowledge.
Impact on knowledge transfer.
The Coaching Development Program has been developed to train RI and CF professionals as certified executive coaches. This Program is expected to impact the entire RI ecosystem, reinforcing the knowledge transfer methodology with a more personalized and tailored training.
Impact on career path.
The improvement of existing specific university curricula by the learning activities at three levels of higher education (B.Sc. M.Sc. and PhD) will shape a flexible, inter-university and cross-level certified Longitudinal Learning Track on Management of RI and CF to be implemented through and by different universities. This will pave the way to a specific career path. The existence of a well-structured program designed for managers and operators of RI and CF will help to make RI and CF preferred employers. Finally, the increased competency of these alumni will make them more attractive to other employers, increasing their mobility in the job market, including the industry. In this way, our curriculum will have impact also beyond the confines of RI.
Impact on sustainability.
The establishment of a “European School for the Management of Research Infrastructures”, as a dedicated training organization, capable to scale up specialized training courses and to address the different aspects of governance, management, organization, financial, socio-economic impact analysis, gender dimension and internationalization of RI, will have a significant impact on the sustainability of training in the entire RI ecosystem. The strategic view is that ESMRI will coordinate the continuous development, dissemination, delivery and certification both of the LAs embedded in university tracks, and of the CPD, thus avoiding the current fragmentation of initiatives
Gender dimension
The gender dimension is carefully considered in the development of the project. RItrainPlus aims at making RI a role model for gender equality in leadership and management positions, thus contributing to the achievement of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Impact on professionals’ development and competitiveness.
The professionalization of the staff, and the efficient management of RI is promoted by the development of: a) formal learning activities: executive post-graduate courses (CPD); b) learning on the job: staff exchange, with a short-term mobility program at different RI/CF locations; c) peer learning: Community of Practice, within all RI and CF, able to promote existing excellence and experience, and share knowledge.
Impact on knowledge transfer.
The Coaching Development Program has been developed to train RI and CF professionals as certified executive coaches. This Program is expected to impact the entire RI ecosystem, reinforcing the knowledge transfer methodology with a more personalized and tailored training.
Impact on career path.
The improvement of existing specific university curricula by the learning activities at three levels of higher education (B.Sc. M.Sc. and PhD) will shape a flexible, inter-university and cross-level certified Longitudinal Learning Track on Management of RI and CF to be implemented through and by different universities. This will pave the way to a specific career path. The existence of a well-structured program designed for managers and operators of RI and CF will help to make RI and CF preferred employers. Finally, the increased competency of these alumni will make them more attractive to other employers, increasing their mobility in the job market, including the industry. In this way, our curriculum will have impact also beyond the confines of RI.
Impact on sustainability.
The establishment of a “European School for the Management of Research Infrastructures”, as a dedicated training organization, capable to scale up specialized training courses and to address the different aspects of governance, management, organization, financial, socio-economic impact analysis, gender dimension and internationalization of RI, will have a significant impact on the sustainability of training in the entire RI ecosystem. The strategic view is that ESMRI will coordinate the continuous development, dissemination, delivery and certification both of the LAs embedded in university tracks, and of the CPD, thus avoiding the current fragmentation of initiatives
Gender dimension
The gender dimension is carefully considered in the development of the project. RItrainPlus aims at making RI a role model for gender equality in leadership and management positions, thus contributing to the achievement of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.