Since the beginning of the ApogeeBio project, three calls for postdoctoral applications have been launched (2021, 2022, and 2023), hosted on our platform (
https://genopole.agorize.com/fr/challenges/apogeebio-2023(opens in new window)). These calls were widely disseminated internationally through the Euraxess portal, international job portals, and the communication networks of Genopole and its partners, as well as through diplomatic scientific missions. All call-related information was accessible on a dedicated website:
https://apogeebio.genopole.eu/(opens in new window). The evaluation was entrusted to the European Science Foundation - Science Connect to ensure three independent and international experts for each project.
In parallel, several alerts were sent to academic and private laboratories at Genopole, and information meetings were organized to present the ApogeeBio program's aims, the criteria and conditions of the calls, and the requirements for hosting a fellow. Hosting teams were invited to publish detailed presentations about their members, current research fields, and available resources, without mentioning specific research projects.
A consortium agreement was planned to formalize the commitment of academic partners. Instead of one unique agreement with academic partners and separate grants for each private company, we decided to have one agreement per fellowship with the recruiting institution. All terms of the grant agreement were included in the fellowship agreement template, ensuring that hosting institutions agreed to all obligations towards the European Commission and the fellows. For private hosting teams, a short notice on the commitment of hosting teams was shared during the call dissemination, and the fellowship agreement template was shared at the time of candidate selection. The steps followed were:
- At the call opening, a short notice was sent to interested private companies, detailing commitments and obligations.
- At the final selection stage, the fellowship agreement template was shared.
Selected fellows benefited from the support of Science-Accueil for their arrival preparations (consular formalities, prefectural procedures, social security, etc.) and services throughout the year. To facilitate their integration in France, Genopole supported cultural activities, outings, and French courses organized by Science-Accueil.
Upon their arrival, an initial meeting was arranged with each fellow and their supervisor, and a questionnaire was submitted to ensure they acknowledged their rights and obligations. The recruitment contract is signed between the hosting institution and the fellow, with Genopole receiving a copy of the contract and pay sheet. At the end of the first year, a follow-up visit was organized to review progress, address any issues, and plan the continuation of the Career Development Plan (CDP). The CDP includes training in various scientific and soft skills, as well as a workshop on managing professional networks and career plans.
