International, Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Information and Communications Technology PhD Programme

Project Information

3-i ICT

Grant agreement ID: 101034261

DOI

10.3030/101034261

EC signature date 13 March 2021

Start date 1 January 2022

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 1 301 760,00

EU contribution

€ 650 880,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDADE DA CORUNA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - 3-i ICT (International, Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Information and Communications Technology PhD Programme)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

3-i ICT (International, Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Information and Communications Technology PhD Programme) is an innovative new international PhD programme designed by CITIC (University of A Coruña).
The aim of 3-i ICT is to fund 8 excellent Early-Stage Researchers to carry out their interdisciplinary PhD projects at CITIC on topics related to the centre’s main areas of research.
The programme has a strongly intersectoral and international character, with secondments in prestigious institutions in Spain and abroad, and co-supervision by one expert from the field of ICT and a second from a different academic discipline.
CITIC is the first Galician institution to receive funding for its programme from the flagship Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) COFUND scheme. 3-i ICT is co-funded by the Galician Department of Culture, Education and Universities.

Objectives
• Offer an excellent PhD programme in terms of research and innovation.
• Train and nurture the next generation of ESRs in scientific and technical excellence and equip them with outstanding skills and transferable expertise to help build a better, stronger, more sustainable future.
• Implement innovative actions based on 3-i priorities aimed at boosting the careers of ESRs.
• Build partnerships and mutual awareness between ESRs and private business actors through innovative individual projects and non-academic co-supervision.
• Establish specific actions for the promotion of women in science.
• Enhance the training programme for ESRs at CITIC.
• Improve the attractiveness of CITIC as a hub for new research talent.

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

The programme will run for five years from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2026, and will include two calls for candidates. The aim of 3-i ICT is to provide eight Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) with unique opportunities for basic and applied interdisciplinary research, training and career development.

During the initial two years of the project, the two scheduled recruitment calls have been concluded.

Training sessions for individuals undertaking their theses have commenced, academic stays for those who have been working on their theses for a year have been arranged, and their career development plan has been initiated. This plan will evolve throughout the remaining period of their contracts and will serve to align the training sessions with the objectives that the fellows aspire to achieve.

The research stays for the three individuals who have been employed for a year have been arranged, and students have been encouraged to participate in workshops and conferences, resulting in 7 conference presentations and 1 published article. We are already finalizing conference participation for the year 2024.

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 3-i ICT programme is expected to impact at three different levels:
• Personal: The programme will improve ESR employability and boost their emerging careers. Fellows will reach the highest education level according to the European Qualifications Framework and will receive complementary training in research and transferable skills that will give them an advantage in their future academic and non-academic careers.
• Institutional: The programme will place CITIC at the forefront of research and innovation in the field of ICT. CITIC is already the leading ICT centre in Galicia, but 3i-ICT will position it as a hub for new research talent in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion.
• Regional (and Euroregional): The programme will represent a substantive leap towards accomplishing the goals of the R&I Smart Specialisation Strategy for Galicia (RIS3) and the cross-border R&I Smart Specialisation Strategy of Galicia-Northern Portugal (RIS3T).

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