Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENROL (Engineering for life sciences doctoral programme)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-09-30
ENROL – the Engineering for Life Sciences Doctoral Programme” is set up to educate and train a new generation of high achieving early stage researchers (ESRs) to study and develop novel technologies and engineering solutions for the life sciences. The education philosophy of ENROL is based on creativity, curiosity, ability, and passion. Within the programme, we want to create a strong community of ESRs and mentor, guide, and stimulate them in their creativity to develop, based on their ideas, new materials and technologies as well as enhance their problem-solving skills and critical thinking. The 20 ENROL ESRs will work towards the pursue of a doctorate degree, carrying out research work in an interdisciplinary framework on the interface between engineering, technology and biology.
The scientific goal of ENROL is to engineer functional interfaces between inorganic and bio-organic systems in order to push them towards new levels of understanding and technological applications. We thus propose a combined and synergistic effort based on the following three research areas (RA):
RA1: Theoretical Prediction, Model Systems, and Analysis; RA2: Synthesis, Structuring & Instrumentation; RA3: Biological Applications.
Each ESR will complete a research project within the frame of ENROL with specific objectives, a personalized time schedule and a career development plan (CDP) including transferrable skills training. The research project will be complemented by secondments at institutions of different scientific disciplines (within and outside ENROL) and industrial partner organizations. The secondments will strengthen the interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations, and the training of the ESRs will benefit from the multidisciplinary nature of the programme.
The scientific goal of ENROL is to engineer functional interfaces between inorganic and bio-organic systems in order to push them towards new levels of understanding and technological applications. We thus propose a combined and synergistic effort based on the following three research areas (RA):
RA1: Theoretical Prediction, Model Systems, and Analysis; RA2: Synthesis, Structuring & Instrumentation; RA3: Biological Applications.
Each ESR will complete a research project within the frame of ENROL with specific objectives, a personalized time schedule and a career development plan (CDP) including transferrable skills training. The research project will be complemented by secondments at institutions of different scientific disciplines (within and outside ENROL) and industrial partner organizations. The secondments will strengthen the interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations, and the training of the ESRs will benefit from the multidisciplinary nature of the programme.
Over the last few years, the fields of life sciences and engineering sciences have mutually fertilized each other to a level, where cell biological samples have become major stimuli for engineers, and in turn novel technological inventions have become key driving forces that triggered discoveries in the life sciences. In the ENROL DP we want to push forward these ground-breaking developments by training next generation, multidisciplinary graduates for frontier research across faculties and disciplines at the interface of engineering and the life sciences. Our programme integrates/reunites a broad spectrum of scientific and technological fields related to molecular bioengineering, biophysics & biochemistry, biomechanics, biological imaging, biomaterials, computational modelling, and tissue engineering, offering the PhD students life-long flexibility for continued professional growth.
ENROL CALL Dissemination Activities
All positions were advertised in the ENROL website. Moreover, an ENROL promotion video announcing the opening of the call was created and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gpA7CcqsyE
The call was advertised at EURAXESS, at academicpositions and at naturecareers. Moreover, the call was advertised repeatedly at the ENROL social media in LinkedIn and Twitter. Several posters and flyers were also created and distributed by e-mail or physically by the PIs during conferences and meetings.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment procedure, after 2 calls, was completed in February 2023 and 20 applicants were selected for the 20 open positions from 11 countries (13 female researchers).
All internal procedures for the employment of the 20 ESRs were then launched. As it can be seen in the EU Funding and Tenders “Continuous reporting data” under “Researchers”, different start dates were selected depending on the VISA requirements of the selected ESRs. Two of the ESRs were recruited as early as 15. July 2022, the rest followed with August 2022 and September 2022. However, the selected applicant Eugenio Tamassia, who had accepted our offer and was meant to begin his employment in September, informed as on 2. September 2022 that he had to withdraw due to serious health issues. The project officer was contacted and informed and it was decided to launch a 2nd call on 15. September 2022. The same internal procedures were launced and the selected candidate started employement in March 2023.
Report on Ethics
All researchers submitted self-assessment forms on ethical matters of their respective projects.
Training/Education
Each ESR established, together with the respective Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC), a personal Career Development Plan - CDP to cover all the different aspects of the training programme and have a full view of the tasks with an efficient schedule. It contains short- and long-term deliverables to track both scientific and training progress. The CDP is evaluated and updated twice a year during the ESR meeting with the TAC and the updated copy is sended to the Programme Coordinator. The ESRs have the possibility to also discuss their CDP with the ENROL Management Team and suggestions for adjustment can be made to the TAC if necessary.
Transferable Skills Training 2023: Communication Skills Training,ENROL Summer Retreat, Poster; Preparation & Presentation
Transferable Skills Training 2024: ENROL Academic Writing Retreat, Academic Life Coaching Part II, Communication Skills Training Part II, ENROL Summer Retreat
ENROL CALL Dissemination Activities
All positions were advertised in the ENROL website. Moreover, an ENROL promotion video announcing the opening of the call was created and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gpA7CcqsyE
The call was advertised at EURAXESS, at academicpositions and at naturecareers. Moreover, the call was advertised repeatedly at the ENROL social media in LinkedIn and Twitter. Several posters and flyers were also created and distributed by e-mail or physically by the PIs during conferences and meetings.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment procedure, after 2 calls, was completed in February 2023 and 20 applicants were selected for the 20 open positions from 11 countries (13 female researchers).
All internal procedures for the employment of the 20 ESRs were then launched. As it can be seen in the EU Funding and Tenders “Continuous reporting data” under “Researchers”, different start dates were selected depending on the VISA requirements of the selected ESRs. Two of the ESRs were recruited as early as 15. July 2022, the rest followed with August 2022 and September 2022. However, the selected applicant Eugenio Tamassia, who had accepted our offer and was meant to begin his employment in September, informed as on 2. September 2022 that he had to withdraw due to serious health issues. The project officer was contacted and informed and it was decided to launch a 2nd call on 15. September 2022. The same internal procedures were launced and the selected candidate started employement in March 2023.
Report on Ethics
All researchers submitted self-assessment forms on ethical matters of their respective projects.
Training/Education
Each ESR established, together with the respective Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC), a personal Career Development Plan - CDP to cover all the different aspects of the training programme and have a full view of the tasks with an efficient schedule. It contains short- and long-term deliverables to track both scientific and training progress. The CDP is evaluated and updated twice a year during the ESR meeting with the TAC and the updated copy is sended to the Programme Coordinator. The ESRs have the possibility to also discuss their CDP with the ENROL Management Team and suggestions for adjustment can be made to the TAC if necessary.
Transferable Skills Training 2023: Communication Skills Training,ENROL Summer Retreat, Poster; Preparation & Presentation
Transferable Skills Training 2024: ENROL Academic Writing Retreat, Academic Life Coaching Part II, Communication Skills Training Part II, ENROL Summer Retreat
ENROL has established a strong international and intersectoral network which will be strengthened through the programme and will also enhance TUW´s visibility and academic position at a global level. In particular, ENROL will support Europe’s position as a hub in interdisciplinary and applied science, by attracting outstanding, international candidates as PhD students and by interconnecting them with other international research institutions and companies. As such, ENROL will increase Europe´s overall visibility and attractiveness as a scientific destination and job base for highly qualified international ESRs. The principles of research freedom and openness, structured ESR training and career development planning, as well as research and communication ethics reflected in our doctoral programme will be promoted and exported worldwide through our dissemination events, thereby positively enhancing the international image of the European research activities.
In the ENROL DP we want to push forward these ground-breaking developments by training next generation, multidisciplinary graduates for frontier research across faculties and disciplines at the interface of engineering and the life sciences. Our programme integrates/reunites a broad spectrum of scientific and technological fields related to molecular bioengineering, biophysics & biochemistry, biomechanics, biological imaging, biomaterials, computational modelling, and tissue engineering, offering the PhD students life-long flexibility for continued professional growth. Current limitations in our understanding of cellular interfaces are mainly due to the complexity of the natural environment of a cell, including tissue- or cell-type specific parameters. Furthermore, research on this topic has been hampered by technical and experimental challenges for the characterization of the surfaces and the cellular response, and by insufficient theoretical models. As a particular scientific focus, ENROL aims at engineering functional interfaces between inorganic and bio-organic systems in order to push them towards new levels of understanding and technological applications.
In the ENROL DP we want to push forward these ground-breaking developments by training next generation, multidisciplinary graduates for frontier research across faculties and disciplines at the interface of engineering and the life sciences. Our programme integrates/reunites a broad spectrum of scientific and technological fields related to molecular bioengineering, biophysics & biochemistry, biomechanics, biological imaging, biomaterials, computational modelling, and tissue engineering, offering the PhD students life-long flexibility for continued professional growth. Current limitations in our understanding of cellular interfaces are mainly due to the complexity of the natural environment of a cell, including tissue- or cell-type specific parameters. Furthermore, research on this topic has been hampered by technical and experimental challenges for the characterization of the surfaces and the cellular response, and by insufficient theoretical models. As a particular scientific focus, ENROL aims at engineering functional interfaces between inorganic and bio-organic systems in order to push them towards new levels of understanding and technological applications.