An International Early-Stage Research Ecosystem Boosting the Attraction of Talented Early-Stage Researchers

Project Information

WIT

Grant agreement ID: 101034285

DOI

10.3030/101034285

EC signature date 19 March 2021

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 June 2027

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 2 603 520,00

EU contribution

€ 1 301 760,00

Coordinated by

COMUNIDAD FORAL DE NAVARRA - GOBIERNO DE NAVARRA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WIT (An International Early-Stage Research Ecosystem Boosting the Attraction of Talented Early-Stage Researchers)

Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

WIT is an International Fellowship Doctoral Programme aimed at attracting 16 Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) to develop a total of 60-month stay in Navarre. There will be 2 open calls at international level, 8 fellowships per call, of 36-months of stay duration per fellow, in order to develop innovative projects in the fields of Health, Automotive-Mechatronics & Advanced Manufacturing and Energy with Artificial Intelligence as a cross sectional fouth area. The project looks for generate a positive impact in terms of excellent science, innovation, and talent attraction and retention, particularly at a regional level, strengthening theregional economy and promoting international networking. In summary, the 5-year Programme consists of two open calls for fellows, with eight PhD positions available in each call to develop projects related to one of the WIT areas-S4 of Navarra: Automotive-Mechatronic & Advanced Manufacturing, Health and Energy, with Artificial Intelligence as a cross-sectional area.

WIT is a research programme that intends to contribute to one of the biggest the EU challenges of the current times, which is smart transport, advanced manufacturing and health. The research results carried out by the WIT fellows will help to address the following societal challenges: 1) Health, demographic change and wellbeing; 2) Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials; 3) Smart, green and integrated transport; 4) efficiency and renewable energy and 5) Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials. Likewise the WIT fellows will help strengthen European industrial leadership in Enabling and Industrial technologies, especially in AI and advanced manufacturing and processing.

The overall and main objective of the WIT Programme is to perform two calls for proposals, where 16 contracts will be given. Through this opportunity, people from all around the world will have the chance to continue the research career in our region. WIT is a fellowship programme promoted internationally presenting to the worldwide researchers the attractive research offer, making the Academic High Institutions (AHI), more visible at International level and this, in consequence, will conduct to connect European higher education institutions with international students and partners. As a long-term consequence, it is considered that WIT offering the framework for high-quality R&I will improve Europe’s competitiveness and growth and will strengthen Europe’s human capital base in R&I.

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 reporting period, months 1-24, the project has been structured to have a clear guideline about what are the different phases and tasks to be done all over the dissemination and recruitment processes to have success. The following ones are the main works carried out over the first 24 months in order to perform the selection of 16 fellows:
- The management structure has been created, together with the distribution of functions, to carry out the program and its activities (Steering Committee, Management Team, Evaluation Panel and Peers Panel, External Advisory Board, Selection Committee).
- Financial issues were performed. A budget plan was prepared and a spending plan was elaborated with the estimation of the Programme expenditures.
- Additionally, at the beginning, the collaboration agreement with the two recruiting universities was signed, a press conference was held to present the project, and information about the project was published in different media, portals and webs.
- A Communication plan was elaborated to be able to develop a successful promotion of the project in order to disseminate it widely and reach as many as interested ESR as possible. The image brand and the material related to the project has been designed to carry out the activities of diffusion. Details given in the WP3.
- The Management plan, the Communication plan and the Gender equality plan have been designed.
- Since the program is materialized in two calls for grants, the call and the offer of research projects have been designed.
- The necessary material and support has been prepared to be made available to the candidates for their participation in the calls (guide, templates...).
- The coordination has been carried out between the managers of the beneficiary entity and universities for the design of the call and the offer, as well as to carry out the selection process for both calls.
- The coordination work and providing documentation in relation to the evaluation panels has been carried out.
- The universities have guided the fellows finally selected through the process of enrolling in the doctoral program and obtaining the necessary permits to come to Pamplona, with the support of the beneficiary entity or project manager team.
- Once the students have been integrated into their groups, they have designed their career development plan, and have begun their research and activities.
- WIT's own training offer has been designed and is currently being updated in order to be able to offer it to the students who are finally in Pamplona.
- Development of promotion activities: once the fellows arrive to Pamplona their profiles and an abstract of their work are published on the website. Their outcomes will be published as well, and promoted through the social media.
- Some events have been carried out with the fellows that have arrived to Pamplona: a social meeting, an official reception by the President of Navarra.
- The reporting work has done in order to comply with the European Commission requirements: milestones and deliverables of the different work packages. The rejected reports have been corrected according to the indications of the Project Officer, and have taken into account for enhance our work and complete further deliverables.

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 8 fellows from the first call are already integrated in their research groups. In addition 2 fellows from the second call have also joined their groups, while the others 6 are doing all the paperwork to prepare their arrival.
Until the end of the project is expected that all the participating fellows achieve their PhD degree, as well as the achievement of other valuable skills for their future research career. The region will also benefit from the research carried out by these researchers, and from their participation in universities' research groups and their relationship with technological and industrial centres. The impact of the project in the career of these researchers is related with the opportunity of their development as researchers and the relationship with universities, research groups and the industrial network of the region.
And for Navarra, the project looks for generate a positive impact in terms of excellent science, innovation, and talent attraction and retention, particularly at a regional level, strengthening theregional economy and promoting international networking.

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