Researchers in the Knowledge Triangle

Project Information

K-TRIO 5

Grant agreement ID: 101036078

DOI

10.3030/101036078

Project closed

EC signature date 14 May 2021

Start date 20 April 2021

End date 19 December 2021

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 119 165,00

EU contribution

€ 117 600,00

Coordinated by

SOFIA UNIVERSITY ST KLIMENT OHRIDSKI
Bulgaria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - K-TRIO 5 (Researchers in the Knowledge Triangle)

Reporting period: 2021-04-20 to 2021-12-19

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As stressed in several EU documents and the recent ERA communication, research and innovation (R&I) are crucial for the economic recovery, and are in the centre of the industrial transformation for Green and Digital Europe. Following the focus on scientific excellence in the new ERA and in Horizon Europe, the project highlighted the achievements of the Centres of Excellence and Centres of Competence funded by Horizon 2020 and EU Structural Funds, and their contributions to smart specialisation and regional growth.
The main project idea is to facilitate a cultural change, and greater understanding in the society of R&I achievements and their contribution to economy and society – for resolving climate and environmental challenges, as well as for well-being of citizens and for regional growth. Three important messages were transmitted: “Science becomes closer to the society”, “R&I are a cornerstone for Green and Digital Europe” and “STEM and scientific jobs offer many opportunities”. In the awareness raising campaign, as a “winning formula” for attracting youth to R&I, and STEM, was pointed out that: “Knowledge gained in Training, Research and Innovation brings more Opportunities: K*(T+R+I)=O”.
The overall K-TRIO 5 objective coincides with the goal of the ERN action: "bringing researchers to the general public and increasing awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizens´ daily life, and encouraging young people to embark on research careers."
The strategic long-term objectives are: fostering the interest of young talents to researchers career in academia or industry, nurturing a new culture of creativity, scientific curiosity, innovative spirit and responsibility to environmental preservation, as well as enhancing the public readiness to engage in Citizens Science, Open Science and Open Innovation activities.

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 experience of partners shows that higher success is achieved by choosing one well-known and popular venue for ERN activities, and preparing diverse programmes with several activities well-targeted to different groups. Due to the past interest of parents and kids for events on Saturday, some partners organised 2 days ERN events. In the programmes were integrated different components:
• K-TRIO for kids: entertaining and educative experiments in “Atelier of Young Talents”
• K-TRIO competitions: young people showing/presenting results in national and local competitions “Research and innovation are key for the future we want”
• K-TRIO faces: researchers under the spot lights - movies on researchers and scientific discoveries, exhibitions “Faces in Science”, face-to-face discussions
• K-TRIO for all: “Science is magic and exciting” - demonstrations and hand-on experiments, discussion clubs, knowledge fairs, Open labs, visits in museums, short videos.
The main ERN events were organised in the largest Bulgarian cities – Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Russe and Stara Zagora, using a hybrid format – online and offline opportunities. Pre-events were held in all partners cities, and specific regional round tables with teachers were organised in Varna, Blagoevgrad, Sliven and Shumen with teachers. Through high quality web content, and life streaming were reached smaller towns and villages, more remote and isolated places, as well as Bulgarian Diaspora abroad, and the branch of UR in Tarakliya (Moldova). The regional network of RHMS was also utilised to made aware of ERN events rural citizen, and people from disadvantaged background.

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 difficult transition of Bulgaria caused a serious decline in education and value crisis of the new generations. The image of science and researchers, teachers and educational institutions was also damaged during this period. During the project life-time, several milestones for nurturing new values and changing the image of science and researchers in economy and society were put in place. The synergy and complementarity of all project activities, combining excellent ideas, research topics and research teams, and ensuring support of a large network of stakeholders and media partners ensured the K-TRIO 5 impact on:
- increasing public recognition of researchers and the importance of their profession – by presenting researchers and excellent achievements in research projects funded under H2020 and EU Structural Funds, especially focusing on CoE/CoC; organising knowledge fair with EU funded projects in R&I, design of videos of researchers and projects and disseminate them online;
- deepening the public understanding on R&I contribution to economy and society, and EU role – by organising competitions on scientific topics; face-to-face meetings with researchers, pre-events and debates with stakeholders, teachers, and students; Open Days/Labs; focus on real cases and applications of R&I and the CoE/CoC contribution for regional development; design and dissemination of digital materials (text, video, audio) and interviews with researcher, incl. MSC fellows, as well as specific rubrics in “Science” magazine.
- raising the curiosity and creativity of young people, and attracting them to STEM, and R&I career – by implementing a long-term strategy for nurturing new culture; involvement of various stakeholders in nation-wide and regional debates on new skills agenda, and improving STEM education; involving researchers and pupils in discussion on R&I, organizing High School Students activities; Open Days/Labs, and Career Fairs, and specific programme K-TRIO for kids with entertaining and educative experiments, demonstrations and hand-on experiments and visits in museums.
Last, but not least, the project contributed also for better understanding of the European Union among the general public by dissemination of dedicated materials on EU using online and offline communication channels, organisation of dedicated discussions on HRS4R at pre-events in Ruse, Stara Zagora, Plovdov, Burgas and Sofia, as well as including specific sessions during the ERN events on projects funded by EU, on EURAXESS activities, etc.

Opening of ERN by Commissioner Maria Gabriel in Sofia