Bergen research and training program for future AI leaders across the disciplines

Project Information

LEAD AI

Grant agreement ID: 101126560

DOI

10.3030/101126560

EC signature date 18 October 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2028

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 865 600,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LEAD AI (Bergen research and training program for future AI leaders across the disciplines)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Bergen research and training program for future AI leaders across the disciplines, LEAD AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) and associated technologies such as machine learning hold great potential across a range of sectors, providing services ranging from improved automation to increasingly precise monitoring, detection, and manufacturing. The industry’s growing interest is driving novel applications and AI solutions. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the LEAD AI project will develop and deliver a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research and training programme for 19 experienced researchers (ERs) in collaboration with UiB, focusing on AI. The programme, taking advantage of UiB’s cross-disciplinary strengths in AI research, will provide the ERs with insights and disciplinary expertise into the use and potential of AI across several sectors, ranging from medicine and computer science to humanities, social science, law and psychology.

LEAD AI promote institutional transformation and pioneering research on AI subjects, while providing exceptional AI research and training opportunities, personal supervision and mentoring for postdoctoral researchers, structured skill-based training, and high-quality working conditions. The program will equip the next generation of research and society leaders with AI knowledge and skills to collaborate across disciplines, sectors and borders, while offering academic freedom, equal opportunities, and a well-connected regional AI ecosystem.

LEAD AI is the University of Bergen's (UiB) career and mobility fellowship program within artificial intelligence. The 19 postdoctoral research fellows will be employed at six of UiB's faculties. Their research range from basic AI research in computer science discipines, to applied research in the natural sciences and medicine, as well as issues such as the interaction between AI, people and society with legal and ethical challenges. The program is supported by 17 external partners, including six academic partners and eleven partners representing Norwegian public institutions, industry, and large networks.

Mobility, both international and across disciplines and sectors, is an important element of the program. UiB collaborate with research institutions in other countries and with partners in relevant sectors in Western Norway.The 19 LEAD AI fellows come from all over the world, and are employed in postdoctoral positions for 3-4 years. The fellows are either incoming, moving to Norway, or outgoing, with a mandatory 12 month stay outside of Norway. The fellows are supported by a team of supervisors and mentors, and are encouraged to engage in a multitude of training activities, as well as career building activities such as teaching and supervision, and institutional and organizational activities. They are also supported to find externship opportunities in and outside of academia, as part of their training.

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

For the first two years of the programme, recruitment of the fellows has been the most important task. Recruitment is about to be completed in the begining of 2026.
The cohort of fellows have managed to establish themselves as a diverse and well integrated group, with regular program and meeting points. Training activities for the fellows are regular and ongoing, including transferable skills for further career development.

We have had 5 recruitment calls, with the 5th and final call still ongoing, recrutiting the 19th and last LEAD AI fellow. The recruitment process has been time-demanding, bacuse we are recruiting fellows in a competitive market where AI competency is in high demand.

The fellows are employed at UiB as postdocotral research fellows with a minimum of 3-year contract. The LEAD AI office facilitate a productive relationship between the fellow and their team of supervisors, and provide a community and companionship in the groups of postdocotrs themselves. The cohort of postdoctors have bi-weekly meetings where training, networking and organizational oportunities are in focus.

The fellows receive the opportunity to develop their research skills and interests under the guidance of excellent researchers in a multidisciplinary environment. They are integrated into their host research groups and their progress is supported by supervisors, and by hte LEAD AI office. In adition the fellows have the support of their group of fellows.

Their scientific research skills will be complemented by scientific training and knowledge transfer outside UiB, by means of short visits (e.g. to relevant laboratories/infrastructures) and optional secondments at freely chosen academic or non-academic institutions. We also provide information on both general and AI-related scientific training courses, offered by UiB or partners/networks. UiB has abroad portfolio of courses in the elements of AI, as well as micro credentials in various areas of digitalisation, that are available to LEAD AI fellows. The LEAD AI office also facilitate provision of tailored scientific courses in-house or by external resources, e.g. on topics like impacts of AI, or law and regulation with respect to AI. Training on AI-related research infrastructure or methods can be offered through national partners and research infrastructures like The NORA research school, The Centre for Digital Life Norway, the Norwegian AI Cloud (NAIC), or Uninett Sigma, and more.

LEAD AI fellows are offered a broad suite of soft skills training opportunities to strengthen their profiles regardless of the direction of their careers. Professional trainers may have been engaged in the training programme, and UiB provides regular in-house courses for employees on general topics, e.g. on web-publishing, communication, in-house IT systems, ethics, security issues, and Norwegian language. Courses on Gendered Innovation and Participatory Research are offered by in-house experts at the Faculty of Humanities. Focus is on grant writing training, specifically towards funding schemes relevant for postdocs, as ERC, other national and international individual research funds as well as in Erasmus+ and other educational funding opportunities to support their further development of teaching and educational abilities. LEAD AI office coordinate training offered for LEAD AI fellows, in collaboration with UiB’s career centre. If fellows identify a need for skills training not offered in-house, LEAD AI office will strive to identify and organise external opportunities. An example of this was the graphics design course that was a part of the annual gathering in November 2025.

The annual meeting is

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 interdisciplinarity of the field of artificial intelligence is what sets the cohort of LEAD AI fellows apart from other researchers, giving them a benefit to further their understanding beyond their own research fields.

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