Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ALLIES (Artificial inteLLigence In sustainable dEvelopment goalS)
Período documentado: 2024-01-01 hasta 2025-06-30
ALLIES (Artificial inteLLigence In sustainable dEvelopment goalS) is an excellent postdoctoral programme led by CSIC and coordinated through IIIA-CSIC in collaboration with the AIHUB. It aims for the recruitment of 17 postdoctoral researchers through 24-month fellowships to provide a new interdisciplinary and intersectoral dimension to AI research & innovation while fully complying with all the principles of Open Science and maintaining the highest research quality standards. The ALLIES COFUND programme includes the participation of 18 different CSIC research institutes as Implementing organisations recruiting fellows (under the umbrella of the single beneficiary organisation CSIC). ALLIES will create a workflow of excellent researchers as future leaders in AI for the implementation of CSIC’s scientific challenges in AI, robotics & data science as well as relevant EU strategies and policies like the European Commission White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and the AI Act. It will also become an entry point to support knowledge transfer in AI from CSIC to other organisations and sectors, as well as an excellent tool promote a socially acceptable and ethical progress of AI, aligned with the EU values.
ALLIES postdoctoral programme represents the perfect environment for the training of recruited researchers, thus creating a myriad of future opportunities for the fellows and a workflow of excellent researchers as future leaders on AI, Robotics and Data Science. The postdoctoral programme involves a wide variety of research projects and hosting supervisors. The programme will complement the frontier research projects with advanced training aspects through an excellent training programme combining different types of activities that will enhance the fellows’ research & personal skills, providing them with new career perspectives, integrating a holistic approach to training through a combination of research-oriented and demanding soft skills. Fellows will count with full availability of world-class research infrastructures at network-level and their integration within the regular programme activities as a proof of commitment.
The ALLIES training programme incorporates several novel features, including a summer school on AI ethics & regulation, training on research diversity, a retreat for personal development as well a research-industry meeting to promote the discussion on AI industrial and academic challenges, work together in use cases development and support the development of careers in the non-academic sector for the recruited fellows. Fellows will also receive training on knowledge transfer & entrepreneurship, as well as being encouraged to participate and contribute to communication & outreach activities. In addition, the international and intersectoral aspects of the programme are boosted by the collaboration with several associated partner organisations, including private companies, start-ups & spin-offs, Universities, Research & technology organisations, Hospitals and European organisations of interest. The successful award of the HRS4R “Human Resources Strategy for Researchers” excellence label to CSIC demonstrates the high level of commitment from the partnership towards excellence in HR policies, the European Charter for Researchers & the Code of Conduct.
ALLIES postdoctoral programme represents the perfect environment for the training of recruited researchers, thus creating a myriad of future opportunities for the fellows and a workflow of excellent researchers as future leaders on AI, Robotics and Data Science. The postdoctoral programme involves a wide variety of research projects and hosting supervisors. The programme will complement the frontier research projects with advanced training aspects through an excellent training programme combining different types of activities that will enhance the fellows’ research & personal skills, providing them with new career perspectives, integrating a holistic approach to training through a combination of research-oriented and demanding soft skills. Fellows will count with full availability of world-class research infrastructures at network-level and their integration within the regular programme activities as a proof of commitment.
The ALLIES training programme incorporates several novel features, including a summer school on AI ethics & regulation, training on research diversity, a retreat for personal development as well a research-industry meeting to promote the discussion on AI industrial and academic challenges, work together in use cases development and support the development of careers in the non-academic sector for the recruited fellows. Fellows will also receive training on knowledge transfer & entrepreneurship, as well as being encouraged to participate and contribute to communication & outreach activities. In addition, the international and intersectoral aspects of the programme are boosted by the collaboration with several associated partner organisations, including private companies, start-ups & spin-offs, Universities, Research & technology organisations, Hospitals and European organisations of interest. The successful award of the HRS4R “Human Resources Strategy for Researchers” excellence label to CSIC demonstrates the high level of commitment from the partnership towards excellence in HR policies, the European Charter for Researchers & the Code of Conduct.
Here some of the activities performed and the main achievements of this first PR of ALLIES, from Month 1 to Month 18 on each Work Package:
WP1 Management
Activities Executed:
• Prepared core materials: guides for applicants and experts, information sheets, FAQ packages, and presentation templates.
• Launched the programme website and designed an online application platform for recruitment and evaluation.
• Coordinated three calls for applications, mobilizing relevant committees and organizing tools for submission, evaluation, and review.
• Developed a Secondment Agreement Model for research stays.
• Submitted an amendment to include a new associated organisation based in Sweden.
• Managed daily operations: candidate tracking (potential and recruited), IPS coordination, hiring processes, communication actions, European Portal updates, and budget monitoring.
WP2 Evaluation and Selection
Activities Executed:
• Designed calls and launched digital marketing campaigns for recruitment.
• Developed a web application for candidate management and evaluation.
• Established and activated the Selection Committee, including international reviewers.
• Delivered briefing sessions and prepared evaluator guidelines.
• Completed merit-based reviews and interviews for all three calls.
• Issued Evaluation Summary Reports (ESRs) and acceptance letters to candidates.
• Processed evaluator payments for the first and second rounds; prepared documentation for the third call (ongoing).
Corrective Actions: Early launch of the second call and created a third call (April 2025) to fill remaining positions.
WP3 Dissemination and Exploitation
Activities Executed:
• Detailed calls published on Euraxess and the project website.
• Implemented targeted campaigns via Twitter, LinkedIn, and institutional mailing lists.
• Hired a graphic designer and digital marketing specialist to support the second and third campaigns.
• Created a communication guide to ensure consistent messaging.
• Published materials across institutional channels and scientific networks.
WP4 Training and Career Development
Preliminary Activities:
• Established the supervision structure and assigned supervisors to the first four recruited fellows.
• Initiated individualised Career Development Plans (CDPs).
• Defined secondment agreements for research stays.
• Planned participation in the AIHUB Summer School (June 2025, Zaragoza), with early-stage design of a potential winter edition.
WP5 Ethics
Activities Executed:
• Created the Ethics Committee and appointed an Ethics Advisor.
• Conducted ethical review sessions with the first selected candidates.
• Evaluated and validated research projects submitted by fellows.
• Ethical clearance granted for all four projects, in accordance with procedures defined in Deliverable D5.1. Deliverable D5.2 ongoing and be deliverable
WP1 Management
Activities Executed:
• Prepared core materials: guides for applicants and experts, information sheets, FAQ packages, and presentation templates.
• Launched the programme website and designed an online application platform for recruitment and evaluation.
• Coordinated three calls for applications, mobilizing relevant committees and organizing tools for submission, evaluation, and review.
• Developed a Secondment Agreement Model for research stays.
• Submitted an amendment to include a new associated organisation based in Sweden.
• Managed daily operations: candidate tracking (potential and recruited), IPS coordination, hiring processes, communication actions, European Portal updates, and budget monitoring.
WP2 Evaluation and Selection
Activities Executed:
• Designed calls and launched digital marketing campaigns for recruitment.
• Developed a web application for candidate management and evaluation.
• Established and activated the Selection Committee, including international reviewers.
• Delivered briefing sessions and prepared evaluator guidelines.
• Completed merit-based reviews and interviews for all three calls.
• Issued Evaluation Summary Reports (ESRs) and acceptance letters to candidates.
• Processed evaluator payments for the first and second rounds; prepared documentation for the third call (ongoing).
Corrective Actions: Early launch of the second call and created a third call (April 2025) to fill remaining positions.
WP3 Dissemination and Exploitation
Activities Executed:
• Detailed calls published on Euraxess and the project website.
• Implemented targeted campaigns via Twitter, LinkedIn, and institutional mailing lists.
• Hired a graphic designer and digital marketing specialist to support the second and third campaigns.
• Created a communication guide to ensure consistent messaging.
• Published materials across institutional channels and scientific networks.
WP4 Training and Career Development
Preliminary Activities:
• Established the supervision structure and assigned supervisors to the first four recruited fellows.
• Initiated individualised Career Development Plans (CDPs).
• Defined secondment agreements for research stays.
• Planned participation in the AIHUB Summer School (June 2025, Zaragoza), with early-stage design of a potential winter edition.
WP5 Ethics
Activities Executed:
• Created the Ethics Committee and appointed an Ethics Advisor.
• Conducted ethical review sessions with the first selected candidates.
• Evaluated and validated research projects submitted by fellows.
• Ethical clearance granted for all four projects, in accordance with procedures defined in Deliverable D5.1. Deliverable D5.2 ongoing and be deliverable
Results not yet at Month 17. Fellows are starting the development of their research investigation, and there are still no results to present yet.