Periodic Reporting for period 1 - A4L_BRIDGE (Alliance4Life Bridging the Research and Innovation Gap in Life Sciences)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-03-01 bis 2025-06-30
Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries continue to face persistent gaps in research and innovation performance compared to Western Europe. This imbalance limits the competitiveness of research institutions, the attractiveness of research careers, and the potential for scientific discoveries to translate into societal and economic benefits. The Alliance4Life (A4L), a network of leading life science institutions from 11 countries, was established to address these challenges.
The A4L_BRIDGE project builds on this foundation by implementing systemic reforms that strengthen institutional excellence, modernise research careers, expand collaboration, and create stronger links with industry and society. Its overarching objective is to bridge the research and innovation gap in life sciences by empowering institutions in widening countries to fully contribute to the European Research Area. By introducing open and transparent research assessment, advancing human resources management, supporting doctoral training, fostering interdisciplinarity, and promoting technology transfer, the project directly addresses Europe’s strategic priorities for excellence, innovation, and inclusiveness.
The A4L_BRIDGE project builds on this foundation by implementing systemic reforms that strengthen institutional excellence, modernise research careers, expand collaboration, and create stronger links with industry and society. Its overarching objective is to bridge the research and innovation gap in life sciences by empowering institutions in widening countries to fully contribute to the European Research Area. By introducing open and transparent research assessment, advancing human resources management, supporting doctoral training, fostering interdisciplinarity, and promoting technology transfer, the project directly addresses Europe’s strategic priorities for excellence, innovation, and inclusiveness.
During the reporting period, A4L_BRIDGE delivered a wide range of concrete results across its objectives:
Research excellence: Several member institutions successfully integrated open peer-evaluation with external experts, guided by the principles of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). A common checklist was developed to harmonise this practice across the consortium. In parallel, a network-wide survey and interviews on HR practices identified best practices and remaining challenges, strengthening institutional strategies for transparent recruitment, gender equality, and leadership.
Green research culture: A Green Lab audit and a pilot carbon footprint assessment were carried out, providing baseline data and best practices for sustainable research environments.
Professional development: A comprehensive mentor database with more than 100 senior researchers was launched, complemented by a database of thesis committee members to support high-quality and internationalised doctoral education. More than 200 participants attended workshops on PhD supervision and mentoring, with materials made openly available through the A4L e-learning platform.
Digital infrastructure: A new Alliance4Life website was launched, integrating the Virtual Research Center (VRC) and the E-Learning Platform. The latter, operational since May 2025, provides accredited online courses and micro-credentials aligned with EU frameworks for research careers.
Collaboration: The Virtual Research Center was officially launched, already attracting applications for membership and new departments. Calls for open access to research infrastructures received 41 applications, resulting in 20 high-quality projects supported across nine institutions.
Industry engagement: The A4L Assets Database was developed to showcase technologies and services available for collaboration or licensing, creating new opportunities for academia-industry partnerships. Technology transfer expertise across the consortium was mapped, preparing the ground for joint training and engagement with external stakeholders.
Dissemination: The project strengthened its visibility through international conferences, a renewed communication strategy, and policy engagement, including a position paper on future EU Widening instruments.
Research excellence: Several member institutions successfully integrated open peer-evaluation with external experts, guided by the principles of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). A common checklist was developed to harmonise this practice across the consortium. In parallel, a network-wide survey and interviews on HR practices identified best practices and remaining challenges, strengthening institutional strategies for transparent recruitment, gender equality, and leadership.
Green research culture: A Green Lab audit and a pilot carbon footprint assessment were carried out, providing baseline data and best practices for sustainable research environments.
Professional development: A comprehensive mentor database with more than 100 senior researchers was launched, complemented by a database of thesis committee members to support high-quality and internationalised doctoral education. More than 200 participants attended workshops on PhD supervision and mentoring, with materials made openly available through the A4L e-learning platform.
Digital infrastructure: A new Alliance4Life website was launched, integrating the Virtual Research Center (VRC) and the E-Learning Platform. The latter, operational since May 2025, provides accredited online courses and micro-credentials aligned with EU frameworks for research careers.
Collaboration: The Virtual Research Center was officially launched, already attracting applications for membership and new departments. Calls for open access to research infrastructures received 41 applications, resulting in 20 high-quality projects supported across nine institutions.
Industry engagement: The A4L Assets Database was developed to showcase technologies and services available for collaboration or licensing, creating new opportunities for academia-industry partnerships. Technology transfer expertise across the consortium was mapped, preparing the ground for joint training and engagement with external stakeholders.
Dissemination: The project strengthened its visibility through international conferences, a renewed communication strategy, and policy engagement, including a position paper on future EU Widening instruments.
A4L_BRIDGE has introduced several innovations that go beyond current practices in Europe’s research and innovation systems:
The Open Peer-Evaluation Checklist represents one of the first systematic approaches to harmonising transparent research assessment in the CEE region.
The E-Learning Platform is among the few accredited digital infrastructures in widening countries providing internationally recognised micro-credentials for research careers.
The Virtual Research Center creates a sustainable model of cross-institutional collaboration by integrating research agendas, infrastructures, and training.
The A4L Assets Database increases the visibility of research outputs, providing industry with easy access to licensable technologies and research expertise.
To ensure long-term uptake, further steps include expanding the mentor and thesis committee databases, strengthening the pool of e-learning content, widening access to infrastructures, and scaling up the assets database to reach international markets. These results provide replicable models for other European research networks aiming to combine institutional reform with innovation capacity building.
The Open Peer-Evaluation Checklist represents one of the first systematic approaches to harmonising transparent research assessment in the CEE region.
The E-Learning Platform is among the few accredited digital infrastructures in widening countries providing internationally recognised micro-credentials for research careers.
The Virtual Research Center creates a sustainable model of cross-institutional collaboration by integrating research agendas, infrastructures, and training.
The A4L Assets Database increases the visibility of research outputs, providing industry with easy access to licensable technologies and research expertise.
To ensure long-term uptake, further steps include expanding the mentor and thesis committee databases, strengthening the pool of e-learning content, widening access to infrastructures, and scaling up the assets database to reach international markets. These results provide replicable models for other European research networks aiming to combine institutional reform with innovation capacity building.