Final Report Summary - AIAS (Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies)
Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) is a scientific platform for curiosity-driven and independent research that hosts excellent scholars from all academic disciplines, from plant physiology to anthropology. AIAS offers a highly competitive, international fellowship programme, and in its multidisciplinary setting, it focuses solely on research excellence and training of research talent. AIAS opened in 2013 with a group of 15 fellows, and in 2014 the AIAS-COFUND programme (grant no. 609033) supported by the Marie Curie Programme under FP7 was launched. The Institute is now running at its full capacity of around 40 fellows.
The overall aim of the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and the AIAS-COFUND fellowship programme has been to enhance excellent research by offering a fellowship programme providing researchers with freedom and independence to develop their own ideas and careers. The target group of the programme has been talented, experienced researchers with a minimum of two years of post-doctoral research training after completion of PhD, and open for both incoming mobility and reintegration, for e.g. strong European candidates wishing to reintegrate into a European/Danish research environment. The duration of a fellowship has been 6-18 months for seniors (+10 years PhD age) and 12-36 months for juniors (2-10 years PhD age).
The project has accomplished all expected results by achieving 128 fellow years through the launch and conclusion of four calls, which have resulted in 664 applications from more than 50 different nationalities. The overall result of the recruitment has been 59 fellowships (equaling the 128 fellow years) of which eight have been reintegration fellowships, and 51 have been incoming fellowships representing 25 different nationalities. The calls have been completely bottom-up. The selection of fellows has been based on research proposals from the applicants with research excellence as the sole selection criterion. The programme has offered full academic freedom for the fellows to pursue their ideas and independently develop ground-breaking ideas, carry out individual researcher-driven, risk-taking research in a stimulating multidisciplinary scientific environment.
The fellows have been offered the possibility of engaging in multidisciplinary interactions and activities such as conferences, workshops and symposia; as well as the mandatory Fellows’ Seminars, where fellows present their work, followed by a discussion with other fellows from various fields of research, researchers and students from Aarhus University, and the public. Being in a multidisciplinary setting has provided the fellows with the opportunity to gain new skills and to seek new perspectives on their research and scientific fields. This cross-field environment has provided the possibility for truly ground-breaking ideas to evolve and has enhanced the possibilities to result in transformative research projects with potential impact on societal challenges. Several fellows have worked on projects related to climate change, for instance different approaches on how to tackle ecological challenges such as air pollutions or water resource management or other environmental concerns, such as wastewater treatment or conversion of sewage sludge into valuable fuel. Others on projects which can contribute to handling various health challenges such as cancer or genetic diseases. For example by developing novel test kits to improve the treatment for breast cancer or contributing to the development of definitive cures for fatal genetic diseases of the blood by using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology in human cells. Yet other projects, from the social sciences and humanities, have for instance developed our understanding of time and temporal experience across cultures, or increased our critical awareness on the ethical dimensions of digital health management and self-tracking technologies in an outreach project (for more examples of AIAS-fellows’ projects see https://aias.au.dk/aias-fellows/former-fellows/).
It has been imperative to AIAS that an AIAS fellowship is a unique training and career development opportunity for the fellows. A range of generic career developing courses on themes such as funding, media training, science communication and research management have been offered to support the career development and strengthen the employability of the fellows. Fellows have improved their career perspectives and increased the depth and width of their research decisively which have resulted in improved bibliometric records, different individual career grants such as ERC grants (one starting grant and two consolidator grants), new profound research collaborations and valuable knowledge exchange between research fields. Fellows have advanced in their careers from researcher to group leader or to tenure track positions and even full professorships throughout Europe after their fellowship. Some have also gained positions at Aarhus University. The self-dependence and career focus in the fellowship have provided a unique opportunity for developing the skills needed to empower young researchers. Both junior and senior fellows have reported that their fellowship at AIAS has actively improved their careers by providing the devoted time, which is necessary to advance their careers.
For more information about the project, the fellows, contact information and the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, see www.aias.au.dk.
The overall aim of the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and the AIAS-COFUND fellowship programme has been to enhance excellent research by offering a fellowship programme providing researchers with freedom and independence to develop their own ideas and careers. The target group of the programme has been talented, experienced researchers with a minimum of two years of post-doctoral research training after completion of PhD, and open for both incoming mobility and reintegration, for e.g. strong European candidates wishing to reintegrate into a European/Danish research environment. The duration of a fellowship has been 6-18 months for seniors (+10 years PhD age) and 12-36 months for juniors (2-10 years PhD age).
The project has accomplished all expected results by achieving 128 fellow years through the launch and conclusion of four calls, which have resulted in 664 applications from more than 50 different nationalities. The overall result of the recruitment has been 59 fellowships (equaling the 128 fellow years) of which eight have been reintegration fellowships, and 51 have been incoming fellowships representing 25 different nationalities. The calls have been completely bottom-up. The selection of fellows has been based on research proposals from the applicants with research excellence as the sole selection criterion. The programme has offered full academic freedom for the fellows to pursue their ideas and independently develop ground-breaking ideas, carry out individual researcher-driven, risk-taking research in a stimulating multidisciplinary scientific environment.
The fellows have been offered the possibility of engaging in multidisciplinary interactions and activities such as conferences, workshops and symposia; as well as the mandatory Fellows’ Seminars, where fellows present their work, followed by a discussion with other fellows from various fields of research, researchers and students from Aarhus University, and the public. Being in a multidisciplinary setting has provided the fellows with the opportunity to gain new skills and to seek new perspectives on their research and scientific fields. This cross-field environment has provided the possibility for truly ground-breaking ideas to evolve and has enhanced the possibilities to result in transformative research projects with potential impact on societal challenges. Several fellows have worked on projects related to climate change, for instance different approaches on how to tackle ecological challenges such as air pollutions or water resource management or other environmental concerns, such as wastewater treatment or conversion of sewage sludge into valuable fuel. Others on projects which can contribute to handling various health challenges such as cancer or genetic diseases. For example by developing novel test kits to improve the treatment for breast cancer or contributing to the development of definitive cures for fatal genetic diseases of the blood by using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology in human cells. Yet other projects, from the social sciences and humanities, have for instance developed our understanding of time and temporal experience across cultures, or increased our critical awareness on the ethical dimensions of digital health management and self-tracking technologies in an outreach project (for more examples of AIAS-fellows’ projects see https://aias.au.dk/aias-fellows/former-fellows/).
It has been imperative to AIAS that an AIAS fellowship is a unique training and career development opportunity for the fellows. A range of generic career developing courses on themes such as funding, media training, science communication and research management have been offered to support the career development and strengthen the employability of the fellows. Fellows have improved their career perspectives and increased the depth and width of their research decisively which have resulted in improved bibliometric records, different individual career grants such as ERC grants (one starting grant and two consolidator grants), new profound research collaborations and valuable knowledge exchange between research fields. Fellows have advanced in their careers from researcher to group leader or to tenure track positions and even full professorships throughout Europe after their fellowship. Some have also gained positions at Aarhus University. The self-dependence and career focus in the fellowship have provided a unique opportunity for developing the skills needed to empower young researchers. Both junior and senior fellows have reported that their fellowship at AIAS has actively improved their careers by providing the devoted time, which is necessary to advance their careers.
For more information about the project, the fellows, contact information and the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, see www.aias.au.dk.