Periodic Reporting for period 3 - EDGE (Cutting Edge Training - Cutting Edge Technology)
Reporting period: 2020-08-01 to 2022-05-31
Applying the principles of the Charter and Code throughout the programme, the EDGE selection process was guided by the principles of Excellence, Transparency, Fairness and Impartiality. Candidates submitted proposals and fellows were selected following an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial and equitable selection procedure, based on international peer review. EDGE has built skills that addressed a clearly identified skills shortage across Ireland and Europe.
EDGE has impacted Europe through the development of a unique cohort of 57 excellent, cross-disciplinary fellows who will have the capability of managing multidisciplinary, industrial research problems. On completion of their fellowship they had the skillset to enter the European workforce to deliver innovation and enhance European Industrial Competitiveness across the entire spectrum from materials to content. Many of the fellows have already progressed beyond the programme and are either showing signs of becoming leading faculty. In one case, a former EDGE fellow has already reached research area director level in an Irish technological university.
In line with Annex 1 the EDGE COFUND Programme successfully advertised, recruited and trained 57 of the 71 Fellows over four calls. The details of the evaluation and selection process are clearly outlined in deliverables D2.1 and D2.2. The EDGE Programme actually recruited a total of 61 Fellows on 62 Fellowships (one candidate was trained in two member institutions each requiring a separate Fellowship), but four fellows did not come to take up their fellowships, primarily due to the difficulties of the Covid pandemic. Applying the principles of the Charter and Code throughout the programme, the EDGE selection process was guided by the principles of Excellence, Transparency, Fairness and Impartiality. Candidates submitted proposals and fellows were selected following an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial and equitable selection procedure, based on international peer review. EDGE would have liked to have recruited a greater number of fellows, up to the original plan of 71 fellows, but primacy was given to the quality of applicants, and only excellent research fellows candidates and programmes as determined by an international review panel were offered fellowships.
The programme recruited an experienced senior project manager who was located in CONNECT (PM) up to the end of July 2020. The PM was responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the programme up to the completion of the fourth and final round of recruitment. Following that round, and given that Covid pandemic restrictions were in place in Ireland until approximately eight weeks before the end of the programme, the CONNECT Centre Executive Director, an Executive Officer and his Finance Officer managed out the remainder of the programme and its no-cost extension, primarily on a remote online basis given that no alternative was available.
To ensure that the fellows benefit to the maximum extent possible from their research period within the centres, a specific support scheme was set up – a full research training career and development programme. In line with Annex 1 a learning and development officer was recruited to implement the programme’s training and career development activities.