Periodic Reporting for period 2 - I4FUTURE (Novel Imaging and Characterisation Methods in Bio, Medical, and Environmental Research and Technology Innovations)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2018-04-01 do 2021-09-30
I4Future - Imaging for the FUTURE: Novel Imaging and Characterization Methods in Bio, Medical and Environmental Research and Technology Innovations was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie action co-funded international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral doctoral programme, hosted by the University of Oulu, Finland.
The I4FUTURE Programme aimed at full exploitation of the possibilities of modern imaging and characterisation methods in cross-disciplinary work. This unique training programme responded to the increasing need for skilled next-generation ESRs (Early Stage Researcher) in the changing and demanding European job markets in industry, public sector and academia.
The main goal of I4FUTURE was to train early stage researchers with a deep knowledge and multidisciplinary view on the imaging and characterization methods, and transferable skills to evaluate and implement innovations in research and businesses.
The programme brought together the complementary and supplementary expertise of high-level researchers worldwide to train ESRs with interdisciplinary visions in exceedingly relevant socio-economic research areas and state-of-the-art techniques. Thirteen international universities, eleven private companies from the paper, steel, mining and medical industries as well as appliances manufacturing, and four multidisciplinary public sector organisations participated I4FUTURE. At the University of Oulu, the programme combined 5 faculties and 17 research groups.
The I4FUTURE programme provided the selected 20 ESRs with a first-hand understanding on how research develops from basic science findings to interdisciplinary innovations and commercially valuable applications. The programme exploited local, national and international strengths of the network partners at multiple levels: excellence in research, local and European cutting-edge infrastructures, collaboration networks including secondments, as well as wide dissemination and outreach activities.
The I4FUTURE Programme aimed at full exploitation of the possibilities of modern imaging and characterisation methods in cross-disciplinary work. This unique training programme responded to the increasing need for skilled next-generation ESRs (Early Stage Researcher) in the changing and demanding European job markets in industry, public sector and academia.
The main goal of I4FUTURE was to train early stage researchers with a deep knowledge and multidisciplinary view on the imaging and characterization methods, and transferable skills to evaluate and implement innovations in research and businesses.
The programme brought together the complementary and supplementary expertise of high-level researchers worldwide to train ESRs with interdisciplinary visions in exceedingly relevant socio-economic research areas and state-of-the-art techniques. Thirteen international universities, eleven private companies from the paper, steel, mining and medical industries as well as appliances manufacturing, and four multidisciplinary public sector organisations participated I4FUTURE. At the University of Oulu, the programme combined 5 faculties and 17 research groups.
The I4FUTURE programme provided the selected 20 ESRs with a first-hand understanding on how research develops from basic science findings to interdisciplinary innovations and commercially valuable applications. The programme exploited local, national and international strengths of the network partners at multiple levels: excellence in research, local and European cutting-edge infrastructures, collaboration networks including secondments, as well as wide dissemination and outreach activities.
The I4FUTURE programme was finalized successfully and according to the plans. In the beginning, 20 ESRs were selected for the programme and 11/20 graduated by the end of year 2021 with rest having expected graduation time in 2022. The ESRs completed their interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral doctoral training including research and training activities. They all had a second supervisor from the partner organizations, that ensured the seamless collaboration to both directions. Furthermore, most of the ESRs were able to complete their compulsory 6 months training despite of the Covid-19 ending up to total of 127 months of secondments to partner universities and companies.
All the planned training activities were completed successfully. The program provided the ESRs an extensive training program for transferable skills alongside the scientific training programme. Transferable skills included training on research ethics, entrepreneurship and IP, science communication and presentation, and project management.
The I4FUTURE resulted in 72 scientific publications, 91 participations to a conference and 132 public communications, which numbers are expected to increase during 2022. At the end of the programme, the ESRs identified the most important results of their research work. For example, "Finding new ways for treatment and avoiding tuberculosis infections", "Increasing understanding of hard X-ray radiation induced processes at atomic and molecular level", "Implementation of non-invasive, near-real time, quantitative surveillance and monitoring of mine tailings facilities" and "Increasing understanding on cloud microphysics, which can be used to improve the accuracy of atmospheric model predictions" were mentioned. While no IP during the programme was created, significant advances in application of imaging and charactarisation methods in new fields of measurements were identified, including Hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy.
All the planned training activities were completed successfully. The program provided the ESRs an extensive training program for transferable skills alongside the scientific training programme. Transferable skills included training on research ethics, entrepreneurship and IP, science communication and presentation, and project management.
The I4FUTURE resulted in 72 scientific publications, 91 participations to a conference and 132 public communications, which numbers are expected to increase during 2022. At the end of the programme, the ESRs identified the most important results of their research work. For example, "Finding new ways for treatment and avoiding tuberculosis infections", "Increasing understanding of hard X-ray radiation induced processes at atomic and molecular level", "Implementation of non-invasive, near-real time, quantitative surveillance and monitoring of mine tailings facilities" and "Increasing understanding on cloud microphysics, which can be used to improve the accuracy of atmospheric model predictions" were mentioned. While no IP during the programme was created, significant advances in application of imaging and charactarisation methods in new fields of measurements were identified, including Hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy.
The I4FUTURE programme engaged 13 international partner universities, 11 private companies and 4 multidisciplinary public sector organisations with 17 University of Oulu research groups. The programme brought together the complementary and supplementary expertise of internationally accredited researchers with the aim of training young researchers in an interdisciplinary manner in highly relevant socio-economic research areas using state-of-the-art techniques.
I4FUTURE built upon a critical mass of interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral and international expertise and provided a unique combination of complementary methodological approaches for high-quality training that would not be possible to implement at any site or organisation alone.
The I4Future programme built on exploiting the novel imaging and characterisation methods beyond the traditional barriers of research. The interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral programme combined internationally recognised excellence in science and availability of state-of-the-art infrastructures to provide unique doctoral training driven by inter-sectoral collaboration.
The research groups and supervisors of the programme had their backgrounds in the fields of environmental sciences, bio-economy, engineering and material sciences, as well as in medicine and biosciences. The adoption of the power of modern imaging and characterisation methods in multi-sectoral manner was at the heart of the programme and opened up a new window on the properties of materials, industrial and biological processes, medical treatments and physical phenomena affecting everyday life. This collaboration resulted, in addition of new scientific findings, new multidisciplinary research openings within the university, and with the new partner organisations. The collaboration and the results were disseminated and highlighted during the international ICFUTURE2020 -conference, that brought together about 100 participants around the World. The working in the borders of different scientific disciplines opens possibilities for new breakthrough discoveries also after the end of the programme.
We expect the I4FUTURE to have significant impact on the science in the fields involved and the practical application of scientific information to create innovations and improve the environment and human health also in future. The ESRs’ graduated from the I4FUTURE are highly skilled doctors who are able to see the practical significance of their scientific work and have skills to push the scientific results to practical innovations. 11/20 ESRs graduated by the end of the year 2021, and in 9 cases the expected time of graduation is in year 2022. About a half of the ESRs foresee their future career within an industry, or in research with close connection to industrial applications. In addition to increased competence in research methods, such as imaging and characterisation, the ESRs evaluated gaining important experiences in multidisciplinary networking, communication, resilience, independent research work, collaboration and critical thinking. As a result of the programme, the working conditions perspectives of ESRs were enhanced alongside with the career perspectives. The programme gave the ESRs a good opportunity to consider their own roles in the innovation and value chain and make informed decisions on future prospects in academia, industry or the public sector, or in business world leading their own start-up companies.
I4FUTURE built upon a critical mass of interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral and international expertise and provided a unique combination of complementary methodological approaches for high-quality training that would not be possible to implement at any site or organisation alone.
The I4Future programme built on exploiting the novel imaging and characterisation methods beyond the traditional barriers of research. The interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral programme combined internationally recognised excellence in science and availability of state-of-the-art infrastructures to provide unique doctoral training driven by inter-sectoral collaboration.
The research groups and supervisors of the programme had their backgrounds in the fields of environmental sciences, bio-economy, engineering and material sciences, as well as in medicine and biosciences. The adoption of the power of modern imaging and characterisation methods in multi-sectoral manner was at the heart of the programme and opened up a new window on the properties of materials, industrial and biological processes, medical treatments and physical phenomena affecting everyday life. This collaboration resulted, in addition of new scientific findings, new multidisciplinary research openings within the university, and with the new partner organisations. The collaboration and the results were disseminated and highlighted during the international ICFUTURE2020 -conference, that brought together about 100 participants around the World. The working in the borders of different scientific disciplines opens possibilities for new breakthrough discoveries also after the end of the programme.
We expect the I4FUTURE to have significant impact on the science in the fields involved and the practical application of scientific information to create innovations and improve the environment and human health also in future. The ESRs’ graduated from the I4FUTURE are highly skilled doctors who are able to see the practical significance of their scientific work and have skills to push the scientific results to practical innovations. 11/20 ESRs graduated by the end of the year 2021, and in 9 cases the expected time of graduation is in year 2022. About a half of the ESRs foresee their future career within an industry, or in research with close connection to industrial applications. In addition to increased competence in research methods, such as imaging and characterisation, the ESRs evaluated gaining important experiences in multidisciplinary networking, communication, resilience, independent research work, collaboration and critical thinking. As a result of the programme, the working conditions perspectives of ESRs were enhanced alongside with the career perspectives. The programme gave the ESRs a good opportunity to consider their own roles in the innovation and value chain and make informed decisions on future prospects in academia, industry or the public sector, or in business world leading their own start-up companies.