Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CanFaster (The Translational Cancer Faster Forward doctoral programme – CanFaster)
Reporting period: 2019-06-01 to 2023-02-28
CanFaster is a joint venture among industry, health care and academia to enhance and accelerate innovations and clinical implementation within oncology. The vision of CanFaster is to prolong and save lives of cancer patients through integrated development and commercialization/implementation of diagnostic/treatment alternatives, thus reaching the market and patient more rapidly. CanFaster helps to save lives of cancer patients, not for future generations, but for today´s.
The CanFaster programme is enabled by an intimate collaboration between industry, health care system and academia (in total investments of ~7 million Euro). It contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy, where one million new research jobs are needed to reach the Innovation Union flagship initiative. The collected track record of all partners in the proposed CanFaster programme demonstrates an impressive history of entrepreneurial spirit, state-of-the-art medical care but also truly world-class scientific excellence within translational cancer research. The CanFaster regional doctoral programme recruited 16 ESRs that were hosted within CREATE Health, a translational cancer research programme with broad international collaboration partners and excellent out-put for the last 15 years.
The main objectives of the CanFaster programme are (i) increased international and intersectoral mobility, (ii) intensified collaboration within oncology between different sectors including academia, industry and health care, (iii) acceleration of innovation, attracting international investors leading to increased number of SMEs in the region and (iv) education of a new generation of excellent multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial scientists. This is achieved through the attraction of the MSCA programme for industrial partners to add-on to the EU and public national funding of the programme with financial and in-kind contribution.
CanFaster managed to attract diverse and gender-balanced international talent by accepting 55.5% women and 44.5% male candidates to the programme, coming from various sectors and from three continents (Europe, Asia, and South America), with 12 nationalities represented. Efforts to keep this competence nationally were set in place through funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova (“MSCA-Employment”). The success of the CanFaster programmes can be measured by the high fraction of fellows that decided to stay is Sweden after their PhD defence (12/16). Collaboration between sectors was tightened by arranged secondments - both to clinic and industry which lead to fact that 4/8 already finished ESRs were employed in the Medicon Valley area (including Malmö/Lund and the Copenhagen capital area). All ESRs got education in entrepreneurship and innovative thinking which increased their attractivity on the job market but also lead to two patent applications which are currently under the registration process. The high scientific impact of the CanFaster programme is measured by 33 peer-reviewed publications, including an article in Nature Communications, and additional 16 manuscripts ready for submission or currently under review.
The CanFaster programme is enabled by an intimate collaboration between industry, health care system and academia (in total investments of ~7 million Euro). It contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy, where one million new research jobs are needed to reach the Innovation Union flagship initiative. The collected track record of all partners in the proposed CanFaster programme demonstrates an impressive history of entrepreneurial spirit, state-of-the-art medical care but also truly world-class scientific excellence within translational cancer research. The CanFaster regional doctoral programme recruited 16 ESRs that were hosted within CREATE Health, a translational cancer research programme with broad international collaboration partners and excellent out-put for the last 15 years.
The main objectives of the CanFaster programme are (i) increased international and intersectoral mobility, (ii) intensified collaboration within oncology between different sectors including academia, industry and health care, (iii) acceleration of innovation, attracting international investors leading to increased number of SMEs in the region and (iv) education of a new generation of excellent multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial scientists. This is achieved through the attraction of the MSCA programme for industrial partners to add-on to the EU and public national funding of the programme with financial and in-kind contribution.
CanFaster managed to attract diverse and gender-balanced international talent by accepting 55.5% women and 44.5% male candidates to the programme, coming from various sectors and from three continents (Europe, Asia, and South America), with 12 nationalities represented. Efforts to keep this competence nationally were set in place through funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova (“MSCA-Employment”). The success of the CanFaster programmes can be measured by the high fraction of fellows that decided to stay is Sweden after their PhD defence (12/16). Collaboration between sectors was tightened by arranged secondments - both to clinic and industry which lead to fact that 4/8 already finished ESRs were employed in the Medicon Valley area (including Malmö/Lund and the Copenhagen capital area). All ESRs got education in entrepreneurship and innovative thinking which increased their attractivity on the job market but also lead to two patent applications which are currently under the registration process. The high scientific impact of the CanFaster programme is measured by 33 peer-reviewed publications, including an article in Nature Communications, and additional 16 manuscripts ready for submission or currently under review.
The PhD programme was advertised through international channels, including EURAXESS. The recruitment process followed the Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers (EURAXESS, Researchers in motion), and was based on the Open, Transparent and Merit based Recruitment of Researchers (the OTM-R principle) within the European Research area (ERA). The programme recruited 16 PhD students.
The doctoral training within CanFaster was divided into four parallel work packages, e.g. scientific training in cancer research, CanFaster specific training, intersectoral, international training and LU specific mandatory training. The work packages were tailor-made to each ESR. However, the basic framework is provided by LU to ensure that the ESRs fulfill the criteria for doctoral degree defined by the Higher Education Ordinance in Sweden. The CanFaster programme offered several courses within IP, commercialization and clinical implementation as well as secondments in industry or clinical setting.
During the first two year of the Ph.D. studies, the majority of students finished all mandatory courses, worked on their research projects, and attended courses and seminars improving their soft and entrepreneurial skills. They were very active and managed to obtain travel grants of 326 000,- SEK as well as a research grant of 226 000,- SEK. Five of the students successfully performed their half-time Ph.D. presentation. Unfortunately, many of the project got delayed and many of the planned secondments got postponed due to the Corona spread in the world. Despite that, all ESRs adapted to the situation and altered their projects and working habits to successfully continue their projects.
The last two to three years of the PhD studies were dedicated to finalizing the research work, disseminating results, taking industrial and/or clinical secondments as well as writing the PhD thesis. All CanFaster ESRs underwent an education in research collaboration, innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial skills. Tight collaboration was established with Lund Life Science Incubator SmiLe which offered additional entrepreneurship courses (12/16 took them) and networking opportunities. All ESRs finished their secondments and/or clinical shadowing which resulted in tight collaboration or an employment contract for many of them (8/16). Two patent applications are in the preparation or submission phase. Journal clubs, networking events and job fairs were attended and also organised by CanFaster fellows. Additional travel and research grants were obtained by ESRs (135590,- SEK) and dissemination and exploitation activities were maximized after the end of pandemics. In total 81 scientific conferences, 61 workshops, and 83 other scientific events were attaneded by ESRs and their PIs. Three conferences and eight workshops were organized to disseminate CanFaster scientific results. However, social media were mostly used to disseminate and communicate results with scientific audience and the general public, on top of press releases, interviews, videos, and the CanFaster website.
The doctoral training within CanFaster was divided into four parallel work packages, e.g. scientific training in cancer research, CanFaster specific training, intersectoral, international training and LU specific mandatory training. The work packages were tailor-made to each ESR. However, the basic framework is provided by LU to ensure that the ESRs fulfill the criteria for doctoral degree defined by the Higher Education Ordinance in Sweden. The CanFaster programme offered several courses within IP, commercialization and clinical implementation as well as secondments in industry or clinical setting.
During the first two year of the Ph.D. studies, the majority of students finished all mandatory courses, worked on their research projects, and attended courses and seminars improving their soft and entrepreneurial skills. They were very active and managed to obtain travel grants of 326 000,- SEK as well as a research grant of 226 000,- SEK. Five of the students successfully performed their half-time Ph.D. presentation. Unfortunately, many of the project got delayed and many of the planned secondments got postponed due to the Corona spread in the world. Despite that, all ESRs adapted to the situation and altered their projects and working habits to successfully continue their projects.
The last two to three years of the PhD studies were dedicated to finalizing the research work, disseminating results, taking industrial and/or clinical secondments as well as writing the PhD thesis. All CanFaster ESRs underwent an education in research collaboration, innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial skills. Tight collaboration was established with Lund Life Science Incubator SmiLe which offered additional entrepreneurship courses (12/16 took them) and networking opportunities. All ESRs finished their secondments and/or clinical shadowing which resulted in tight collaboration or an employment contract for many of them (8/16). Two patent applications are in the preparation or submission phase. Journal clubs, networking events and job fairs were attended and also organised by CanFaster fellows. Additional travel and research grants were obtained by ESRs (135590,- SEK) and dissemination and exploitation activities were maximized after the end of pandemics. In total 81 scientific conferences, 61 workshops, and 83 other scientific events were attaneded by ESRs and their PIs. Three conferences and eight workshops were organized to disseminate CanFaster scientific results. However, social media were mostly used to disseminate and communicate results with scientific audience and the general public, on top of press releases, interviews, videos, and the CanFaster website.
The CanFaster programme offered to all ESRs a unique exposure to all three sectors (academia, clinic, and industry) as well as opportunities for clinical shadowing, industrial secondments, and industrial/clinical co-supervisors during their PhD studies. All fellows were active in disseminating their scientific results through participation in international conferences, workshops, and using social media. Events organized for the general public were also in focus of the CanFaster programme both on the regional level (Researchers' night, Kulturnatten, etc.) but also internationally (EU Science is Wonderful!) where CanFaster fellows presented their research goals and results.
In summary, the CanFaster programme offered excellent training opportunities for researchers in the early stage of their scientific careers in the field of translational cancer research. The programme provided education in technical and tranferrable skills as well as in entrepreneurship which ensured a broad scope of professional perspectives for the CanFaster fellows. Thus the Europe's human research capital in cancer research and innovation was strengthened.
In summary, the CanFaster programme offered excellent training opportunities for researchers in the early stage of their scientific careers in the field of translational cancer research. The programme provided education in technical and tranferrable skills as well as in entrepreneurship which ensured a broad scope of professional perspectives for the CanFaster fellows. Thus the Europe's human research capital in cancer research and innovation was strengthened.