The I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme was initially planned to run for 50 months, with two calls scheduled within the first 14 months. However, the COVID-19 outbreak affected the project, with global circumstances and national and institutional safety regulations hindering its progress. In response, an extension of 12 months was granted, enabling ICIQ to launch a third call in M20 and an extraordinary call in M24. The extension of the programme to M62 also facilitated enhanced training and dissemination activities for the fellows, including the development of secondments at other institutions.
From M2 to M24, 12 fellowships were offered, leading to the recruitment of 11 experienced researchers. The incorporation of the I2:ICIQ Impulsion fellows at ICIQ was somewhat unsteady due to the pandemic situation during 2020-2021, and the fact that all fellows had to relocate from other countries, with most requiring visas. Three equitable redistributions of the remaining person-months have taken place, enabling the extension of ongoing postdoctoral contracts.
The recruitment data shows a moderate overall gender balance among the researchers and the workforce involved in the project, with 32% female and 68% male representation, and 36% of the researchers being women. Nine of the eleven fellows are internationals, and all resided outside of Spain prior to joining ICIQ. European fellows make up 36% of the total.
The I2:ICIQ Impulsion website has been the main online communication tool of the project. It was developed to promote the project's aims, activities, and results internationally, as well as to announce calls for applications. The site provided all necessary information for applicants and included content for general audiences, such as a video filmed at ICIQ to enhance the visibility of the COFUND initiative and the Programme. It also featured details on the project's RRI strategy, covering ethics, gender equality, governance, open access, public engagement, and science education.
The dissemination activities have mainly been based on the following, among others:
- Publication in Open Access: Research by I2: ICIQ Impulsion fellows has led to 15 high-impact open access scientific publications, available through ICIQ’s institutional repository (RECERCAT) and public repositories like OpenAIRE.
- International conferences, workshops and international meetings: fellows have actively participated in relevant conferences, sharing their results through talks and poster presentations.
- Outreach activities: fellows participated in ICIQ’s outreach programme and engaged in various educational activities aimed at advancing science dissemination. These included chemistry workshops for primary and high school students and teachers, and events like Researchers’ Night in Tarragona (coordinated by Universitat Rovira i Virgili), which fosters public appreciation for researchers.
- Drafting press releases to communicate the research in non-scientific journals and magazines.
Ethical considerations were carefully monitored at every stage of the fellows' research activity to maintain compliance with ethical standards. At the end of their stay, fellows submitted a report comparing their initial research proposal with the achieved outcomes, summarizing the training received and detailing dissemination and outreach activities. Feedback from an assessment questionnaire indicates that the I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme was highly successful in supporting fellows' careers and skill development.
