Periodic Reporting for period 1 - I2-ICIQ Impulsion (ICIQ Impulse for Talented Postdoctoral Fellows)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-08-01 do 2021-07-31
I2: ICIQ Impulsion will impulse the professional career of 12 highly talented international fellows through the development of an innovative research programme based on interdisciplinarity, internationality and intersectoriality.
This research programme will include a mandatory secondment (from two to six months) in a different research entity (academic and/or non-academic).
I2: ICIQ Impulsion offers 16 research groups led by internationally renowned senior and tenure track researchers that develop excellent interdisciplinary chemical research in different areas of the chemical sciences. The main research challenges defined in the ICIQ Strategic Plan aim at achieving Sustainability through advanced (photo)catalysis and focus on two wide and interdisciplinary areas of chemistry research:
- Catalytic activation of chemical feedstock
- Renewable energies from sunlight
I2: ICIQ Impulsion fellows will have the freedom to:
- define an innovative research project within one of these areas of research
- choose the Group Leader they would like to work with
- choose a partner organisation to develop a secondment
Being part of the I2: ICIQ Impulsion community will allow fellows to have:
- Close supervision and mentoring by internationally renowned Group Leaders
- Access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment and facilities
- A personalised Career Development Plan
- A tailored Training Programme
- Secondments in international institutions
- Networking opportunities
- Dissemination and public engagement activities
- Outstanding working conditions
I2: ICIQ Impulsion is a very attractive programme for highly talented postdoctoral researchers looking for further opportunities in research. It has been designed to enable the maximum impact on immediate and long-term career prospects for the fellows, both in academia and in the private sector. I2: ICIQ Impulsion will also contribute to improve the attractiveness of Catalonia, Spain and Europe as a leading destination for research and innovation, boost the international visibility of ICIQ and further increase the quality of research and innovation developed in the European Research Area (ERA).
This research programme will include a mandatory secondment (from two to six months) in a different research entity (academic and/or non-academic).
I2: ICIQ Impulsion offers 16 research groups led by internationally renowned senior and tenure track researchers that develop excellent interdisciplinary chemical research in different areas of the chemical sciences. The main research challenges defined in the ICIQ Strategic Plan aim at achieving Sustainability through advanced (photo)catalysis and focus on two wide and interdisciplinary areas of chemistry research:
- Catalytic activation of chemical feedstock
- Renewable energies from sunlight
I2: ICIQ Impulsion fellows will have the freedom to:
- define an innovative research project within one of these areas of research
- choose the Group Leader they would like to work with
- choose a partner organisation to develop a secondment
Being part of the I2: ICIQ Impulsion community will allow fellows to have:
- Close supervision and mentoring by internationally renowned Group Leaders
- Access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment and facilities
- A personalised Career Development Plan
- A tailored Training Programme
- Secondments in international institutions
- Networking opportunities
- Dissemination and public engagement activities
- Outstanding working conditions
I2: ICIQ Impulsion is a very attractive programme for highly talented postdoctoral researchers looking for further opportunities in research. It has been designed to enable the maximum impact on immediate and long-term career prospects for the fellows, both in academia and in the private sector. I2: ICIQ Impulsion will also contribute to improve the attractiveness of Catalonia, Spain and Europe as a leading destination for research and innovation, boost the international visibility of ICIQ and further increase the quality of research and innovation developed in the European Research Area (ERA).
The global objective of I2: ICIQ Impulsion is to boost the professional career of 12 highly talented international fellows through the development of an innovative research programme based on interdisciplinarity, internationality and intersectoriality that include a mandatory secondment in a different(s) research entity (academic and/or non-academic).
The I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme was designed to run for 50 months, with two calls programmed to be launched within the first 14 months. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the project has suffered from the global situation and national and institutional safety regulations that partially prevented the planned development of the project. In February 2021 it was approved to extend the duration of the I2:ICIQ Impulsion for 12 months, which has allowed ICIQ to launch a third call in M20 and an extraordinary call in M24 as well as to boost the training and dissemination activities for fellows, including postponed secondments. A total of twelve fellowships have been offered over the entire programme.
The I2:ICIQ Impulsion website is the main online communication tool of the project that has been developed to internationally promote the project’s aims, activities and results as well as the calls for applications. The project website displays all the information necessary for applicants and contains information addressed to all sorts of audiences, including a video that was filmed at ICIQ with the purpose of increasing the visibility of the COFUND initiative and the I2: ICIQ Impulsion Programme. The website also includes information about the I2: ICIQ Impulsion’s RRI strategy related to ethics, gender equality, governance, open access, public engagement and science education.
Four calls for applications have been launched during this reporting period. The available positions within the project topics offered by the ICIQ research groups are internationally promoted and open to worldwide researchers on an equal opportunity basis. Each call is open for 8-9 weeks to facilitate targeted dissemination of the programme and calls, as well as for candidates to prepare their application material in the best possible way. All the applications are evaluated following the evaluation and selection process described in the applicants’ and evaluators’ guide. The evaluation and selection process is based on scientific achievements, excellence, motivation and potential of the candidates and the Selection Committees provided qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the candidates, based on specific criteria.
In terms of recruiting and hiring, I2: ICIQ Impulsion is handled by the project manager (PM) and the HR department at ICIQ. Other departments such as the Communication & Image Unit, Knowledge and Technology Transfer Unit and the Finance department support the development of the programme. The PM is also in charge of ensuring that the I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme and all research projects undertaken by I2: ICIQ Impulsion fellows convey the appropriate ethical reviews. Ethical issues are taken into consideration and monitored at all stages of the development of the research activities of I2:ICIQ Impulsion fellows.
To date, seven experienced researchers have been recruited through three calls of the I2:ICIQ Impulsion programme. During the first reporting period, the recruitment data shows the overall gender balance for the researchers and the workforce involved in the project. Three of the four fellows are non-Spanish nationals and all resided outside Spain before joining ICIQ. The successful candidates of the 3rd call will join their research groups at ICIQ by Oct 2021- Jan 2022. The 4th call will be open from 7 Jul to 5 Sep 2021 offering five post-doctoral positions.
The I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme was designed to run for 50 months, with two calls programmed to be launched within the first 14 months. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the project has suffered from the global situation and national and institutional safety regulations that partially prevented the planned development of the project. In February 2021 it was approved to extend the duration of the I2:ICIQ Impulsion for 12 months, which has allowed ICIQ to launch a third call in M20 and an extraordinary call in M24 as well as to boost the training and dissemination activities for fellows, including postponed secondments. A total of twelve fellowships have been offered over the entire programme.
The I2:ICIQ Impulsion website is the main online communication tool of the project that has been developed to internationally promote the project’s aims, activities and results as well as the calls for applications. The project website displays all the information necessary for applicants and contains information addressed to all sorts of audiences, including a video that was filmed at ICIQ with the purpose of increasing the visibility of the COFUND initiative and the I2: ICIQ Impulsion Programme. The website also includes information about the I2: ICIQ Impulsion’s RRI strategy related to ethics, gender equality, governance, open access, public engagement and science education.
Four calls for applications have been launched during this reporting period. The available positions within the project topics offered by the ICIQ research groups are internationally promoted and open to worldwide researchers on an equal opportunity basis. Each call is open for 8-9 weeks to facilitate targeted dissemination of the programme and calls, as well as for candidates to prepare their application material in the best possible way. All the applications are evaluated following the evaluation and selection process described in the applicants’ and evaluators’ guide. The evaluation and selection process is based on scientific achievements, excellence, motivation and potential of the candidates and the Selection Committees provided qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the candidates, based on specific criteria.
In terms of recruiting and hiring, I2: ICIQ Impulsion is handled by the project manager (PM) and the HR department at ICIQ. Other departments such as the Communication & Image Unit, Knowledge and Technology Transfer Unit and the Finance department support the development of the programme. The PM is also in charge of ensuring that the I2: ICIQ Impulsion programme and all research projects undertaken by I2: ICIQ Impulsion fellows convey the appropriate ethical reviews. Ethical issues are taken into consideration and monitored at all stages of the development of the research activities of I2:ICIQ Impulsion fellows.
To date, seven experienced researchers have been recruited through three calls of the I2:ICIQ Impulsion programme. During the first reporting period, the recruitment data shows the overall gender balance for the researchers and the workforce involved in the project. Three of the four fellows are non-Spanish nationals and all resided outside Spain before joining ICIQ. The successful candidates of the 3rd call will join their research groups at ICIQ by Oct 2021- Jan 2022. The 4th call will be open from 7 Jul to 5 Sep 2021 offering five post-doctoral positions.
Although progress in the implementation of some project activities slowed in this reporting period, project development is contributing to all the expected impacts.
At researcher level:
- Increased set of skills, both research-related and transferable ones, leading to improved employability and career prospects both in and outside academia (leading in the longer-term to more successful careers).
- Increase in higher impact R&I output, more knowledge and ideas converted into products and services.
- Greater contribution to the knowledge-based economy and society.
At organisation level:
- Development of high quality human resources
- Boosting R&I capacity among participating organisations
- Enhanced cooperation and transfer of knowledge between sectors and disciplines
- Strengthening of international and intersectoral collaborative networks
At system level:
- Aligning of practices and policies in the context of the EU Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, enhanced implementation of the EU Charter and Code at regional, national or international level.
- Increase in international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility of researchers in Europe
- Improvement in the working and employment conditions for researchers in Europe at all levels of their career, starting from the doctoral stage.
- Strengthening of Europe’s human capital base in R&I
- Increase in Europe’s attractiveness as a leading destination for R&I
- Better quality R&I contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and growth
At researcher level:
- Increased set of skills, both research-related and transferable ones, leading to improved employability and career prospects both in and outside academia (leading in the longer-term to more successful careers).
- Increase in higher impact R&I output, more knowledge and ideas converted into products and services.
- Greater contribution to the knowledge-based economy and society.
At organisation level:
- Development of high quality human resources
- Boosting R&I capacity among participating organisations
- Enhanced cooperation and transfer of knowledge between sectors and disciplines
- Strengthening of international and intersectoral collaborative networks
At system level:
- Aligning of practices and policies in the context of the EU Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, enhanced implementation of the EU Charter and Code at regional, national or international level.
- Increase in international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility of researchers in Europe
- Improvement in the working and employment conditions for researchers in Europe at all levels of their career, starting from the doctoral stage.
- Strengthening of Europe’s human capital base in R&I
- Increase in Europe’s attractiveness as a leading destination for R&I
- Better quality R&I contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and growth