Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PORTWIMS (Portugal Twinning for innovation and excellence in marine science and Earth observation)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-12-01 do 2022-08-31
In order to achieve this goal, the following objectives were undertaken:
o Collaborations between the twinned institutes through exchanges of personnel, and expert visits
o Summer schools focusing on intense training for MSc, PhD students and post-docs.
o Access to expensive research facilities through on-site training of FC.ID students at the twinned institutes and oceanic research cruises
o Preparation of European research proposals involving FC.ID/FCUL to raise profile in the EC Framework programme and in ESA and European Research Infrastructures
o Advice to the University of Lisbon on scientific innovation, applications of outputs for policy and governance, and exploitation of results for the purposes of knowledge-intensive services and products
o Activities to leave a long-term legacy of Research & Innovation enhancement beyond the end of the program.
PORTWIMS was severely impacted by the unprecedented COVID pandemic that prevented most travel over a two year period.
The work performed was as follows:
WP1
- A KO meeting, Lisbon , progress meeting in Bremerhaven and final meeting in Plymouth were organized; a project steering group monitored progress and worked to mitigate effects of the pandemic on the project objectives
WP2
- 22 staff exchanges were held in person or virtually between FC.ID/FCUL and PML or AWI
- 32 Expert visits were organised with staff from PML or AWI visiting FC.ID/FCUL in person or virtually (with 11 associated with one-to-one mentoring and training on research vessels or at offsite training courses)
WP3
- Four summer schools were organized (one more than planned), with FC.ID/FCUL students & staff participating in intensive training and lecturing on: Copernicus marine data; Marine phytoplankton; Blue Growth & Innovation; and Advanced EO and Artificial Intelligence
- Two additional workshops organised on Ecosystem Services and on Impact
- 20 training exchanges were conducted of FC.ID/FCUL scientists visiting PML/AWI laboratories and/or prepare for participation in research cruises
- Participation of 5 FC.ID staff/students on three oceanographic cruises in the Atlantic: Atlantic-Meridional Transect, 2018 and 2019 and Polarstern, 2019.
WP4
- 17 proposals were submitted (well in excess of target of 4) for international funding, with 10 successful, bringing €684k new funding to FC.ID/FCUL including EC H2020 (3), ESA (3), EEA (1) and Eumetsat (1)
- 60 national (Portuguese) proposals submitted to FCT and national funding bodies with mixed success
- Involvement of FCUL in European international initiatives: Copernicus service evolution; Sentinel data exploitation and validation; core involvement in DANUBIUS-RI; and successful applications to Assemble+ and EuroFleets+
- successful proposal submission to the EEA (on Training for Employability and Technology in the Atlantic, TECATLANTIC) to set up a multidisciplinary integrated program of awareness, education and training to the different sectors of the blue economy
- 4 Collaboration agreements established with the business sector
WP5
- 58 papers were published that were supported by PORTWIMS (in excess of target)
- average impact factor (IF) of the publications increased from an average of 1.5-2 (before PORTWIMS) to 5, exceeding the initial IF target of 3
- 57 scientific conference attendances were undertaken (lower than the 75 expected primarily due to COVID)
WP6
- PORTWIMS activities were effectively communicated to the public through: the website (https://www.portwims.org) social media, newsletters, FCUL webpage, MARE centre webpage, and press releases.
o Weak networking capabilities was addressed through PORTWIMS staff exchanges and expert visits, conference attendance, publications supported open access, summer schools and workshops
o Low involvement in the EC Framework programme addressed by involvement in 3 successful Horizon 2020 proposals
o Low Portuguese geo-return from European Space Agency addressed through 3 ESA and 1 Eumetsat proposals funded.
o Limited Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Marine Sciences was addressed in PORTWIMS
through meetings between Portuguese governmental institutes and funding entities and a PORTWIMS team leading to a Summer School dedicated to Innovation in Lisbon, June 2022
and through a successful EEC grant (TECATLANTIC) focussed on Blue Economy
o Limited employment opportunities for young researchers in Portugal addressed thru new funding supporting employment for 6 Portuguese early and mid-career researchers, plus 8 PhD students, as well as supporting existing staff.
PORTWIMS benefitted 75 staff and students at FC.ID/FCUL undertaking one or more activity such as Staff Exchanges, or Summer School attendance, or publication supported as first author or a combination thereof.
PORTWIMS supported 225 individual person-activities undertaken in the project.