The INITIATE training-by-Research program, through the individual research projects and secondment activities, were complemented with training–by-education offered as part of local graduate programmes and training sessions at the network meetings. Those trainings were provided by participating partners and through lectures of renowned scientists from within and outside the consortium. The ESRs received training on the Academia/Industry interface through secondments, visits and lectures at the premises of the industrial partners, as well as through their Know projects. In these projects the ESRs studied examples of IPR, explored the possibilities for patent application, further exploitation of scientific results, prepared and presented a business plan. The training-by-research program supervised by an interdisciplinary and intersectoral supervisory team. The research projects in the program yielded 34 manuscripts (published or under preparation) and prospective graduation dates for all ESRs spanning from fall 2023 till spring 2025.
The communications strategy of INITIATE aimed to promote the programme and its findings beyond the consortium, and to enhance public awareness of the value of research. The core topics under investigation in the programme are now of major public interested and relevance because of COVID-19. The pandemic has offered unprecedented opportunities for engaging in public understanding of the research now perceived to be directly relevant. To equip the ESRs with the expertise for these types of activities, they received extensive training in ‘communication to the lay-audience”. The online workshops on communication have resulted in ESR blogs, a publication in Virus Research and in organizing European Researcher’s Night live stream events. In addition, many of the INITIATE PIs, actively involved in COVID-19 related research, were regularly asked for scientific opinions on various aspects of the pandemic and to contribute to discussions in mass media: newspapers, TV and radio.
The final meeting of INITATE was held as a satellite meeting with the Cell Symposium: “Viruses in health and disease”. During this symposium the ESRs had the opportunity to present posters on their research projects to all invited speakers, stakeholders, and guests. The INITIATE project poster was presented during the poster sessions. This provided an opportunity for the project coordinator to explain the importance of an innovative training network, and its contribution to the training of a new generation of young researchers in the emerging field of antiviral immunometabolism to a wide audience of stakeholders.
Overall, the INITIATE training program, despite being hampered by the COVID-19 related restrictions, delivered a new generation of innovative and entrepreneurial scientists with leadership potential, and excellent career perspectives in the field of antiviral immunometabolism research and beyond.
