Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PD2PI (From Postdoc to PI: Future leaders of ERA) Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2021-10-31 Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project The overall objective of the PD2PI project is to create a new generation of scientists (Experienced Researchers; ER), independent leaders/managers capable of working in business and/or academia and becoming stimulants and intermediaries of knowledge & technology transfer on an international level. The PD2PI project aims to provide an international, inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary post-doctoral programme for ERs combining chemistry, physics, materials science/engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, physics or related field with soft skills and transferable skills training. Under the project, the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS (IChF) will launch a competitive and transparent selection process with the participation of the international selection committee (up to three calls). The evaluation will be based on application documents, including curriculum vitae, the proposal of own research and a supporting letter from an international research organisation, followed by interviews with the highest-scoring candidates. The evaluation process was designed to support acquiring highly motivated experienced researchers, determined to hold a leading position in business or academia. The most successful candidates will receive the offer of fellowships lasting from 3 to 36 months (450 person-months in total). During the enrolment, they will be conducting interdisciplinary research projects while attending the tailor-made training programme. The PD2PI training programme will be based on the Individual Career Plan and will integrate specialised courses with hands-on training, also in the business-oriented environment. During their stay at IChF, the fellows will be supported and mentored by top scientists from IChF and partner research institutions. The PD2PI fellows will also be encouraged to supervise & mentor their own team, i.e. one MSc and/or one PhD student collaborating on the project to gain the experience of managing junior research staff.The research and training strategy - adopted to the PD2PI project- will ensure the formation of researchers qualified to work in the business sector in Europe and scientists acting as intermediaries between the academia and business. Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far From the beginning of the project, all actions were according to the plan. The most important step towards proper implementation of the PD2PI project was the recruitment of the PD2PI fellows. As a result of the recruitment process under a single call, we have selected fourteen top-scoring postdoctoral fellows. The selection proceedings followed the principles underlying the provisions of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of conduct in the recruitment of the researchers. In particular, the recruitment was open, transparent and based on merits and involved international experts from external research units, also having experience in the business sector.Apart from the successful recruitment of fourteen ERs, we have implemented the following actions:• gaining additional, complementary funds from the Polish Ministry of Education and Science to supplement EU contribution to the PD2PI project,• carrying out research within the fourteen research projects proposed under the PD2PI project,• formulation of fourteen Individual Career Development Plans,• implementation of the PD2PI training programme encompassing a series of lectures on the cutting edge of science (linking biology, medicine, physics, chemistry) as well as courses on transferable knowledge & soft skills (e.g. IPR, career planning, scientific writing, communication and presentation skills),• dissemination and exploitation of the ERs’ research results - activities in this area include: establishing and running of the PD2PI website, active participation of fellows in national and international scientific conferences/workshops and publication of 8 publications with an open access status, • preparing the individual ethics clearance reports by each PD2PI fellow. Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far) Meeting the objectives underlying the PD2PI project will influence the progress beyond the state of the art and socio-economic surrounding in many ways.The PD2PI project is targeted at the creation of a new generation of highly-qualified scientists, able to work in both scientific and business sectors, acting as intermediaries in the process of the transfer of knowledge and technology on an international scale. The PD2PI project envisages the recruitment of postdoctoral scientists to carry out interdisciplinary research projects embedded in the most modern basic science, combining chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology and materials science. Additionally, research fields proposed under PD2PI are in line with strategies underlying H2020, regional & national strategies, incl. SMART specializations, i.e.: Healthy Society; Circular economy; Bio-economy comprising agri-food, forestry & environment; Innovative technologies & industrial processes; Sustainable energy.The employment of ambitious, outstanding and experienced scientists will significantly increase the research potential of IChF and expand our network of collaboration and as a result, will contribute to strengthening the innovative potential of the regional and national economy. As IChF collaborates regularly with the business sector, the PD2PI fellows will have the opportunity to undertake the joint projects with collaborating business partners such as Samsung, Unilever, Mitsui Chemicals, General Electric & Thermo Fisher Scientific or one of the innovative spin-off companies which have been developed based on IPC inventions: Scope Fluidics (microfluidic devices for medicine/biotech) & Curiosity Diagnostics (digital assaying). It is envisaged that some of the theoretical concepts developed by fellows under their individual research projects will be applicable to industrial or medical solutions. For example, one of the fellows’ projects aims to provide a comprehensive theoretical picture of the photoisomerization reactions of retinoids which may be helpful in the development of the potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of some hereditary diseases of the eye.The research cooperation with foreign research institutions will enhance the integration with international organizations and will contribute to the creation of a new generation of scientists capable of effective cooperation in the European Research Area. Moreover, the research projects carried out under the project go beyond the academic sector, have good prospects for commercialization and as a result will have a significant impact on the development of innovative technologies. logo.png
