In the first year, LIMES set up its Executive Board, an Advisory Board (LAB) and two Cluster Committees (LCCs) charged with candidate selection. 13 PhD candidates were recruited. All projects obtained ethical clearance and adopted a Research Data Management plan.
Key activities throughout the LIMES project:
•Training: The ESRs followed four winter schools (on Interdisciplinarity, Internationality, Intersectorality, Beyond the PhD) and two summer schools (on Project Management and Ethics and on Dissemination). An important element was awareness of ethical standards in research and responsible behaviour in research. Dissemination and communication skills were trained in media teams under the supervision of a marketing and communication specialist. The media teams communicated on LIMES research and maintained the LIMES social media channels.
•Secondment: All researchers participated in a secondment programme. This allowed them to gain professional experiences outside the academic environment of UM. The secondments took place between September 2020 and January 2024.
•Management: The management bodies were the Programme Office (PO, housed at FASoS), the Executive Board (LEB) and the Advisory Board (LAB). The PO governed the daily business of LIMES and its finances. The LEB was the main decision-making body on issues such as the confirmation of candidate selection, allocation of funds or the training programme. The LAB provided advice on the overall direction of LIMES and connected the project to societal partners.
•Mid-term Review: The mid-term review was concluded in October 2021. The report by REA highlighted the ESR's satisfaction about the opportunities provided by LIMES, as well as the efficiency and professionalism of the selection process. Suggestions by the ESRs and recommendations by REA were implemented by the LIMES management.
•Communication and dissemination: the ESRs were featured both in internal UM communications and external channels. Their work was highlighted through media appearances, blog posts, and participation in policy and academic events. The ESRs presented at high-profile international conferences, contributed to institutional publications, engaged with policymakers, and shared their research via podcasts, radio shows, and online platforms.
•Events: At the LIMES Final Conference in October 2023, organized by the ESRs, the researchers presented the results of their work to academic, political, and cultural audiences. For the event, the ‘Limes booklet’ was produced in which the ESRs presented themselves and their research. Another important event was a workshop on the softening and hardening of borders in Europe in September 2022. It brought together the ESRs, experienced academics, and policy practitioners.
•PhD trajectories: By 30 June 2025, all PhD candidates, except one, were on track to submit and defend their thesis in the foreseeable future or had already defended (four of them). One PhD candidate accepted a job offer in the business sector at the end of the 4th year of her trajectory.
