Periodic Reporting for period 2 - JUNIOR LEADER (Junior Leader la Caixa Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme: Shaping the new generation of leaders in research)
Reporting period: 2021-07-08 to 2025-02-07
The Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme of "la Caixa" Foundation (LCF) successfully supported excellent experienced researchers of all nationalities who joined outstanding research centers in Spain or Portugal in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The programme accommodated a total of 60 fellows through two calls, providing them with valuable training and mobility experiences.
This programme significantly enhanced the career prospects of its fellows through comprehensive training that included scientific, technical, and complementary skills, enabling them to reach their potential as independent researchers and leaders of the next generation. Over the 3-year contracts, fellows conducted impactful research projects and benefitted from the programme’s training, networking, and secondment opportunities.
Both LCF and the host organizations acknowledged that the 3-year contracts provided opportunities of stability and were instrumental in achieving the programme’s goals, as well as those of the fellows.
This programme plays a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge and technological innovation, both of which are key drivers of economic and social progress mostly in Spain and Portugal. By attracting top researchers from around the world, it strengthens the research ecosystem in both countries, fostering international collaboration and the transfer of cutting-edge knowledge. Moreover, by equipping fellows with leadership and interdisciplinary skills, the programme ensures that they contribute effectively to addressing societal challenges, such as climate change, healthcare improvements, and digital transformation.
The primary objective of the Postdoctoral Junior Leader programme is to support the professional development of talented researchers, empowering them to establish themselves as independent investigators. It aims to enhance scientific excellence by providing fellows with an environment that encourages innovation, multidisciplinary approaches, and international mobility. In addtion, by fostering leadership and professional growth, the initiative helps build a stronger and more resilient scientific community, capable of driving long-term positive impact.
Thanks to the support provided by COFUND for its initial implementation, the programme continues to run, offering new opportunities for researchers and reinforcing its long-term impact on the scientific community.
This programme significantly enhanced the career prospects of its fellows through comprehensive training that included scientific, technical, and complementary skills, enabling them to reach their potential as independent researchers and leaders of the next generation. Over the 3-year contracts, fellows conducted impactful research projects and benefitted from the programme’s training, networking, and secondment opportunities.
Both LCF and the host organizations acknowledged that the 3-year contracts provided opportunities of stability and were instrumental in achieving the programme’s goals, as well as those of the fellows.
This programme plays a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge and technological innovation, both of which are key drivers of economic and social progress mostly in Spain and Portugal. By attracting top researchers from around the world, it strengthens the research ecosystem in both countries, fostering international collaboration and the transfer of cutting-edge knowledge. Moreover, by equipping fellows with leadership and interdisciplinary skills, the programme ensures that they contribute effectively to addressing societal challenges, such as climate change, healthcare improvements, and digital transformation.
The primary objective of the Postdoctoral Junior Leader programme is to support the professional development of talented researchers, empowering them to establish themselves as independent investigators. It aims to enhance scientific excellence by providing fellows with an environment that encourages innovation, multidisciplinary approaches, and international mobility. In addtion, by fostering leadership and professional growth, the initiative helps build a stronger and more resilient scientific community, capable of driving long-term positive impact.
Thanks to the support provided by COFUND for its initial implementation, the programme continues to run, offering new opportunities for researchers and reinforcing its long-term impact on the scientific community.
From the beginning of the project in July 2019 until now, significant progress has been made in selecting and supporting early-stage researchers. The project, which has concluded on February 2025, consisted of two calls launched by FBLC in July 2020 and July 2021, respectively. In each call, 30 doctoral fellowships were awarded through an open, transparent, and merit-based three-stage selection process.
To ensure a broad and effective reach, both calls were disseminated internationally following a tailored Communication and Dissemination Plan. This plan included the creation of a programme website, a logo, a slogan, promotional videos, and templates for official documents. Additionally, information days were organised, and participation in specific events was ensured. The plan also leveraged targeted advertising in scientific journals, portals, and social media, along with mailing campaigns directed at the scientific and academic community. Distribution lists included the FBLC alumni network, the FBLC evaluators database, and participating host organisations. Furthermore, host organisations were provided with the Junior Leader dissemination kit to act as multipliers of the calls’ information. As stipulated in the Grant Agreement (GA), each call was also published on the Euraxess website.
A key achievement of the project has been the successful implementation of a rigorous and high-quality evaluation and selection process, which forms the core of the Postdoctoral Junior Leader programme. The entire programme has been managed under the principles of Excellence, Openness, Transparency, Fairness, Efficiency and speed, Confidentiality, Ethics, and Security. FBLC has efficiently overseen both selection processes to identify the best early-stage researchers in STEM fields. To ensure excellence, external and independent experts from diverse disciplines, expertise, sectors, and geographical origins were chosen from FBLC’s extensive database, which includes over 2.000 profiles—many of whom are H2020 evaluators. This dynamic database has been instrumental in maintaining the high standards of the selection process.
The selected researchers have already begun to establish their personal development career plans, incorporating transnational, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility opportunities. These efforts have contributed significantly to fostering the next generation of leading researchers in STEM disciplines, aligning with the project's overarching objectives.
In conclusion, the project's outcomes demonstrate its significant impact on the scientific community and innovation. The publication of 248 open access articles, the completion of 38 dissemination actions, and the creation of 3 patents underscore the project's success in advancing research, fostering knowledge exchange, and contributing to technological progress. These achievements not only reflect the project's alignment with its objectives but also its lasting influence on the STEM research landscape.
To ensure a broad and effective reach, both calls were disseminated internationally following a tailored Communication and Dissemination Plan. This plan included the creation of a programme website, a logo, a slogan, promotional videos, and templates for official documents. Additionally, information days were organised, and participation in specific events was ensured. The plan also leveraged targeted advertising in scientific journals, portals, and social media, along with mailing campaigns directed at the scientific and academic community. Distribution lists included the FBLC alumni network, the FBLC evaluators database, and participating host organisations. Furthermore, host organisations were provided with the Junior Leader dissemination kit to act as multipliers of the calls’ information. As stipulated in the Grant Agreement (GA), each call was also published on the Euraxess website.
A key achievement of the project has been the successful implementation of a rigorous and high-quality evaluation and selection process, which forms the core of the Postdoctoral Junior Leader programme. The entire programme has been managed under the principles of Excellence, Openness, Transparency, Fairness, Efficiency and speed, Confidentiality, Ethics, and Security. FBLC has efficiently overseen both selection processes to identify the best early-stage researchers in STEM fields. To ensure excellence, external and independent experts from diverse disciplines, expertise, sectors, and geographical origins were chosen from FBLC’s extensive database, which includes over 2.000 profiles—many of whom are H2020 evaluators. This dynamic database has been instrumental in maintaining the high standards of the selection process.
The selected researchers have already begun to establish their personal development career plans, incorporating transnational, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility opportunities. These efforts have contributed significantly to fostering the next generation of leading researchers in STEM disciplines, aligning with the project's overarching objectives.
In conclusion, the project's outcomes demonstrate its significant impact on the scientific community and innovation. The publication of 248 open access articles, the completion of 38 dissemination actions, and the creation of 3 patents underscore the project's success in advancing research, fostering knowledge exchange, and contributing to technological progress. These achievements not only reflect the project's alignment with its objectives but also its lasting influence on the STEM research landscape.
The Junior Leader programme aims at generating a broad impact at different levels:
• For Junior Leader researchers
> Boosting their employability, offering them attractive employment and working conditions for researchers, a complementary training programme and collaboration and networking opportunities that will enhance their international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral dimension;
> Enriching their scientific and complementary training options;
> Enlarging the quality and scope of their network of collaborations.
• For Host organisations
> Allwing them to hire the most talented researchers willing to continue their research in Spain and Portugal;
> Expanding their international exposure;
• For Europe
> Expanding the network of collaborations among top centres and researchers;
> Contributing to translate the triple “i” dimension from the strictly doctoral studies to the development of excellent researchers in the industry or the academia.
> Fostering researchers mobility to and within Europe.
• For the Society as a whole
> Giving a proper recognition among society to a researcher’s career, promoting the importance of science and research for the welfare of the community;
> Triggering similar practices from the private sector;
> Promoting technology transfer and supporting researchers to become “entrepreneurial researchers”.
• For Junior Leader researchers
> Boosting their employability, offering them attractive employment and working conditions for researchers, a complementary training programme and collaboration and networking opportunities that will enhance their international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral dimension;
> Enriching their scientific and complementary training options;
> Enlarging the quality and scope of their network of collaborations.
• For Host organisations
> Allwing them to hire the most talented researchers willing to continue their research in Spain and Portugal;
> Expanding their international exposure;
• For Europe
> Expanding the network of collaborations among top centres and researchers;
> Contributing to translate the triple “i” dimension from the strictly doctoral studies to the development of excellent researchers in the industry or the academia.
> Fostering researchers mobility to and within Europe.
• For the Society as a whole
> Giving a proper recognition among society to a researcher’s career, promoting the importance of science and research for the welfare of the community;
> Triggering similar practices from the private sector;
> Promoting technology transfer and supporting researchers to become “entrepreneurial researchers”.