Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EuReCa (Institut Curie EuReCa PhD Programme)
Période du rapport: 2020-10-01 au 2022-09-30
In 2020, 2.7 million people in the EU were diagnosed with cancer and 1.3 million lost their lives to it. By 2035 cancer cases are estimated to increase by almost 25%, making it the leading cause of death in the EU. In addition, the overall economic impact of cancer in Europe is estimated to exceed €100 billion annually.
The EU has been working on cancer for decades. The “Europe against cancer: action plan 1990-1994” contributed to major progress by supporting research and development financed by the EU budget. This plan was recently renewed by the “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan” 2021.
In this context, the innovative COFUND programme in cancerology, EuReCa (Europe Research & Care), which benefits from the expansion of Institut Curie’s unique bench-to-bedside approach, focuses on fostering interactions between basic and clinical research, and the industrial sector.
The Institut Curie EuReCa PhD Programme has defined the following aims:
• to train a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) able to achieve excellence in basic sciences and their clinical and industrial applications in cancerology,
• to implement innovative actions for career support by exposing ESRs to its ‘3i’ vision: international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary experience,
• to consolidate its leadership within its wide network of public and private partners, in order to facilitate the exchange of best practices in innovative doctoral training, as well as a structured and effective training program to successfully enter the increasingly competitive labour market.
A total of 28 ESRs, 17 women and 11 men from 18 different countries have been recruited during the first 24 months of the project, under 3 calls for applicants in 2020, 2021 and 2022, which represents 2,25% of the total applicants (1.289 from 58 different countries for the 3 calls, all together).
The EuReCa fellows have been actively involved in scientific training and events according to the reported indicators: 63 training activities, 27 conferences, 23 workshops and 3 other events. They have also produced the 2 first scientific publications (articles in a journal) and more are to be published soon. Additionally, they have implemented 27 collaborations with academic institutions and industrial companies, and 1 patent may be registered soon.
The EU has been working on cancer for decades. The “Europe against cancer: action plan 1990-1994” contributed to major progress by supporting research and development financed by the EU budget. This plan was recently renewed by the “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan” 2021.
In this context, the innovative COFUND programme in cancerology, EuReCa (Europe Research & Care), which benefits from the expansion of Institut Curie’s unique bench-to-bedside approach, focuses on fostering interactions between basic and clinical research, and the industrial sector.
The Institut Curie EuReCa PhD Programme has defined the following aims:
• to train a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) able to achieve excellence in basic sciences and their clinical and industrial applications in cancerology,
• to implement innovative actions for career support by exposing ESRs to its ‘3i’ vision: international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary experience,
• to consolidate its leadership within its wide network of public and private partners, in order to facilitate the exchange of best practices in innovative doctoral training, as well as a structured and effective training program to successfully enter the increasingly competitive labour market.
A total of 28 ESRs, 17 women and 11 men from 18 different countries have been recruited during the first 24 months of the project, under 3 calls for applicants in 2020, 2021 and 2022, which represents 2,25% of the total applicants (1.289 from 58 different countries for the 3 calls, all together).
The EuReCa fellows have been actively involved in scientific training and events according to the reported indicators: 63 training activities, 27 conferences, 23 workshops and 3 other events. They have also produced the 2 first scientific publications (articles in a journal) and more are to be published soon. Additionally, they have implemented 27 collaborations with academic institutions and industrial companies, and 1 patent may be registered soon.
Work Package 1 - Management
The first 24M covered the launching of the 3 initially planned calls for applications which enabled to recruit a total of 29 ESR within 3 batches. An amendment was submitted and validated by the European Research Agency in January 2022, requesting an extension of 18 months. This extension was necessary to launch an additional 4th call to recruit the 39 planned PhDs as closest possible.
Work package 2 - Evaluation and Selection of Researchers
WP2 has been the cornerstone of the project to ensure:
• open recruitment: the calls were widely disseminated at European and international level.
• transparent recruitment: the selection process was published and clearly explained and due information on the evaluation results was provided,
• merit-based recruitment: all the evaluations were compliant with public, objective, measurable, and detailed predefined merit-based criteria.
All the experts involved in the selection committees were briefed on the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and gender balance.
Work package 3 - Dissemination of the Programme and its Calls
The communication of the calls was implemented offline and online:
• 10 internal communication actions were implemented, including:
o 1 promotional video about the EuReCa PhD Program
o 6 promotional Youtube videos with testimonials from PhDs at Institut Curie
o 1 Instagram video, “A Day as a PhD Student at Institut Curie”
o 6 interviews
o 2 regular publications: intranet and the internal newsletter,
• 2 external communication actions involved EuReCa fellows and/or included a presentation of the EuReCa PhD Program:
o 1 European Researchers Night
o 1 MSCA Conference – “MSCA 25 years: Next generation MSCA: opening a new era for change”
Lastly, the EuReCa fellows implemented several dissemination actions:
• Social media: 7 posts were published via LinkedIn,
• 2 scientific publications (articles in a journal).
Work package 4 - Ethical Issues
A double control system has been implemented to ensure ethical clearance:
• 1st level: ensure by the ethics advisor, based on the declarations by PIs and required additional information,
• 2nd level: ensure by the EuReCa Ethics Board, including members from the relevant internal ethics committees. This level has not been applied so far since all the projects have been fully compliant with the applicable ethics requirements.
The first 24M covered the launching of the 3 initially planned calls for applications which enabled to recruit a total of 29 ESR within 3 batches. An amendment was submitted and validated by the European Research Agency in January 2022, requesting an extension of 18 months. This extension was necessary to launch an additional 4th call to recruit the 39 planned PhDs as closest possible.
Work package 2 - Evaluation and Selection of Researchers
WP2 has been the cornerstone of the project to ensure:
• open recruitment: the calls were widely disseminated at European and international level.
• transparent recruitment: the selection process was published and clearly explained and due information on the evaluation results was provided,
• merit-based recruitment: all the evaluations were compliant with public, objective, measurable, and detailed predefined merit-based criteria.
All the experts involved in the selection committees were briefed on the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and gender balance.
Work package 3 - Dissemination of the Programme and its Calls
The communication of the calls was implemented offline and online:
• 10 internal communication actions were implemented, including:
o 1 promotional video about the EuReCa PhD Program
o 6 promotional Youtube videos with testimonials from PhDs at Institut Curie
o 1 Instagram video, “A Day as a PhD Student at Institut Curie”
o 6 interviews
o 2 regular publications: intranet and the internal newsletter,
• 2 external communication actions involved EuReCa fellows and/or included a presentation of the EuReCa PhD Program:
o 1 European Researchers Night
o 1 MSCA Conference – “MSCA 25 years: Next generation MSCA: opening a new era for change”
Lastly, the EuReCa fellows implemented several dissemination actions:
• Social media: 7 posts were published via LinkedIn,
• 2 scientific publications (articles in a journal).
Work package 4 - Ethical Issues
A double control system has been implemented to ensure ethical clearance:
• 1st level: ensure by the ethics advisor, based on the declarations by PIs and required additional information,
• 2nd level: ensure by the EuReCa Ethics Board, including members from the relevant internal ethics committees. This level has not been applied so far since all the projects have been fully compliant with the applicable ethics requirements.
There were 4 main expected impacts and the relevant outputs are as follows:
1. Enhancing the potential and future career perspectives of selected researchers; strengthening human resources on regional, national or international level.
The EuReCa PhD Program includes a comprehensive training pathway composed by scientific courses and soft skills courses, as well as hands-on training or out-of-the-lab training (called in French “missions doctorales”), completed by a personalised career development plan, based on 2 compulsory training (“Conducting your doctoral programme” for PhDs and “Managing PhDs Career Development Plan” for PIs and PhDs) and 2 individual sessions with a career coach at the beginning and towards the end of the PhD.
Complementarily, almost all the PhD projects have established collaborations with one or several academic institutions and industrial companies reaching a total of 27.
2. Aligning practices of participating organisations with the principles set out by the EU for human resources development in research and innovation.
Institut Curie has been engaged to provide not only fair framework conditions to all its researchers, but also to develop excellence as regards its internal policy on human resources. This commitment is compliant with the principles of the European Charter and the Code for Researchers and aims to contribute to the advancement of the European Research Area. As a result, Institut Curie obtained in 2018 the EU 'HR Excellence in Research Award'.
3. Quality of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the results.
A total of 2 scientific articles and 53 events (27 conferences, 23 workshops and 3 other events) has been reported so far. Additionally, 1 EuReCa fellow has reported that a patent may be registered soon.
4. Quality of the proposed measures to communicate the results to different target audiences.
Public engagement and outreach are the two main drivers for the transversal communication approach of the EuReCa PhD Program developed through:
• Specific training on the related soft skills, such as “Science Communication & Outreach”, “Slide making”, “Elevator Pitch” or French courses.
• Media and social networks: active online participation thanks to its bilingual (English, French) websites http://www.curie.fr and https://training.institut-curie.org/ and social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
• General public: several initiatives were launched targeting in particular young people and children but had to be postponed to 2022-2023.
• Patients Groups and Health Democracy: a specific training addressing these topics is planned during the 3rd PhD year for all the EuReCa fellows.
1. Enhancing the potential and future career perspectives of selected researchers; strengthening human resources on regional, national or international level.
The EuReCa PhD Program includes a comprehensive training pathway composed by scientific courses and soft skills courses, as well as hands-on training or out-of-the-lab training (called in French “missions doctorales”), completed by a personalised career development plan, based on 2 compulsory training (“Conducting your doctoral programme” for PhDs and “Managing PhDs Career Development Plan” for PIs and PhDs) and 2 individual sessions with a career coach at the beginning and towards the end of the PhD.
Complementarily, almost all the PhD projects have established collaborations with one or several academic institutions and industrial companies reaching a total of 27.
2. Aligning practices of participating organisations with the principles set out by the EU for human resources development in research and innovation.
Institut Curie has been engaged to provide not only fair framework conditions to all its researchers, but also to develop excellence as regards its internal policy on human resources. This commitment is compliant with the principles of the European Charter and the Code for Researchers and aims to contribute to the advancement of the European Research Area. As a result, Institut Curie obtained in 2018 the EU 'HR Excellence in Research Award'.
3. Quality of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the results.
A total of 2 scientific articles and 53 events (27 conferences, 23 workshops and 3 other events) has been reported so far. Additionally, 1 EuReCa fellow has reported that a patent may be registered soon.
4. Quality of the proposed measures to communicate the results to different target audiences.
Public engagement and outreach are the two main drivers for the transversal communication approach of the EuReCa PhD Program developed through:
• Specific training on the related soft skills, such as “Science Communication & Outreach”, “Slide making”, “Elevator Pitch” or French courses.
• Media and social networks: active online participation thanks to its bilingual (English, French) websites http://www.curie.fr and https://training.institut-curie.org/ and social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
• General public: several initiatives were launched targeting in particular young people and children but had to be postponed to 2022-2023.
• Patients Groups and Health Democracy: a specific training addressing these topics is planned during the 3rd PhD year for all the EuReCa fellows.