Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PSI-FELLOW-III-3i (International, Interdisciplinary & Intersectoral Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Paul Scherrer Institut)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-09-01 al 2025-08-31
The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland’s largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences, excels in world-class research on condensed matter, materials sciences, energy, environment, and health.
The 60 months PSI-Fellow postdoctoral program at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI, see figure) is open to candidates from all over the world and is intended for experienced researchers after their PhD study to further their scientific training in the four broad areas of expertise at the PSI.
In brief, the program strives for transparency in the selection process, merit-based evaluation of applicants by a reviewing panel of internal and international experts and client-friendliness towards applicant researchers. The application process including guidelines is outlined in detail on the PSI-Fellow-III-3i webpage (http://www.psi.ch/psi-fellow(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
The overall objective of the program is to boost the fellows’ careers by:
- Providing an interdisciplinary research environment
- Access to a unique combination of complex large-scale research facilities, leading to world-class research and high impact publications
- Broad training opportunities in transferable skills and career development support through individual mentoring schemes
- Access to a strong inter-sectoral and academic network
- Access to a very inspiring international environment with staff from more than 60 nations
This program trains the next generation of researchers specialized in tapping the full potential of large-scale research facilities and able to stimulate innovation in Europe's industries through forward-looking research and cutting-edge technology that is uniquely available at PSI. The free choice of research topics within the existing wide range of research themes of PSI fosters new ideas and facilitates innovation.
The 60 months PSI-Fellow postdoctoral program at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI, see figure) is open to candidates from all over the world and is intended for experienced researchers after their PhD study to further their scientific training in the four broad areas of expertise at the PSI.
In brief, the program strives for transparency in the selection process, merit-based evaluation of applicants by a reviewing panel of internal and international experts and client-friendliness towards applicant researchers. The application process including guidelines is outlined in detail on the PSI-Fellow-III-3i webpage (http://www.psi.ch/psi-fellow(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
The overall objective of the program is to boost the fellows’ careers by:
- Providing an interdisciplinary research environment
- Access to a unique combination of complex large-scale research facilities, leading to world-class research and high impact publications
- Broad training opportunities in transferable skills and career development support through individual mentoring schemes
- Access to a strong inter-sectoral and academic network
- Access to a very inspiring international environment with staff from more than 60 nations
This program trains the next generation of researchers specialized in tapping the full potential of large-scale research facilities and able to stimulate innovation in Europe's industries through forward-looking research and cutting-edge technology that is uniquely available at PSI. The free choice of research topics within the existing wide range of research themes of PSI fosters new ideas and facilitates innovation.
All planned tasks were successfully completed within the program’s timeframe. Both application calls launched on September 1, 2020, and September 1, 2022, were published on schedule, and the selection processes were carried out as planned. Candidate evaluations were conducted by both external reviewers and PSI’s internal research commission. The quality of the submitted applications was consistently high across both calls. In total, 62 candidates were awarded two-year contracts with PSI; 31 in the first call and 31 in the second. The total distribution of selected fellows across PSI divisions was as follows (number of fellows in parentheses): Biology and Chemistry (4), Centre for Proton Therapy (1), General Energy Research (8), Large Scale Facilities (3), Nuclear Energy and Safety (7), Neutrons and Muons (12), Photon Science (24), Directorate (2), and Scientific Computing (1).
The PSI-Fellow program is overseen by a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU), which is responsible not only for ensuring the program’s quality but also for handling the administrative tasks required for its implementation. The PMU is further supported by an Advisory Board Committee composed of experts who provide guidance on various program activities. A key objective of the management team is to ensure the successful and meaningful integration of postdoctoral researchers into both their respective research groups or laboratories and the overall PSI-FELLOW program. To support this, three welcome meetings were organized at the start of the fellows’ employment (2nd call, 2022–2025), during which comprehensive information about the program’s structure, available resources, training opportunities, mentoring system, the PSI-Fellow board, and other essential topics such as IT infrastructure, safety protocols, and publication guidelines were shared.
The implementation of a PSI-FELLOW board within PSI-FELLOW-III provided professional development opportunities among the PSI-Fellow postdocs at PSI, a regular exchange between them and the PMU, using networking possibilities among themselves as well as implementing their own ideas into the continuous educational program. The Board represented all Fellow postdocs independent of their scientific field and professional background. Thus, the board consisted of at least one representative per scientific division.
Across both calls, the fellows have benefited from a wide range of training and educational opportunities. In the 2nd call, additional offerings such as a project management workshop and a grant writing training were introduced and well received. Beyond these, the educational program provided a combination of mandatory courses and freely selectable options. Alongside participating in 24 transferable skills trainings, fellows also showed strong interest in enhancing their scientific and technical expertise by attending scientific schools, workshops, and similar trainings.
The program has produced substantial scientific output, including 153 oral presentations and 43 posters at European and international conferences. Across both calls, the fellows published 252 open-access articles in peer-reviewed journals, achieving an outstanding level of scientific productivity and setting a new record within the PSI-FELLOW program.
To further maximize the benefits for fellows and broaden the spectrum of research topics, the program has partnered with 46 organizations, including 34 research institutions and 12 companies. The distinctive structure of PSI-FELLOW-III-3i leverages synergies with leading research institutions to train the next generation of researchers, equipping them to fully exploit the potential of large-scale research facilities, while fostering knowledge transfer and driving innovation within European industries.
The PSI-Fellow program is overseen by a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU), which is responsible not only for ensuring the program’s quality but also for handling the administrative tasks required for its implementation. The PMU is further supported by an Advisory Board Committee composed of experts who provide guidance on various program activities. A key objective of the management team is to ensure the successful and meaningful integration of postdoctoral researchers into both their respective research groups or laboratories and the overall PSI-FELLOW program. To support this, three welcome meetings were organized at the start of the fellows’ employment (2nd call, 2022–2025), during which comprehensive information about the program’s structure, available resources, training opportunities, mentoring system, the PSI-Fellow board, and other essential topics such as IT infrastructure, safety protocols, and publication guidelines were shared.
The implementation of a PSI-FELLOW board within PSI-FELLOW-III provided professional development opportunities among the PSI-Fellow postdocs at PSI, a regular exchange between them and the PMU, using networking possibilities among themselves as well as implementing their own ideas into the continuous educational program. The Board represented all Fellow postdocs independent of their scientific field and professional background. Thus, the board consisted of at least one representative per scientific division.
Across both calls, the fellows have benefited from a wide range of training and educational opportunities. In the 2nd call, additional offerings such as a project management workshop and a grant writing training were introduced and well received. Beyond these, the educational program provided a combination of mandatory courses and freely selectable options. Alongside participating in 24 transferable skills trainings, fellows also showed strong interest in enhancing their scientific and technical expertise by attending scientific schools, workshops, and similar trainings.
The program has produced substantial scientific output, including 153 oral presentations and 43 posters at European and international conferences. Across both calls, the fellows published 252 open-access articles in peer-reviewed journals, achieving an outstanding level of scientific productivity and setting a new record within the PSI-FELLOW program.
To further maximize the benefits for fellows and broaden the spectrum of research topics, the program has partnered with 46 organizations, including 34 research institutions and 12 companies. The distinctive structure of PSI-FELLOW-III-3i leverages synergies with leading research institutions to train the next generation of researchers, equipping them to fully exploit the potential of large-scale research facilities, while fostering knowledge transfer and driving innovation within European industries.
During their two-year postdoctoral tenure at PSI, the fellows conducted multidisciplinary research under the guidance of leading scientists, tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges across industry, society, economy, and the environment. This collaborative, multidisciplinary environment fostered outstanding results, which were widely disseminated. To date, the fellows’ work has been published in 252 peer-reviewed open-access journals (a number that continues to grow) and presented in 153 conference contributions.
The transferable skills trainings provided to the fellows helped them integrate their scientific expertise with managerial competencies, enhancing their career prospects in both academia and the private sector. Through this approach, PSI-FELLOW contributes to the sustainable scientific excellence of the ERA by developing a new generation of highly qualified researchers and promoting the efficient dissemination of scientific knowledge.
The transferable skills trainings provided to the fellows helped them integrate their scientific expertise with managerial competencies, enhancing their career prospects in both academia and the private sector. Through this approach, PSI-FELLOW contributes to the sustainable scientific excellence of the ERA by developing a new generation of highly qualified researchers and promoting the efficient dissemination of scientific knowledge.