In line with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme, the IRB_DREAM Programme is enhancing the career prospects of the fellows by:
- Increasing and diversifying the set of skills, both research-related and transferable ones: by working in the Institute’s unique infrastructures and excellent research facilities, core facilities and services and in the local/regional ecosystem in which the centre is located, fellows acquire knowledge in a broad range of techniques and scientific skills. These capacities are further developed through access to the training courses both in scientific and transferable skills and a Personalised Career Development Plan. The fellows are closely guided and mentored by their supervisors, their TAC and the Career Advisor.
- Fostering interdisciplinary and intersectoral exchange: fellows are continuously exposed to the non-academic sector through a series of activities, including training series (courses on entrepreneurship, intellectual property, technology transfer and innovation process, etc.), networking activities with companies, personalised follow-up by Innovation Department staff, including visits and secondments to industry, and personalised advice for those interested in undertaking a non-academic career path.
- Enhancing networking and communication capacities with peers and the general public to broaden the research and innovation impact: fellows have been encouraged to participate in ENABLE activities, both in organisation aspects and by presenting their results. In addition, fellows benefit from increased opportunities to undertake communications activities with patient associations and social networks involved in the corresponding health problems, thereby enhancing the visibility of their projects to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Furthermore, the IRB_DREAM Programme is strengthening human resources on a regional, national and international level in terms of:
- Excellence in Research Training
- Excellence in Complementary Training and Personalised Career Development Advice
- Excellence in Recruitment and Working Conditions
- Promotion of International Mobility and Networking
- Promotion of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Principles
- Integral Quality Assurance Strategy
The IRB_DREAM programme is contributing to the implementation of measures aligned with the principles set out by the EU for human resources development in research and innovation, such as the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training and the European Charter for Researchers & the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Moreover, IRB Barcelona was awarded the "HR Excellence in Research" logo in 2014, in recognition of its commitment to the continuous improvement of its human resources policies, and was renewed successfully in January 2023. The award confirms the efforts made by IRB Barcelona to ensure fair and transparent recruitment and appraisal procedures.
In terms of measures proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the results, throughout the duration of their grant, fellows will be supported by the experience and resources of the Supervisory team, the TAC, and the different IRB Barcelona Administration departments, which will provide guidance on issues related to the dissemination and further use of the results generated from research projects, including the following: (i) publication policies and internal procedures; (ii) identification and management of protectable Intellectual Property (IP) assets that may derive from the results; and (iii) evaluation of potential exploitation routes, etc.
