The work and results achieved by MILIEU show a dedication to scientific excellence, international collaboration, and inclusivity.
MILIEU has built a strong academic and research network, especially with project partners UCM and UNIGE. Academic events, staff exchanges, and short visits facilitated by this collaboration have helped share ideas, methods, and best practices. The project organised and participated in 25 academic events, including panels at 4 prestigious international conferences and 3 international MILIEU conferences. These events raised awareness of women, disability, and inclusion and allowed ESRs to network and learn about cutting-edge research.
The project's focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and capacity building produced significant academic results. MILIEU members have given 53 presentations, with ESRs contributing significantly. This work has inspired new joint research lines, new project proposals and new curricula. Up to now 5 open-access academic papers have been published, ensuring that the project's insights reach a wide audience. More are being drafted.
MILIEU's training and skill development showed great results. The project organised two PhD summer schools in Madrid in 2022 and Sofia in 2023 and co-organized the Varna Doctoral Summer Schools in 2021, 2022, and 2023, which covered project management, academic writing, RRI, gender, and disability in research. MILIEU also organized lecture courses and seminars to improve their research and administrative skills. The impressive number of activities includes 3 long-term (9-10 lectures) and 5 intensive lecture courses, 13 seminars, and 10 training workshops. The MILIEU project's courses have been a huge success, attracting ESRs and experienced academics from IPS, BAS, and other academic institutions and improving their academic skills. The courses' extensive coverage of topics shows their effectiveness in addressing scientific research and social inclusion, contributing greatly to the academic community's growth. These educational initiatives increased IPS and BAS capacity and garnered academic attention, expanding the project's reach and impact. Participants received videos and presentations from the best training courses, which were uploaded to the project website.
MILIEU's networking and liaison activities have raised IPS and BAS's international research profile. MILIEU has built strong relationships with key stakeholders, decision-makers, and the academic community through 35 workshops with high management and key stakeholders, networking meetings, and liaison events. These efforts have set the stage for future collaborations and funding, ensuring the project's success. Eight joint proposals for new research projects were developed during the first reporting period to promote internalisation and project drafting skills.
This work has been supported by active dissemination and communication. Many EU and national events and activities presented MILIEU to around 5000 participants. In addition to over 280 activities and events, four informational seminars and a final dissemination event in Brussels were held to promote the project.
Since its founding, MILIEU has dedicated itself to advancing women's studies, disability, and inclusion research. The project's international collaboration, research outputs, and scholar and ESR capacity building are commendable. MILIEU continues to spread its findings and insights, making it a beacon of scientific excellence and inclusivity with a lasting impact beyond its academic community.
The project's continued success is due to MILIEU project partners' strong relationships and efficient collaboration in achieving many shared activities. This collaboration is expected to have a significant long-term impact on the continuation and use of project results, strategies, and activities for the project's long-term exploitation and sustainability.
