T4ERI

In the “Transform for European Research and Innovation” project (T4ERI), a significant milestone has been achieved in diagnosing barriers and opportunities in research and innovation (R&I) in staff development. Through the SWOT analysis via an online survey, insights from the HR and science specialists across the partner universities have highlighted the best practices and identified gaps. Best practices include promoting the research staff mobility, the career development centers, and the leadership programs, contributing to overall academic growth. The identified gaps involve challenges connected with attracting young STEM researchers, dealing with national legislation, and addressing the language barriers in the academia. This milestone marks a crucial step toward fostering innovation and excellence in the  European research.

1. Survey and analysis of best HR staff development practices and indicators (pdf, 321 KB)

This analysis explores the barriers that appear in the early research careers, covering the PhD students and the research team leaders. Mateusz Paliga’s section identifies the issues including inconvenient class locations, insufficient supervisor support, and academic staff’s lack of ambition. The PhD students also express concerns concerning the workload, the finances, and the limited resources. Barbara Kożusznik and Katarzyna Więcek-Jakubek’s part highlights the barriers including the absence of mentoring, the cultural fit issues, and exclusion from the informal networks as thechallenges that persist throughout the different research leadership stages. This milestone offers the insights that will help to enhance the early researchers’ career mobility and flexibility.

• Map of inhibitors/barriers to mobilising and flexibilising researchers’ careers (pdf, 409 KB)

This document emphasizes the key elements of the academia-business collaboration: regular meetings, short-term projects, and long-term research. It underscores the need for universities to streamline their processes, enhance communication, and promote their research capabilities. Scientists should also be market-aware in terms of practical solutions. The methodology includes an anonymous survey conducted among the T4EU alliance stakeholders, emphasizing transparency, mentoring, and efficient communication. Recommendations include introducing mentoring programmes, engaging young STEM scientists through competitions, and active participation in the Open Innovation initiatives. The partner universities should mediate collaboration, simplify processes, and ensure mutual benefits. Business partners are encouraged to create opportunities, stimulate innovation, and support research interests.

• Needs and opportunities analysis and analysis of career opportunities for early career researchers in the innovation ecosystem (pdf, 239 KB)

This document presents an overview of the research and innovation (R&I) in staff development practices within the T4EU university alliance. These practices encompass various activities targeting the academic teachers, the researchers, and the support staff. The universities have adopted best practices aligned with the HR strategies, and introduced the internal training programmes as well as collaboration with the technology transfer offices. The document also recommends best practices and highlights the critical gaps concerning the above, with a SWOT analysis outlining the internal strengths and weaknesses in that respect, along with the external opportunities and threats. In conclusion, it serves as a basis for developing a joint strategy to enhance the alliance’s R&I capabilities.

• SWOT analysis of R&I staff development concepts at the T4EU universities (pdf, 969 KB)

The T4ERI project, part of Work Package 3 (WP3), has devised a fundraising strategy for the international doctoral research networks. It covers the purpose of fundraising, successful strategies (public and private grants), ways of finding the sources of funding, and assessment of the institutions’ fundraising strategies. The alliance’s strategy aims to raise awareness  and secure funding for the doctoral candidates. The plan includes a timeline, a dedicated team, and a budget of €115,000 primarily for training costs.

This approach seeks to diversify funding beyond the state subsidies and to engage businesses in the research support. It underscores the importance of a long-term planning, strategy development, and collaboration between the universities and the business sector for the effective fundraising and research backing.

• Fundraising strategy for international doctoral research networks (pdf, 374 KB)

The document titled ‘National Policy Recommendations on Diversifying and Flexibilising Standards for Scientific Careers’ outlines key recommendations from the WP3 T4ERI project, part of the Transform4Europe Alliance. Its primary aim is to support the career development of researchers and research management staff across the alliance’s universities. These recommendations focus on diversifying career paths, enhancing flexibility in scientific careers, and fostering stronger collaboration between academia and industry. The document includes six core recommendations, ranging from promoting open research data and improving PhD frameworks to emphasizing career development initiatives and boosting connections between business and academia. The recommendations are designed to be implemented both at the national and European levels, aligning with broader EU research policies.

• National Policy Recommendations on Diversifying and Flexibilising Standards for Scientific Careers (pdf, 161 kB)

The first T4ERI policy brief outlines the challenges faced during the first 18 months of the project in fostering cooperation between T4EU universities in the field of R&I, while highlighting best practices to address these challenges. It also provides actionable recommendations for policy makers to enhance transnational cooperation, strengthen careers in R&I, accelerate the digital transition in R&I and proposes solutions to improve access to scientific excellence.

• T4ERI Policy Recommendations I (pdf, 848 KB)

The second T4ERI Policy Brief summarizes the challenges faced during the three years of T4ERI in fostering cooperation between T4EU universities in the field of R&I, while highlighting best practices to address these challenges. It also provides actionable recommendations for policy makers to enhance transnational cooperation, strengthen careers in R&I, accelerate the digital transition in R&I and proposes solutions to improve access to scientific excellence.

• T4ERI Policy Recommendations II (pdf, 229 KB)

The T4ERI Joint Agenda for Research and Innovation 2030 aims to enhance collaboration in R&I across all disciplines within the Transform4Europe alliance. To achieve this, the consortium has identified key challenges for R&I at the alliance level, defined specific goals, and proposed concrete tasks and actions to address these challenges within a set timeframe. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be used to monitor progress in implementing the Joint Agenda. The Joint Agenda is expected to play a significant role in advancing the vision of the European University of the future. Its implementation will be complemented by other key outcomes from the T4ERI project, creating a comprehensive roadmap. These include the T4ERI partnering and matchmaking tool, joint access to essential research infrastructure across the alliance, targeted action plans to establish major joint research centers, initiatives to attract and retain top-tier researchers, and efforts to increase civil society engagement in R&I.

• Joint Agenda for Research and Innovation in the T4EU focus area of digital and environmental transformation for smart, sustainable and inclusive regions (2030) (pdf, 618 KB)

This document provides a concise overview of the pilot activities, highlighting key findings, successes, challenges and recommendations from all pilot activities within the T4ERI work package 2: Collaboration in Research and Innovation. It is the result of both the pilot phases and the preparatory work that contributed to the development of the “connect4research” tool.

• Report on the pilot evaluation of the online research collaboration opportunity map and partnering & infrastructure-sharing tool “connect4research” (pdf, 2,43 MB)

T4ERI has analysed the legal, administrative and technical barriers to the sharing of Research Infrastructures (RI) within the Transform4Europe Alliance. This document summarizes the key challenges identified by T4EU in facilitating shared access to RI and offers a set of policy recommendations to guide decision-making on this crucial issue for the promotion of collaborative R&I across Europe.

• Report on barriers and obstacles to opening joint access to research infrastructure and resulting policy recommendations (pdf, 469 KB)

The report describes the evaluation of pilot initiatives under work package 3 “The best careers for the brightest” of the T4ERI project. Its main objective was to develop common strategies to promote leadership and entrepreneurship in scientific careers at T4EU partner universities. The activities of WP3 focus on increasing the attractiveness of the T4EU  universities for talented researchers by promoting research excellence and providing comprehensive support and mentoring, including for administrative staff and doctoral students. The report provides a detailed description of the activities related to the series of leadership and entrepreneurship training sessions held as part of the Leadership Academy in Science pilot programme and offers detailed recommendations and guidelines for future editions of the Leadership Academy, aiming to refine the programme and better address the evolving needs of researchers.

• Report on the pilot evaluation of all initiatives in T4ERI work package 3: “The best careers for the brightest minds” (pdf, 521 KB)

The T4EU Joint Strategy “Science4All” sets common standards to lead the way in Open Science and includes three key strategies:

1. T4EU Joint Strategy on Public Engagement in Research and Innovation
2. T4EU Joint Strategy on Science Communication
3. T4EU Joint Strategy on Open Science

The strategy aims to promote and incentivise Open Science at T4EU universities, targeting a wide range of external audiences beyond the academic community.

• T4EU Joint Strategy “Science4All” (pdf, 409 KB)

Several strategies can be used to effectively involve stakeholders and regional innovation ecosystems in the alliance, including conducting stakeholder analyses, organizing workshops and consultations, establishing communication channels and fostering a collaborative environment. To ensure the involvement of stakeholders in T4EU, T4ERI has organised several events, such as the T4ERI Stakeholder Assemblies, which took place both virtually and on site at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and which are summarised in this document.

• Report on the first two Stakeholder Assemblies, held both virtually and on site at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (pdf, 558 KB)

This joint deliverable aims to address the issue of gender equality in R&I through case studies drawn from 16 H2020 SwafS projects awarded to European University Alliances. The aim is to share actions (already implemented or ongoing) at university or alliance level to ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality in long-term R&I strategies. The case studies serve as good practices to inspire individual universities and alliances to make continuous progress in this area. T4ERI contributed with a case study from the University of Silesia in Katowice.

• First FOREU2 report on “Practices and measures taken/to be taken to ensure the mainstreaming of the gender dimension in R&I long-term strategies” (pdf, 2,01 MB)

The T4ERI White Paper summarizes the main learnings and key recommendations of the process of enhanced collaboration. It aims at providing a holistic analysis of all results, identifying legal, regulatory, and financial barriers to R&I cooperation among T4EU universities and elaborating recommendations to national and European policy makers.

• White Paper on Collaboration in R&I: Challenges and Solutions (pdf, 1,21 MB)

The aim of this joint deliverable is to present good practices on the progress made in implementing long-term R&I strategies within Pilot II Alliances through case studies provided by 20 H2020 SwafS projects awarded to European University Alliances. The case studies present different types of strategies and activities implemented to foster the development of the R&I dimension within the alliances.

T4ERI contributed with the T4ERI Fundraising Strategy for International Doctoral Research Networks developed by the University of Silesia in Katowice.

• Second FOREU2 report on “Progress made in the implementation of R&I long-term strategies” (pdf, 2,33 MB)