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)