The overall objective is to empower, develop, and better support the professional development of early-career researchers (ECR) in order to retain and not lose talent. This objective is pursued in three tracks with the following subsidiary objectives:
- A career guidance track with the objective to empower early-career researchers to pursue careers within as well as outside academia
- An internationalisation track with the objective to widen the early career researchers’ possibilities to integrate international exposure in their career development
- A gender balance track with the objective to facilitate gender balance in the activities in Circle U.
Activities of the WP
9. An Early-Career Researchers Forum
The Early-career researchers Forum will become the point of contact for PhD activities within Circle U.
Heads of doctoral Schools and doctoral Colleges, Career Center leaders and Heads of research centers will meet to discuss issues related to doctoral training, mobility and careers. They will be able to share good practices and common views on doctoral education through workshops (1 workshop per year), e.g. on the approaches to support the early-career researchers for jobs not just inside but also outside universities.
Université Paris Cité will coordinate this activity.
10. Thematic Summer schools for PhD students
We have already planned a summer school for PhD students in the Knowledge Hub on Global Health under the Erasmus + project. The current call will enable us to fund two additional Summer Schools within the Knowledge Hubs on Climate and Democracy. These Summer Schools will allow our PhD students to create cross-university and crosssectoral relationships and skills, and explore interdisciplinary themes related to their research projects.
Aarhus University will design and implement the ERIA Thematic summer schools for PhD students, drawing on its well-established Summer University for international bachelor and master students.
11. Online doctoral training sessions on transversal issues
As part of the career development of Circle U. younger scholars, we want to focus on transversal issues such as the role of science in society, research integrity and ethics, inter- and transdisciplinarity, gender, the normative foundations of science (including the uncertainties associated with research), as well as the role of science within research-intensive universities, the dissemination and transfer of research results.
12. Boosting international and inter-sectoral mobility of early-career researchers within Circle U.
We will seek to promote a more agile circulation of doctors between universities and non-academic institutions or businesses:
- The ECR international mobility scheme will offer fellowships for early-career researchers who will support the appointed Chairs in their activities dedicated to the alliance.
- The ECR secondment outside the Academia scheme will offer secondments to early-career researchers to allow them to intern outside of academia, possibly taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Circle U. networks of associated partners and science parks.
King’s College London will coordinate this activity which is strongly linked to the Academic Chairs Programme which it leads in Circle U. Erasmus+.
13. Integrating gender balance in Circle U. activities
As a first step, a post-doc researcher will conduct a study on gender issues in R&I within our universities. On the basis of the study, the drafting of Guidelines for the Circle U. Gender Equality Plan will be undertaken by a "Women in Science" group of seven researchers among Circle U. Chairs, women and men interested in the topic, that will be set up to focus on this specific task.
The University of Belgrade will lead this activity. Aarhus University will also host the post-doc in charge of studying gender issues within Circle U. as its Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy (CFA) has already participated in a number of EU projects on the promotion of gender equality in science.
Université Paris Cité coordinates ERIA WP4
Université Paris Cité has recognised expertise in research training, particularly for doctoral
students.
Work Package Coordinator
- Université Paris Cité
Ariel Lindner
ariel.lindner@cri-paris.org
Work Package Leads
- Humboldt Universität
Klaus Wiehl
klaus.wiehl@hu-berlin.de - King’s College London
Nigel Eady
nigel.eady@kcl.ac.uk - University of Belgrade
Ivanka Popovic
ivanka.popovic@rect.bg.ac.rs - University of Oslo
Eivind Engebretsen
eivind.engebretsen@medisin.uio.no - UCLouvain
Natalia Thikonov
natalia.tikhonov@uclouvain.be - University of Pisa
Elena Favilli
elena.favilli@unipi.it - University of Vienna
Viki Menczel
viktoria.menczel@univie.ac.at
Post-doc researcher
- Aarhus University
Ea Høg Utoft
eautoft@ps.au.dk