WP3. Building Researcher Capacity
This work package is targeted towards network building of early-stage and mid-career TEL researchers within and beyond STELLARnet. Early-stage researchers are young scientists in the phase before getting their Ph.D or before reaching permanent positions. Mid-career researchers are scientist after getting their Ph.D who have reached a permanent position or in any case an established one but not yet the level of senior researchers These researchers are often not yet well connected to other European researchers with respect to their specific areas of research. We assume that improved integration of these important groups of researchers can be achieved by theme-related collaboration and will facilitate the advancement of their individual research and in addition might establish sustainable relationships between the participating European researchers. The WP therefore creates mechanisms for (a) the integration of early-stage and mid-career TEL researchers (community building), (b) for identifying and advancing emerging research themes and topics, and for (c) carrying out integrated actions to bring researchers together on the emerging themes and topics. WP 3 includes three basic instruments that have been developed in similar but not identical form in former Networks (Kaleidoscope and Prolearn): (1) Theme Teams; (2) Incubators, and (3) the STELLARnet Rendez-Vous. They are tools to support scientific progress both from conceptual and methodological perspectives and at the same time can substantially contribute to the integration of researchers into the network.
Theme teams will be funded by the network to support the association of groups of mid-career researchers from different institutions. These groups will be established to collaboratively explore and analyse emerging research topics within the Grand Challenge main themes beyond single workshops or meetings. There is clear evidence from studies conducted by means of Social Network Analysis in the context of the Network Kaleidoscope that this kind of small-scale analysis conducted jointly can result in long lasting and productive collaboration of groups of researchers. Such teams are a means to integrate those European laboratories and research units (those in industry included) that are not directly signing the contract but are interested in the proposed work and provide experience and competences necessary to carry it out. It is worthwhile underlining that the mission of Theme Teams is not to carry out directly research activities but rather to share and possibly integrate competences, methodologies and ideas.
Within the Network lifetime, two Calls will be launched for Theme Teams, which will be evaluated by the Scientific Capacity Committee. This committee will also monitor Theme Teams during their life with the aim of supporting them and keeping them in line with the established objectives.
Incubators. STELLARnet is keen to provide an incubator programme for early career researchers that will support cross-fertilisation while working collaboratively on selected exploratory research actions. The idea is to support promising researchers with mobility or “incubation” scholarships to spend some months in another influential research group to foster integration. Within the Network lifetime, two Calls will be launched for Incubator scholarships, which will be evaluated by the Scientific Capacity Committee. Theme Teams and Incubators Calls will be coordinated and jointly managed. At this time, we envisage that the Incubators and Theme teams may be directly linked (i.e. an Incubator may stem directly from an existing Theme Team, thus contributing to the work carried out within the team itself) but this will not be a necessary condition. The Scientific Capacity Committee will monitor ‘Incubator’ scholarships during their life with the aim of supporting them and keeping them in line with the established objectives.
STELLARnet Rendez-Vous. The purpose of the STELLARnet Rendez-Vous is to launch and sustain a series of scientific meetings in the field of TEL. Main goals of these meetings are: (a) community building in bridging the different instruments for early-stage, mid-career and senior researchers. (b) to identify and advance emerging topics, methodologies and technologies; The STELLARnet Rendez-Vous is not a typical conference, but rather a set of autonomous workshops, taking place at the same time with heterogeneous formats and funding schemes. It is an interdisciplinary forum for both senior researchers and early career researchers – in close cooperation with the Doctoral Academy. These researchers will use a workshop format to discuss conceptual, methodological, and technological challenges in TEL. On the community day during the STELLARnet Rendez-Vous, there will be an award ceremony where ‘Excellence Awards’ in different categories will be given to TEL researchers. The Rendez-Vous will be directed by the Scientific Capacity Committee and a local organising committee (that might change according to the location selected). For each Rendez-Vous, workshop organisers will be selected by the Scientific Capacity Committee via a call for workshop proposals. Each STELLARnet-funded workshop will produce a white-paper,which will be compiled into a coherent “STELLARnet Rendez-Vous White Papers” booklet that can be used as “Meeting of Minds” preparation etc. Other workshops will be funded with other resources from within STELLARnet (e.g., the Doctorial Academy) and beyond (e.g., national funding).
The STELLARnet Rendez-Vous’ are forums were Theme Teams and Incubators can be launched and/or present and discuss results of their collaboration; they also serve as a reflection panel for the results of the Delphi studies (WP1).
Relationship of WP3 with WP1 (Grand Challenge) and WP2 (Strategic Capacity Building)
The Scientific Capacity Committee (WP3) will work together with WP1 and WP 2 in order to identify specific research priorities and scientific problems within the Grand Challenges that will serve as a basis for WP3 specific instruments (Theme Teams, Incubators and STELLARnet Rendez-Vous). Identified topics and issues, e.g. from the results of the Delphi studies, could be further elaborated and specified during STELLARnet Rendez-Vous events and within the work carried out by Theme Teams and Incubators.
Building research capacity in relation to young and early career researchers: Relationship of WP 3 and WP 4. WP3 and WP4 will work in close collaboration in integrating early-stage researchers into the network. Both WPs agreed to co organisation a doctoral event at the Rendez Vous, most probably a poster session during the community day (i.e., where all participants of the different workshops convene). In the WP 4-lead Doctoral School there will be a dedicated event where participants join forces to apply for incubator grants or start to develop ideas for Theme Teams. WP4 members will participate in the selection procedures of Theme Teams, Incubators and Rendez Vous Workshops with a specific focus on how PhD candidates are supported/integrated in the activity according to the written application.