Liverpool expert invited by EU to share best practice in PGR training
Panel conversation during the 2023 MSCA Info Day.
Each year the European Commission organizes a briefing day for coordinators of new networks funded within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The main objective of these events is to provide a briefing on the key management and procedural aspects of the project life cycle, on how to comply with the MSCA rules under Horizon Europe, and to share and discuss best practice.
This year’s event took place on 8 and 9 November in Brussels and was streamed to more than 1,000 project coordinators, managers and researchers. For the first time, it included a session to raise awareness on networking opportunities and potential synergies between projects.
Our very own Professor Carsten P Welsch, who has initiated and coordinated no less than six MSCA networks across physics, engineering and life sciences over the past decade, was invited to talk about his experience in fostering networking and synergies, the additional opportunities for project partners and Fellows that have arisen from these collaborations, and examples of some of his highly successful initiatives.
Professor Welsch said: “We have seen enormous advantages from working across large scale postgraduate training programmes: Firstly, international and cross-sector collaboration has helped us boost interdisciplinary R&D, and this has driven cutting-edge science and innovation. In addition, by jointly hosting researcher skills trainings between several networks and doctoral training centers, we have successfully developed new skills of early stage researchers, helped them establish new contacts and maximized their employability. Finally, we have seen that collaboration in the areas of communication and outreach was key to maximizing both, reach and impact. It was a great pleasure sharing the experiences we have made over several framework programs with the leaders of new networks.”
Professor Welsch currently coordinates the Horizon Europe EuPRAXIA Doctoral Network, funded by the EU and UKRI Guarantee Funds. A call for new MSCA Doctoral Networks is open with an application deadline of 28 November 2023.