Fast-Track School
Fast-Track Schools are meant to provide evolutive training, along the project, on scientific, research methodology and result assessment topics to Candidate and Young Researchers, providing support to their respective evolution towards Young and Leading Researchers by the end of the project. Taking Sol2H20 JRA as a “test bed”, the Fast-Track Schools take place once a year and will be hosted consecutively by CIEMAT, ITC, UNIPA and UEvora. Each edition includes Lecture and Brainstorming Sessions, organized in an alternate fashion as to address, in separate and with dedicated contents, Candidate and Young Researchers. Lecture contents and Brainstorming moderation will be assured by teams involving all the Consortium partners. Promoting already an empowerment of Young Researchers in this process, these teams will be composed of: – Senior Researchers for the Young Researcher School, focused on Sol2H20 JRA; – Young Researchers for the Candidate Researcher School, focused on Sol2H20 PhD Thesis development.
PhD Thesis Facility
Com o objetivo de apoiar a promoção de Investigadores Candidatos (detentores de um grau de Mestre relevante) a Jovens Investigadores, o Sol2H20 estabelecerá uma “Infraestrutura de Teses de Doutoramento” para apoiar pelo menos dois Investigadores Candidatos envolvidos entre os parceiros do Sol2H2O. As teses de doutoramento apresentam dois perfis diferentes:
• Research Thesis: with a strong focus on activities developed in the Research Infrastructure of the Consortium;
• TIndustrial Thesis: with a strong focus on activities developed in cooperation with an Industrial partner.
Each thesis will have a co-tutorship by – depending on the Candidate provenance – the Widening or a Leading partner, and will include a mobility period in the co-tutoring partner’s RI.
Spin-off Facility
In support of an ensuing entrepreneurial exploitation of Sol2H2O research results, the Spin-off facility provides both Candidate and Young Researchers with guidance and support in the creation of Spin-off companies, empowering them to consider such pathway as a corollary of their current career development. Besides due support on the definition of a business idea and model, the Spin-off facility will integrate the legal, financial and fiscal specificity of each country integrated in Sol2H2O Consortium. The Spin-off Facility will include training – delivered at the Fast-Track School and available throughout the ensuing project – and technical support contents – available in situ at each of the Consortium partners – to be built in a collaborative way and including a mobility period of the relevant Widening technical body (DIC2E).
Living Amenities Facility
Envisaging a comprehensive approach to the creation of attractiveness conditions by the Widening partner, the Living Amenities Facility aims at the implementation of a support structure rendering the integration of new researchers in the local context easier and welcoming. Developed in close collaboration/contact with relevant bodies and structures of the local Civil Society, the Living Amenities Facility covers the “off work” aspects of what renders attractive the Widening context: access to an Excellence Research Infrastructure developing cuttingedge research, having the conditions to feel integrated and able to self-establish with a high life quality standard. Based on the creation of a “pre-paid Pass”, the Living Amenities Facility will provide its beholders with access to:
a) housing location and organization support;
b) organized cultural visits;
c) “Round a coffee” social events;”
d) sporting activities and facilities;
e) administrative support to foreigners;
f) language courses to foreigners.
Project Proposal Facility
Fostering the sustainability of the cooperation initiated with Sol2H2O, the project aims at capitalizing the results of both joint research and strategy alignment foreseen in WPs 3-4 into new project proposals. The preparation of ensuing project proposals not only encompasses the implementation of all relevant research and administrative skills developed along Sol2H2O but also embodies the base for the Cooperation Agreement and Follow-up structure envisaged in WP 1 (Task 1.2). This facility will structure and put in place all the required contents of project proposals, namely:
(a) a concrete definition of the research approach and expected outcomes;
(b) the design of the work plan;
(c) a standardized procedure for the description of relevant background;
(d) a standardized procedure for the elaboration of project budgeting – aiming at a more efficient Call identification / Consortium gathering / Proposal writing process.
As an outcome of this facility, along Sol2H2O at least one project proposal stemming from the Widening partner is expected for each of the following typologies:
(i) Horizon Europe proposal (involving Sol2H2O Consortium);
(ii) Portugal 2030 proposal;
(iii) Alentejo 2030 proposal;
(iv) Industry services proposal. Additionally, and alongside, the Leading partners will pursue the use of methodologies and resources developed in this facility to the preparation of ensuing national and/or regional funding proposals envisaging the crosscooperation with the Widening partner (e.g. after the local and/or remote use of its Research Infrastructure).
ERC Proposal Facility
Embedded in the Career Building objectives, the ERC Proposal Facility aims at providing Young and Senior Researchers with a structured set of information backing their Application to ERC Grants. Capitalizing the Research and Strategy alignment outcomes of WPs 2 and 4 and supported by the coordination and administrative support devised in WP1, the ERC Proposal Facility will provide structured contents on:
(a) New research avenues aligned with the Research Strategy and Policy goals;
(b) Institutional background at both research and infrastructural levels assuring the due hosting of ensuing cutting-edge research.
The ERC Proposal Facility will support at least one application to: – a ERC Starting Grant, aiming at the build-up of a research team in Sol2H20 field of research, led by the Young Researcher involved, on the Widening institution, in the development of the Joint Research activity; – a ERC Synergy Grant, aiming at the joint addressing, by the Sol2H2O Consortium, of the ensuing research questions stemming from the results of the Joint Research activity.
Staff Exchange
Staff Exchange measures are transversal to Sol2H20 Work Plan and regarded as a privileged tool for both knowhow transfer and strengthening of the Consortium cooperation. In line with the objective of upgrading the profile of the Widening partner by means of upgraded skills at research, technical and administrative levels, Staff Exchange measures encompass:
(a) Researchers Exchange in line with the development of the Joint Research activity;
(b) Students Exchange in line with the Fast-Track School and PhD Thesis Facility measures;
(c) Administrative staff exchange in line with the development and implementation of the Project and Cooperation Management, Gender Equality, DEC activities and Spin-off Facility.