Results of HDHL innovation training for Early Career Scientists

Screens with quotes from training session, Quotes: "I really enjoyed the fast application of the concepts ... when we learned a concept this was immediately applied to our idea/project.."- Early Career Researcher; "It changed my perspective of how I think about what has a real impact""- Early Career Researcher; "I was very impressed by the final presentations of all the particpants. It was very interesting to see how they had managed to interact bond, work together, learn from each other, conceptualize..."

Ensuring real societal impact is a top priority of the JPI HDHL. In line with this objective the ERA-NET HDHL-INTIMIC collaborated with EIT FOOD to organize a training activity in March 2021, which focused on transforming research results into impact.

This activity involved twenty one Early Career Scientists (PhD students and Post-Docs) from nineteen research groups working in the six projects funded in the framework of the METADIS call, a call for projects launched in 2019 by the ERA-NET HDHL-INTIMIC . During the 5 day-course, the attendees had the opportunity to look at their research project from a different angle: which output of their research project can have an impact? For which stakeholders? How to improve the communication about their project? How to be persuasive? How does regulation in the field of novel food work? And how to develop entrepreneurial skills? In addition, the attendees were able to meet different actors from the Food ecosystem (industry, entrepreneurs, investors, public funding organization, and policy makers) during a virtual networking event.

The training activity has been evaluated very positively, both by the young scientists and from their supervisors, and all the attendees would recommend this activity to their colleagues. If the training activity can have a direct impact on their on-going project, the course will surely have long-term benefits as well, by enabling young researchers to open themselves to a different mindset. Hopefully it will also facilitate future collaborations between the young researchers of today who will probably be the Principal investigators of tomorrow.

Possibilities for follow-up activities are being explored. If you would like to know more about this training activity, please contact JPI-HDHLCalls@agencerecherche.fr.

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  • Nutrition
  • HDHL-INTIMIC