Young Universities for the Future of Europe - Postdoc programme
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Essex
Department Name: Director of Finance
Abstract
YUFE4Postdocs (Y4P) is an ambitious and novel postdoctoral training programme, launched by the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance in the context of its R&I Agenda. Under the overarching theme 'Urban opportunities & challenges in the 4 YUFE Focus Areas', two calls will result in the appointment of 51 excellent researchers across 10 universities. Stakeholder interactions, Open Science and interdisciplinarity run as a red thread throughout the programme, which is centered around community engagement.
Y4P offers attractive employment conditions, including 36-month appointments and competitive remuneration. Its selection process pilots a novel approach by assessing applicants on a broader and qualitative set of selection criteria, with extensive involvement of external stakeholders. The unique 3-pillar training programme features interactive stakeholder engagement seminars (Pillar 1), combined with a variety of joint transferable skills trainings (Pillar 2) and complementary partner courses (Pillar 3). A triple-I mobility scheme is set in place, covering 6-month intra-YUFE mobility, optional intersectoral secondments, and encouraged interdisciplinary cooperation. Each postdoc is supported by a triad of supervisors, with a Career Development Plan as their individual roadmap.
Under the coordination of UAntwerpen, the consortium unites the 10 YUFE Partners with 19 cities, regions and business organisations as Associated Partners, and can benefit from their extensive experience - in full synergy with YUFE's existing project portfolio (incl. YUFERING, DIOSI and Inno4YUFE). Overall, Y4P will (1) empower future proof researchers, skilled to work in interdisciplinary environments and with access to various career pathways; (2) spur bottom-up bilateral and multilateral collaboration across the Alliance; (3) set a new standard for next generation postdoctoral research training; (4) accelerate the development of a true European (research) University.
Y4P offers attractive employment conditions, including 36-month appointments and competitive remuneration. Its selection process pilots a novel approach by assessing applicants on a broader and qualitative set of selection criteria, with extensive involvement of external stakeholders. The unique 3-pillar training programme features interactive stakeholder engagement seminars (Pillar 1), combined with a variety of joint transferable skills trainings (Pillar 2) and complementary partner courses (Pillar 3). A triple-I mobility scheme is set in place, covering 6-month intra-YUFE mobility, optional intersectoral secondments, and encouraged interdisciplinary cooperation. Each postdoc is supported by a triad of supervisors, with a Career Development Plan as their individual roadmap.
Under the coordination of UAntwerpen, the consortium unites the 10 YUFE Partners with 19 cities, regions and business organisations as Associated Partners, and can benefit from their extensive experience - in full synergy with YUFE's existing project portfolio (incl. YUFERING, DIOSI and Inno4YUFE). Overall, Y4P will (1) empower future proof researchers, skilled to work in interdisciplinary environments and with access to various career pathways; (2) spur bottom-up bilateral and multilateral collaboration across the Alliance; (3) set a new standard for next generation postdoctoral research training; (4) accelerate the development of a true European (research) University.
Organisations
- University of Essex (Lead Research Organisation)
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (Collaboration)
- Maastricht University (UM) (Collaboration)
- University of Antwerp (Collaboration)
- North Karelia Chamber of Commerce (Project Partner)
- Chamber of Commerce of Antwerp (Project Partner)
- City of Kuopio (Project Partner)
- Colchester Borough Council (Project Partner)
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry Torun (Project Partner)
- Brightlands (Project Partner)
- City of Rijeka (Project Partner)
- Private Address (Project Partner)
- Essex County Council (Project Partner)
- Lazio Regional Government (Project Partner)
- City Council of Torun (Project Partner)
- Lazio Innova (Project Partner)
- City Hall of Getafe (Project Partner)
- Nicosia Municipality (Project Partner)
- Croatian Chamber of Economy (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| David Briggs (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The YUFE 4 Postdocs initiative is ongoing. University of Essex currently supports four new YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows in a range of disciplines. Each of the postdoc projects has its own unique research questions relevant to the individual fields of study, and highly innovative projected outcomes. Research outcomes and outputs are being tracked, both by Essex as Host Institution, and by the Coordinating Institution (University of Antwerp), and will be able to report on Key Findings after both funded cohorts of Fellows have completed their projects. |
| Exploitation Route | Too early to say what the outcomes and insights generated by the four individual doctoral projects will be as the award is still active and the projects ongoing. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Creative Economy Environment Healthcare Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | The YUFE 4 Postdocs initiative is ongoing. As noted previously, University of Essex currently supports four new YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows in a range of disciplines. Each of the postdoc projects has its own unique research questions, projected outcomes, and discrete impact pathways and plans for the application of their research. Research outcomes and impacts are being tracked, both by Essex as Host Institution, and by the Coordinating Institution (University of Antwerp), and we will be able to report on key research findings and how they have generated non-academic impacts after both funded cohorts of Fellows have completed their projects. |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Environment,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic Policy & public services |
| Description | YUFE Postdocs Co-Hosting institutions (along with University of Essex): Maastricht University; University of Antwerp; Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun (Poland) |
| Organisation | Maastricht University (UM) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Each of the four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows at University of Essex supported since 2023 in two cohorts involves a three-way collaboration between the individual funded fellow, the Host Institution (UEssex) and the Co-Host Institution(s) (listed above). The YUFE4Postdocs programme as a whole supports c. 50 postdoctoral fellowships across the 10 YUFE partners, funded by the European Commission through the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Co-Fund programme of Horizon Europe, and managed in the UK by the UKRI Horizon Guarantee scheme. At a local institutional level, the investment in four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows hosted by University of Essex is overseen by the Institutional Coordinator of the overall YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) programme at Essex (Deputy Director of Partnerships [Europe]). |
| Collaborator Contribution | As noted, each of the four YUFE 4 Postdocs involves collaboration between the postdoc fellow, Host and Co-Host Institutions |
| Impact | TBC |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | YUFE Postdocs Co-Hosting institutions (along with University of Essex): Maastricht University; University of Antwerp; Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun (Poland) |
| Organisation | Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun |
| Country | Poland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Each of the four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows at University of Essex supported since 2023 in two cohorts involves a three-way collaboration between the individual funded fellow, the Host Institution (UEssex) and the Co-Host Institution(s) (listed above). The YUFE4Postdocs programme as a whole supports c. 50 postdoctoral fellowships across the 10 YUFE partners, funded by the European Commission through the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Co-Fund programme of Horizon Europe, and managed in the UK by the UKRI Horizon Guarantee scheme. At a local institutional level, the investment in four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows hosted by University of Essex is overseen by the Institutional Coordinator of the overall YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) programme at Essex (Deputy Director of Partnerships [Europe]). |
| Collaborator Contribution | As noted, each of the four YUFE 4 Postdocs involves collaboration between the postdoc fellow, Host and Co-Host Institutions |
| Impact | TBC |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | YUFE Postdocs Co-Hosting institutions (along with University of Essex): Maastricht University; University of Antwerp; Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun (Poland) |
| Organisation | University of Antwerp |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Each of the four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows at University of Essex supported since 2023 in two cohorts involves a three-way collaboration between the individual funded fellow, the Host Institution (UEssex) and the Co-Host Institution(s) (listed above). The YUFE4Postdocs programme as a whole supports c. 50 postdoctoral fellowships across the 10 YUFE partners, funded by the European Commission through the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Co-Fund programme of Horizon Europe, and managed in the UK by the UKRI Horizon Guarantee scheme. At a local institutional level, the investment in four YUFE Postdoctoral Fellows hosted by University of Essex is overseen by the Institutional Coordinator of the overall YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) programme at Essex (Deputy Director of Partnerships [Europe]). |
| Collaborator Contribution | As noted, each of the four YUFE 4 Postdocs involves collaboration between the postdoc fellow, Host and Co-Host Institutions |
| Impact | TBC |
| Start Year | 2023 |