Marie Curie Initial Training Networks

Marie Curie Initial Training Networks
Name	Marie Curie Initial Training Networks
Formation	1990s
Type	Research training programme
Region served	European Research Area
Parent organization	European Commission

Marie Curie Initial Training Networks

The Marie Curie Initial Training Networks were EU-funded programmes designed to support early-stage researchers through collaborative research training across universities, research institutes, and industry partners. The initiative connected beneficiaries from member states such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain with international partners including United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia. The networks built on earlier fellowship schemes associated with the European Commission and interfaced with programmes such as Horizon 2020, FP6, and FP7.

Overview

The networks provided structured training frameworks linking organisations like Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Max Planck Society, Imperial College London, Università di Bologna, and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas to doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers. They emphasized intersectoral mobility among entities such as Siemens, GlaxoSmithKline, Nestlé, Philips, and Roche as well as academic partners including Oxford University, Cambridge University, ETH Zurich, CNRS, and CERN. Participants received support comparable to grants and fellowships that had parallels with awards like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and honours such as the Nobel Prize in Physics winners among institutional staff.

History and Development

Origins trace to discussions within the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and policy documents influenced by reports from groups including the European Science Foundation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Early calls aligned with framework programmes such as FP5 and FP6, evolving through FP7 into successor schemes under Horizon 2020. Key milestones involved cooperation agreements with national agencies like the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, and pan-European bodies including European Research Council initiatives and networks coordinated by organisations like EMBL and EIT.

Objectives and Structure

Primary objectives targeted development of human capital for institutions such as Karolinska Institutet, University of Barcelona, Leiden University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Delft University of Technology by offering training in contexts linked to labs at Institut Pasteur, Wellcome Trust Centre, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Max Planck Institutes. Structure typically featured coordinated training plans, secondments with companies like ABB or BP, supervisory committees involving professors such as those affiliated with Harvard University or Stanford University, and thematic networks in areas connected to projects at European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Participation and Funding

Participation involved consortia of universities, research centres, SMEs, and large firms drawn from countries including Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Belgium. Funding instruments were managed by the European Commission and national research councils including EPSRC, ANR, DFG, and SNSF, with budgets coordinated via framework programme calls and grant agreements similar to those of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and coordinated by administrative bodies like CORDIS. Eligible beneficiaries often included doctoral candidates supported through institutional partners such as Trinity College Dublin and University of Amsterdam.

Training Activities and Outcomes

Training activities combined coursework delivered by faculties from UCL, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Zürich, and Technische Universität München with practical secondments at industry sites such as BASF, ABB, Airbus, and Thales. Outcomes included defended PhD theses at institutions like Sorbonne University and solved technical challenges in collaboration with laboratories like Los Alamos National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. Alumni moved to positions at organisations such as European Space Agency, World Health Organization, UNESCO, Goldman Sachs, and start-ups incubated at Station F.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations by bodies such as the European Court of Auditors and independent reviewers from Royal Society and Academia Europaea highlighted enhanced mobility among researchers linked to host institutions like King's College London and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Impact metrics referenced career progression into posts at IMF-affiliated research units, appointments at Princeton University, Yale University, and policy roles connected to European Parliament committees. Critiques addressed coordination challenges noted in reports by OECD and implementation lessons shared with successor programmes including those under Horizon Europe.

Notable Networks and Projects

Notable networks included consortia coordinated by institutions such as ETH Zurich addressing topics tied to collaborations with IBM Research and Microsoft Research, health-oriented networks led by Institut Pasteur and Karolinska Institutet partnering with Pfizer and Novartis, and engineering clusters involving TU Delft and Politecnico di Milano working with Siemens and ABB. High-profile projects intersected with initiatives at CERN, environmental clusters associated with European Environment Agency, and interdisciplinary endeavours linked to Wellcome Trust centres and Max Planck Institutes.

Category:European Union research programmes