Scientists4Future

Scientists4Future Slovenia, project which received Seal of Excellence from European Commission for Marie Sklodowska Curie COFUND Doctoral Programme, will be financed from Slovene state to recruit, host and train 25 doctoral candidates who will study in Slovenia for 4 years. 

The overarching goal of  is to provide an inspiring and productive environment and comprehensive support to attract, develop, and globally interconnect researchers, allowing them to develop the necessary skill set required to tackle today’s challenges.

National Institute of Chemistry (NIC) with partner organisations from European countries will within the Scientists4Future Slovenia programme enhanced quality and sustainability of research training and will increased global attractiveness, visibility and reputation of the doctoral candidates and participating organisations.

The specific programme’s objectives are:

1. Attracting young, talented international doctoral candidates following a high standard recruitment procedure, to carry out interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme and develop new mind set and approaches of new generation of chemical scientists;
2. Enhancing the reseachers' skills, including transferrable ones maximising their professional integration, either in academic or non-academic sectors with enabling doctoral candidates to develop deeper and more diverse set of research and transferable skills and competences;
3. Reinforcing NIC’s scientific Excellence on the selected interdisciplinary research topics advancing already NIC’s excellent fields in six thematic areas, as  Health, Energy, Responsible processes, Advanced products, Chemical engineering and Computer modelling to upgrade NICs training of PhD students;
4. Reinforcing NIC’s capacities enhancing the PhD programme quality, specially with international and intersectoral exchange;
5. Developing new synergies and partnerships fostering the intersectoral and international cooperation in the regional territory in order to bring results of research closer to the market and to make PhD research capacity stronger;
6. Strengthening the innovative and international aspects of the existing Regional Doctoral programme at implementing partner University of  Ljubljana (UL). Systematically implement “3I” Doctorates principles at the NIC and UL, Scientists4Future Slovenia will enable systematic feedback of research results into teaching and education by involving gained experience into Training strategy of NIC for period 2024- 2029;
7. Promoting research projects focusing on the Smart Specialisation Strategies creating a regional leverage effects in terms of knowledge and innovation, multiplying the collaborations between NIC academic partners and the regional clusters on the long term.

Scientists4Future Slovenia will run until 31 August 2027.

25 PhD students will be enrolled into single doctoral cycle of 48 months, with the possibility to extend the terms, when applicable according to the MSCA rules.

The scientific framework offered by Scientists4Future is structured along six thematic challenges, incorporating the research priorities at the NIC. Research programme will offer free and open research options to doctoral candidates in six thematic areas: Health, Energy, Responsible processes, Advanced products, Chemical engineering and Computer modelling. These areas of NIC, Slovenia are ranked by national and international evaluators as leading in excellence in science. This is confirmed by six European Research Council (ERC) grants, which are implemented at NIC.

Scientists4Future Slovenia will empower its doctoral candidates with theoretical and applied scientific knowledge, the ability to understand and perform research techniques and to understand the boundaries of industrial environment. Doctoral candidates will be recruited at NIC with the possibility to perform secondments at academic and non-academic partners.

A strong European Research Area will be the result of the multidisciplinary research topics and intersectoral exchange of information within Scientists4Future Slovenia. Building research capacity in region of South-East Europe will also contribute in bridging the gap between advanced and developing regions in Europe. The programme is aligned with Smart Specialisation strategies of Slovenia and all Slovenia’s neighbouring countries. Scientists4Future Slovenia Programme will be financed through The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Republic of Slovenia.

SHORT INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY

More info: www.ki.si

The Scientists4Future Slovenia has received funding from Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. The project is co-executed by University of Ljubljana. 

Seal of Excellence HORIZON-MSCA-2021-COFUND