Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MendTheGap (Smart Integration of Genetics with Sciences of the Past in Croatia: Minding and Mending the Gap)

Teaser

This project is an innovative and exciting opportunity to mend several gaps in the research capacity in Croatia in Archaeology, Genetics, and other ‘Sciences of the Past’ (including Archaeobotany, Geoarchaeology, and Palaeontology) by twinning a consortium of Croatian...

Summary

This project is an innovative and exciting opportunity to mend several gaps in the research capacity in Croatia in Archaeology, Genetics, and other ‘Sciences of the Past’ (including Archaeobotany, Geoarchaeology, and Palaeontology) by twinning a consortium of Croatian researchers with overlapping interests (CrEAMA Initiative) with archaeological scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Pisa. The project exploits location-specific advantages that arise from two crucial facts. Firstly, there is large number of archaeological sites and remains in Croatia that are relatively understudied. Secondly there is a group of researchers (CrEAMA Initiative) whose research capacity, impact, and grant success at the European level has not realised full potential owing to a relative lack of resources, coordination, and strategic planning. This project will unlock this latent scientific potential by developing multi-inter-trans- disciplinary (MIT disciplinary) expertise to enhance and set the agenda for future research related to the Sciences of the Past in Croatia. Our ultimate vision is to develop a research group capable of using an MIT disciplinary approach to Sciences of the Past; this will be a powerful force for innovation and will contribute to resolving contemporary issues. This vision will be realised through support from our partners: the University of Cambridge and the University of Pisa. Both institutions display proven success in Archaeology, Genetics and other Sciences of the Past, and have proven track records in applying for and completing EU-funded research projects. Their success is owing to the excellence of their scientists, but significantly also to the effective management structures at Department/Institute and University levels. The project has four specific goals. The first goal is to establish and integrate the existing MIT disciplinary scientific research community in Croatia, CrEAMA Initiative, related to the Sciences of the Past. The second goal is to upgrade and intensify scientific research of CrEAMA Initiative by utilising recent methodological achievements in genetics [Next-generation Sequencing and DNA refinement of ancient materials] and other biological disciplines (complex analyses of shape). The third goal is to foster integration of the CrEAMA Initiative into ERA by intensifying scientific communications (invited seminars, workshops), visibility (conferences, creation of interesting and educational web content) and collaborations (field summer schools, joint papers) ending with large-scale international project proposal submissions. Our last goal is to commercialise and integrate the CrEAMA Initiative research with the needs of society (local community) at the level of local (Korčula Island, Zagreb), regional (Dalmatia, Zagreb area), national (Croatia), European (web) and global (web) level.

Work performed

-First periodic report: 1./2/2016 – 30/4/2017
- Payment to all partners has been done
- Press Conference has been realised in main Croatian newspapers.
- Project comunication has been settled: MendTheGap dropbox and e-mail (mendthegap@agr.hr)
Meetings (5 main project meetings):
- Kick-off meeting, held in Zagreb (Hotel Dubrovnik and FAZ) from 16th to 17th March 2016
- Data management plan was established by FAZ members in Zagreb (FAZ).
- Two summer schools were held .
- Three workshops were held.
performed, five in UCAM and two in UNIPI
1 PhD and 1 post doc education were done in project.
- 27 scientific presentations were held, 14 in Vela Luka, one in Zagreb, one in Italy, seven in Pisa , one in Portugal, one in Slovenia, one in Spain and one in UK.
- Nine Journal clubs discussions were held with participation of CrEAMA members
Croatian TV – 2x presentation.
Croatian daily newspaper – 2x

Second periodic report: 01/04/2017 - 31/01/2019.

In total, 12 Monthly Journal Club were held in Zagreb.
In total, 9 mobilities were done in Cambridge-UCAM.
In total, 5 mobilities were done in Pisa-UNIPI.
In total 8 main project meetings were held:
Management of the project WP1
• Coordination meeting of the Management and Steering Committee members was held in Pisa on 17th January 2017 with participation of 23 participants
• Management Committee meeting related to administration of interim and final report was held in Zagreb on May 12th, 2017 with participation of seven persons.
• Administrative meeting and training was held on 17th April, 2018 in Zagreb with participation of five persons.
• Management and Steering Committee meeting was held in Zagreb on April 18th,2018 with participation of 13 persons
• Meeting of all members of the project Mend the Gap was held in Zagreb on April 18th, 2018 with participation of 23 persons.
• Administrative management control meeting was held in Cambridge on July 10th, 2018 with participation of 10 persons.
• Management and Steering committee meeting was held in Vela Luka on September 14th, 2018 with participation of 10 persons.
• Final Management Committee meeting was held in Zagreb on January 11th,2019 with participation of 15 persons.
Workshops and summer school:
In WP 2 in total 4 workshops were done.
In WP 3 in total 9 workshops were done.
In WP 4 6 workshops were done.
Dissemination of the Project
Books – 2 books were completed.
Public lectures:
In total, we held 1 public lecture in ÄŒabar.
In total, we held 12 public lectures in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.
In total, we held 1 public lecture in the Archaeological Museum in Osijek.
In total, we held 1 public lectures in the Archaeological Museum in Vinkovci.
• Public lecture: MendTheGap project at the Informative Day of Twinning Applications in 2017, Ino Čurik, May 16, 2017, Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, Zagreb.• Public doctoral thesis presentation: Karstic estuaris along the eastern Adriatic coast: Late/Quternary evolution of the Mirna and Neretva River mouths, Igor Felja, June 26, 2017, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Geology.
Media presentation:
In total, Mend the Gap project was presented 7 times on radio Vela Luka, Croatia.
In total, Mend the Gap project was presented 1 time on Croatian radio, Zagreb, Croatia.
In total, Mend the Gap project was presented 9 times in Croatian daily newspaper, Croatia.
In total we held 8 Public presentation on Croatian Radiotelevision.
Press conference: final presentation of the project in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, January 10, 2019.
Exibition:
•Museum Exhibition: MendTheGap Project, February 1 to February 10, 2019, Croatian Natural History Museum.
SME - Archaeolink
• Visit the location of Vela Spila and Vela Luka 4 x.
• Workhops - 3 times in Vela Luka.
• Presentations in Cambridge – 3 x.
Presentations in Vela Luka – 3 x.
• Exhibitions of photographs in Vela Luka – 1x
• ArchaeoLink prepared a dozen comprehen

Final results

The general audence has been informed about the start of the project and we need some time for the feedback.

Website & more info

More info: http://mendthegap.agr.hr/.