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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - I4FUTURE (Novel Imaging and Characterisation Methods in Bio, Medical, and Environmental Research and Technology Innovations)

Teaser

Summary

I4Future - Imaging for the FUTURE: Novel Imaging and Characterization Methods in Bio, Medical and Environmental Research and Technology Innovations is a Marie SkÅ‚odowska-Curie action co-funded international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral doctoral programme, hosted by the University of Oulu, Finland.

The I4FUTURE Programme aims at full exploitation of the possibilities of modern imaging and characterisation methods in cross-disciplinary work. This unique training programme responds to the increasing need for skilled next-generation ESRs (Early Stage Researcher) in the changing and demanding European job markets in industry, public sector and academia.

The main goal of I4FUTURE is to train early stage researchers with a deep knowledge and multidisciplinary view on the imaging and characterization methods, and transferable skills to evaluate and implement innovations in research and businesses.

The programme brings together the complementary and supplementary expertise of high-level researchers worldwide to train ESRs with interdisciplinary visions in exceedingly relevant socio-economic research areas and state-of-the-art techniques. Ten universities, eleven private companies from the paper, steel, mining and medical industries as well as appliances manufacturing, and four multidisciplinary public sector organisations belong to I4FUTURE. At the University of Oulu, the programme combines 5 faculties and 17 research groups.

The I4FUTURE programme will provide the selected 20 ESRs with a first-hand understanding on how research develops from basic science findings to interdisciplinary innovations and commercially valuable applications. The programme exploits local, national and international strengths of the network partners at multiple levels: excellence in research, local and European cutting-edge infrastructures, collaboration networks including secondments, as well as wide dissemination and outreach activities.

Work performed

The I4FUTURE programme has arranged its activities, created a well-working organisation, complemented the partner organisation pool, and selected successfully the 20 ESRs (Early Stage Researchers).

All the ESRs have started their interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral doctoral training. They all have a second supervisor from the partner organizations, ensuring the seamless collaboration to both directions. All the ESRs will also have minimum of 6 months secondment period in the partner organization during their research. Some ESRs have already accomplished part of their secondments.

The training packages of the programme are in full progress. In addition to the ordinary doctoral studies provided by the University of Oulu Graduate School and the Faculties, additional, until now unique packages, are specially tailored to support the training of ESRs. The training package â€œFrom research-based ideas into an innovative venturing courseâ€ started in the beginning of the programme and it will continue throughout the whole training of the ESRs. The annual five-day intensive course series on â€œMultidisciplinary imaging methods, principles and applicationsâ€ started on June 2017 with a great success also among a variety of other doctoral candidates and personnel at the University of Oulu.

The research in the I4FUTURE relates to wide variety of areas close to the society. Projects of the selected ESRs range from mining, steel production control, environmental and atmospheric issues to bio-and geo-materials, medical diagnostics and treatment. Certain ESRs focus on actual applied questions while some research subjects are more fundamental. Common nominator for all the research work is the use of interdisciplinary imaging and characterization methods.

The unique programme with numerous partner Universities, public organizations and private companies is highly appreciated at the University of Oulu. The programme has received full support from University of Oulu and partner organizations. The start of the I4FUTURE programme as well as ESRsâ€™ research and training activities have been successful and progressed smoothly.

Final results

The I4FUTURE programme engages 10 international partner universities, 11 private companies and 4 multidisciplinary public sector organisations with 17 University of Oulu research groups. The programme brings together the complementary and supplementary expertise of internationally accredited researchers with the aim of training young researchers in an interdisciplinary manner in highly relevant socio-economic research areas using state-of-the-art techniques.

I4FUTURE builds upon a critical mass of interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral and international expertise and provides a unique combination of complementary methodological approaches for high-quality training that would not be possible to implement at any site or organisation alone.

The I4Future programme builds on exploiting the novel imaging and characterisation methods beyond the traditional barriers of research. The interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral programme combines internationally recognised excellence in science and availability of state-of-the-art infrastructures to provide unique doctoral training driven by inter-sectoral collaboration.

The research groups and supervisors of the programme work in the fields of environmental sciences, bio-economy, engineering and material sciences, as well as in medicine and biosciences. The adoption of the power of modern imaging and characterisation methods in multi-sectoral manner is at the heart of the programme and opens up a new window on the properties of materials, industrial and biological processes, medical treatments and physical phenomena affecting everyday life.

The research of the ESRs has been active for about a year during the first two-year reporting period. The ESRs have integrated into the research units and communities, and obtained a significant part of the skills required for carrying out the planned tasks for research in academia and in partner organisations. Further, the results of the interdisciplinary actions will become visible in the publication and dissemination activities carried out by the ESRs.

We expect the I4FUTURE to have significant impact on the science in the fields involved and the practical application of scientific information to create innovations and improve the environment and human health. The ESRsâ€™ graduating from the I4FUTURE will be highly skilled doctors who are able to see the practical significance of their scientific work and have skills to push the scientific results to practical innovations. The working in the borders of different scientific disciplines will open possibilities for new breakthrough discoveries also after the end of the programme.