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H2020COFUND2022–2027

EPFLeaders4impact · A new postdoctoral fellowship to address grand societal challenges

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2022-06-01 → 2027-05-31
EU contribution
€4,413,600
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-COFUND

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Results in brief

A new postdoctoral fellowship to address grand societal challenges

The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, www.epfl.ch) is one of the two Federal Institutes of Technology in Switzerland. Its mission is to provide first-rate education foster pioneering research and promote cutting-edge technological innovation. As a world leading scientific institution, EPFL is a leading actor driving innovation in Switzerland and beyond and is playing a critical role in the transition towards a sustainable society. Such transition requires not only new knowledge and technology but also responsible scientific leaders with an ability to think across boundaries, to envision all-encompassing solutions to critical societal problems, and to communicate their research to policymakers. The EPFLeaders4impact programme is aimed at training the next generation of sustainability science leaders. This programme supports experienced researchers with the ambition and potential to develop innovative solutions addressing one or several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides postdoctoral fellows with funding, training, lab facilities, and expert advice allowing them to develop a novel and impactful product or service. During the programme, they are able to evaluate the potential for the commercialization of this product or service before founding a startup or licensing intellectual property to an existing company. The programme contributes to the strengthening of human resources in the field of sustainable innovation in Switzerland and Europe, to the increased availability of new products and services addressing the SDGs and to the strengthening of the sector of sustainable business in Switzerland and Europe. This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034260. The EPFLeader4impact project was launched in June 2022 and will end in May 2027.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

EPFL is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. Its mission is to provide first-rate education, foster pioneering research, and promote cutting-edge technological innovation.As one of the world’s top technical universities and as a leading actor driving disruptive innovation in Switzerland and beyond, EPFL is playing a critical role in the transition towards a sustainable society. Such transition requires not only new knowledge and technology but also responsible scientific leaders with an ability to think across boundaries, to envision all-encompassing solutions to critical societal problems, and to communicate their research to policymakers. EPFL has been integrating sustainability into the training of Bachelor, Master, and PhD students. The EPFLinnovators4impact programme will go one step further by integrating sustainable innovation into the training of postdoctoral researchers who wish to be part of the next generation of sustainable science leaders. Given that the majority of PhD holders eventually choose to pursue another career path than academia, it is crucial to build their entrepreneurial and leadership skills and to focus on sustainable entrepreneurship for those who have developed the required skills and knowledge to address global sustainability challenges during their PhDs. EPFLinnovators4impact is is intended for experienced researchers who have the ambition and the potential to provide innovative solutions addressing one or several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This innovative programme will provide postdoctoral fellows with funding, training, lab facilities, and expert advice allowing them to develop a novel and impactful product or service. In the course of the programme, they will be able to evaluate the potential for the commercialization of this product or service before founding a startup or licensing intellectual property to an existing company.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneCoordinatorSwitzerland

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union