Submitted Abstract
In the past decade, Luxembourg has seen an unprecedented increase in the research activities. The greater public will have more and more difficulties to grasp the diversity of research activities existing in Luxembourg and to identify the involved institutions. Very likely, the same holds true for potential employers within the greater region who may not be aware of young candidates that may currently be trained, and thereby miss out on valuable competences which could have supported their innovation policy. The full presentation of the entire diversity of the existing research topics and an overview, which institutions contribute to the research effort on specific topics remains an issue. The present PSP-Flagship project (DESCOM) application is part of a greater project and is complemented by an INTERREG funding application (DECODE) that will be submitted in parallel. The greater project aims at establishing a training MODULE in science/research communication for PhD candidates and to thereby increase the quality and diversity and frequency of research dissemination to the greater public. Our main objectives are: -Training of young scientists in science communication to sustainably foster the dialogue between researchers and the greater public or other stakeholders.-Presenting of a maximum of our young researchers and their research topic on a platform that reflects the Luxembourgish research landscape.-Support the interaction between academia and the general public by frequent outreach activities.-Fostering networking and cooperation of the different research institutions concerning doctoral education and the promotion of science. Secondary Objective: increase the employability and visibility of our candidates and thereby increase their chances on the job market. Strategy: provide a training Module in Science Communication containing the following elements: -one or more science communication COURSES, -science communication INTERNSHIPS, hosted by our strategic partners. -an interregional science communication WORKSHOP (part performed in the context of the DECODE application). The trainings will be complemented by -The establishment of an interactive PhD-Lux PLATFORM that ultimately aims at presenting all PhD candidates in Luxembourg and their research topic to the greater public, including the possibility to open a discussion forum where researcher can further interact with the public. -Organization of OUTREACH activities aiming at the greater public -Development of a POCKET GUIDE in science communication as preparatory material for all training activities of the module. It can also be provided to all researchers to help them to better disseminate their results. Target audience: Due to the training nature of the project, we will be able to reach very diverse audiences and ensure a high sustainability of the project and will consequently reach a high number of people.