30 December 2020

FertiCycle School is OPEN!!!

The FertiCycle network is a comprehensive PhD training program educating a diverse cohort of Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), throughout European institutions.  Their training takes a joint learning approach, via semi-annual network meetings, PhD summer schools, on-line learning courses and social media interactions. The main objective is to develop the personal and professional skills of the 15 ESRs, in order to become competent and independent scientists with skills in research innovation and collaboration needed for future development of sustainable bio-based fertilisation technologies and processes.

The FertiCycle network was formed in early 2020, on the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Naturally, the challenge of recruiting 15 young scientists during this period were pronounced.  Fortunately, the most talented and hopeful applicants did not scare easily, and a great cohort of bright and ambitious ESRs were recruited from all over the world, more or less according to our original plans. However, the second wave of COVID-19 interrupted the newly appointed ESRs travel plans to their perspective host countries, pushing back the start date by a few months, and restricting travel amongst the network. 

To get the FertiCycle training program up and running, plan B was activated!  This meant pushing the initial consortium Kick-Off event online via Zoom. At the Kickoff, all the beneficiary and partner organisations were introduced to the ESRs and vice-versa, and the individual plans for research, training and exchanges/collaborations were discussed within the five different work packages, in which the research is organized. To substitute for the physical coffee break socializing, normally a very important key part of such a Kickoff event, we organized random virtual coffee-breakout rooms and icebreaker activities related to our personal interests, expectations, and past experiences to facilitate bonding during the important stage of group ‘forming’. Stimulating conversation along with the openness and curiosity of the young researchers proved to make the “social glue”, which is key in a network like this.

Continuing from the kickoff, the FertiCycle network moved ahead into the “Introduction-course for FertiCycle PhD students” in virtual space. The course was designed to stimulate team-building amongst the ESRs, and to introduce the ESRs to the qualities of an engaged and thriving PhD student. The course covered personal career development planning, research creativity and ethics, data management, open science, supervision principles, stress handling, just to name some of the topics. Continued team-building activities successfully stimulated further social relationships, and they have created a surprisingly strong group spirit!

The second PhD-course, “Waste processing and up-cycling concepts”, originally planned as a Summer School, was postponed until the beginning of 2021, becoming instead a Winter School! This was also completed virtually, due to continued national restrictions and lock-downs. On a positive note, this also meant it could be organized as a 9-week webinar series, with multiple teachers from the FertiCycle network and the Nutri2Cycle project, a related EU Horizon2020 project.  This course aimed to give a thorough introduction to the management, treatment and up-cycling of bio-waste into valuable fertilizer products, fertiliser production and processes, as well as environmental and economic/market aspects. 30 PhD students and postdocs in total participated from FertiCycle and Nutri2Cycle, along with some additional projects, and the lecture-parts of each webinar were made open to the public.  So in reality, the pandemic has also stimulated some good new didactic approaches!

In spite of the pandemic, the FertiCycle network has established a strong team spirit and some excellent initial training! We can’t wait to meet in real life though – but we are certainly off to good start!