Excellent Science Days 2.0

October 23 – 25, 2017, Wrocław (Poland)

Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub Wrocław, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław Research Centre EIT+ and Wrocław University of Science and Technology invited young scholars (PhD’s and postdocs), to take part in Excellent Science Days 2.0, Wrocław (Poland).

CONTEXT AND RATIONALE:

The major objective of the Excellent Science Days initiative is to promote excellence across Europe through strengthening the potential of young researchers from Central and Eastern Europe to become scientific competitors in European Research and Cooperation Programmes (i.e. ERC, COST, FET, and Marie Curie) and enhance their capability to secure the publication of their research papers to top journals specialising in natural sciences.

The event comprised two parts:

• 1.5-day workshop dedicated to “good academic writing skills”
• 1-day workshop dedicated to “proposal writing skills”

To make the event as productive as possible, the closed workshop was delivered to a group of selected researchers with already proven skills including scientific independence, team-leading, and winning research grants (National, EU).

PROGRAMME:

• the “good academic writing skills” part:
  • What makes a Nature paper? Examples of what top-tier journals look for in a manuscript
  • Practical exercise (with abstracts): You’re the editor, make a decision
  • Elements of style – first steps when creating a paper: designing clear and informative figures and tables
  • Practical exercise: effective graphs and figures
  • Elements of writing style: Golden rules of writing and structuring the text
  • Paper elements: a guide to structuring each part of the paper
  • Peer review, editorial decision letters, and dealing with referee reports
  • Writing exercises
• the “proposal writing skills” part:
  • Providing information on ERC application and evaluation process
  • Describing the structure of an ERC proposal
  • Defining the concept of scientific excellence of researcher and research idea
  • Providing information on ERC reference documentation and ethical issues
  • Practical exercises related to ERC proposals: writing a good abstract, structuring the proposal, presenting scientific achievements, planning and calculating budgets for ERC projects

APPLICATION/REQUIREMENTS:

• full curriculum vitae
• full list of publications (with the number of citations and impact factor)
• full list of all grant projects (national, international)
• 300-word proposal for an article

THE WORKSHOP LANGUAGE was English.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS: Attendance at the activities was free, but registration was required at the following email: majkowska@acadeuro.wroclaw.plThe organisers provided the participants with workshop materials and covered the cost of coffee and lunches. Discount prices for accommodation (paid for by the attendees) were offered. Travel costs were not reimbursed.

SCIENTIFIC AND ORGANISING COMMITTEE:

• Artur Bednarkiewicz (YAE Member; Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, PAS, Wrocław Research Centre EIT+, Wrocław, Poland; MC of COST European Upconversion Network)
• Sabina Górska (Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, PAS)
• Aleksandra Nowak (Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub, Wrocław, Poland)
• Katarzyna Majkowska (Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub, Wrocław, Poland)
• Arkadiusz Wójs (Wrocław University of Science and Technology)

WORKSHOP DELIVERERS:

• Liesbeth Venema (Senior Editor, Nature Research, Springer Nature)
• Bart Verberck (Senior Editor, Nature Research, Springer Nature)
• Ewa Kuśmierczyk (Excellence in Science Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences)
• Marta Kowol (Excellence in Science Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences)

EXCELLENT SCIENCE DAYS 2.0 – Agenda

Day 1 – October 23, 2017

09:00-09:15 Welcome Addresses

„GOOD ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS” PART (WITH NATURE)

Liesbeth Venema, Bart Verberck

09:15 am – 11:15 am Part 1 of the workshop

• What makes a great paper?
• Choosing a journal

11:15 am – 11:30 am Coffee break

11:30 am – 01:30 pm Part 2 of the workshop

• Elements of style

01:30 pm Lunch

03:00 pm – 05:00 pm Part 3 of the workshop

• Submitting a paper

Day 2 – October 24, 2017

09:00 am – 11:00 am Part 4 of the workshop

• Reviewing and discussing abstracts

11:00 am – 11:15 am Coffee break

11:15 am – 01:15 pm Part 5 of the workshop

• Editorial decisions

01:15 am – 01:30 pm Workshop closing

01:30 pm Lunch

“PROPOSAL WRITING SKILLS” PART (WITH POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES)

Ewa Kusmierczyk, Marta Kowol

The workshop was dedicated to practical issues related to the preparation of an ERC proposal. It provided the participants with information concerning the ERC evaluation process and evaluation criteria together with interpretation, budgeting, and ethical issues. The hands-on exercises were based on examples from ERC applications. The participants were advised on how to construct their application to best demonstrate their scientific excellence as well as the scientific excellence of their research idea.

02:30 pm – 04:30 pm Part 1

04:30 pm – 04:45 pm Coffee break

04:45 pm – 06:15 pm Part 2 of the workshop

Day 3 – October 25, 2017

09:00 am – 11:00 am Part 3 of the workshop

11:00 am – 11:15 am Coffee break

11:15 am – 01:30 pm Part 4 of the workshop

01:30 pm – 01:45 pm Workshop closing