Final report on career actions of young scientists

This deliverable (D2.3) reports on career development actions for young scientists under AIDAinnova Work Package 2 (WP2: Communication, Outreach and Knowledge Transfer). Task 2.3 aimed to strengthen the participation, visibility, and training of early-career detector scientists through structured opportunities for publishing, networking, and skills development.
 
The Young Scientist Publication Committee (PubCom), created in 2022, provided a peer-review mechanism for technical notes and early publications. Although successfully implemented with CERN Document Server, its usage was limited, as most young scientists published directly in journals, through WP-coordinator reviews, or via Zenodo and conferences. Still, PubCom offered valuable training in peer review and scientific editing.
 
A major highlight was the AIDAinnova Course on Quantum Applications (January 2025), organised alongside the QT4HEP conference and the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Around 100 participants attended lectures from academia and industry, joined networking breakfasts, a poster session, and took part in a visit to the CMS experiment. Grants supported students with limited resources, ensuring inclusiveness and wider participation.
 
The AIDAinnova Annual Meetings (2023–2025) provided platforms for lectures, workshops, and networking. Activities included “Academia Meets Industry” events, detector technology lectures, and poster sessions where young researchers presented informally, fostering collaboration between students, senior scientists, and industry.
 
In 2024, AIDAinnova contributed to CERN’s EP R&D Days with a poster session featuring 23 contributions from PhD students and early-career researchers. Covering topics from particle detectors to robotics, the event was well attended and will remain a recurring feature. A best-poster award was introduced, with the winner receiving a scholarship to the Detector and Instrumentation School in Cogne, Italy.
 
Task 2.3 received €10,000, fully invested in training and career initiatives. Costs covered catering, travel, materials, student support, and the scholarship, with in-kind contributions mainly in organisational manpower.
 
Despite its modest budget (0.1% of the total project), Task 2.3 had a strong impact on training, networking, and career development, with initiatives widely appreciated by participants. Looking ahead, the consortium plans to expand such activities in future EU funding applications, with a proposed fourfold increase in resources to broaden both technical and soft-skills training for young researchers, further strengthening the detector R&D community.