PIONEER Early Career Researchers Training School – Registration open

The training school will be in hybrid mode (8 hours online – 5 days on site) to encourage participation and mobility. The training will be tailored for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to engage them in PIONEER research activities focused on SDG 11 “Safe, resilient and sustainable cities, regions and communities” and create supportive connections.

The training school will have the following objectives:

1. Develop an understanding and skills of practice-based (applied) research methodologies, driving SDG 11 impact-driven research

2. Critically reflect on opportunities and threats of AI in research

3. Foster international networking & research collaboration

The societal challenges related to SDG 11 safe, resilient and sustainable regions, cities and community’s offers opportunities for a transdisciplinary and practice-based research approach. Its success is not just about advancing academic knowledge but also driving tangible societal change. It is research designed not just to discover but to act. It involves a multitude of stakeholders: government and institutional bodies, industry, service providers, communities, researchers, students and citizens.

The usefulness and practical applicability of research outcomes are key to bringing actual change. Practice-based research requires collaboration, inclusivity, different perspectives and actionable outcomes that resonate with the needs of regions, businesses and communities. Co-creation in driving meaningful change and impact is key.

With a mix of academic and applied research practitioners we will explore the characteristics of transdisciplinary applied research, discover different research methodology paradigms, explore key criteria for successful demand articulation, network building and research plan, visit and get insights into successful co-creation and impact driven networks and projects with our ecosystem partners in the region of North-Brabant, The Netherlands. A SDG11 related challenge from our ecosystem will be integrated in the programme. The training school will provide the ideal environment to learn, experience and apply, allowing ample opportunities to foster new connections and collaborations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool which accelerates research process and redefines cross-disciplinary dialogue. However, it also presents significant challenges with respect to gender balance, equality, ethics, north-south and center-periphery discrepancy in epistemic power, research integrity, impacts and applications.

From the very conception of the research to the final publication and outreach phases, AI is impacting almost every phase of the scientific process. It can in fact support scholars to develop their literature review, elaborate the research design and methods, write and communicate their results.

At the same time, the rapid adoption of AI also brings significant challenges that the research community must address. These challenges are particularly related to aspects as hallucinations and accuracy, bias and fairness, data privacy and security, human oversight vs. over-reliance, authorship and transparency, intellectual propriety rights and copyright.

Joining academics from different disciplines who have been integrating AI in their research and developed a deep scientific, epistemic and ethical reflection on its use, the training school will address all these aspects, also introducing crucial insights on possible future perspectives, particularly focusing on potential ways of human-AI collaboration.

REGISTRATION:

There are three places available for TH Köln participants, which will be allocated on a first- come, first-served basis. Early Career Researchers are understood as Postdocs or researchers in their first years after PhD.

Take advantage of this opportunity to develop skills in transdisciplinary research methods, critically reflect on the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in research, and build international networks.

Erasmus+ staff mobility funds are available.

Registration is open until March 23, 2026. Please apply via e-mail to pioneer-alliance@th-koeln.de .