This year, the Research Support Team from the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science had the unique opportunity to participate in two job shadowing visits, hosted by the University of Rome Tor Vergata (UNITOV) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
The visit to our Italian partner institution took place in April. During five packed days, our team had the chance to delve into a wide range of topics, including best practices in research funding acquisition and proposal writing, practical aspects of laboratory management, support for international students and staff, and information and marketing processes. Particularly engaging discussions revolved around critical areas such as laboratory waste management, ordering reagents, managing reagents and consumables, and equipment booking systems. After full working days, we also had the chance to explore the historic spots of the beautiful and ever-vibrant city of Rome.
In October, we were delighted to join our French colleagues at CEA in Grenoble. The city welcomed us with stunning weather and breathtaking views of the Alpine mountains. During this inspiring three-day visit, we learned a great deal about CEA’s innovative work, visited impressive showrooms and laboratories, and connected with highly engaged professionals eager to share their knowledge. Key topics discussed included digital management of reagents, electronic lab books, intellectual property management, working hours declaration tools, and advocacy activities at the EU level.
These visits were part of the CANVAS project activity plan, providing a valuable opportunity for the entire project consortium (ICCVS, UNITOV, CEA and Real Research) to meet and plan the next steps for the near future.
We returned to our daily responsibilities with fresh ideas and solutions to address ongoing challenges.
Special thanks to Carla Montesano, Marina Potesta, and Elisabetta Russo from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, as well as to Haiyet Chebli and Christophe Battail from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission.
We are grateful to have been part of this inspiring journey!