For many early-career researchers (ECRs), some of the greatest challenges aren’t found in the laboratory, but rather in the lack of public recognition for their hard work. Too often, brilliant young minds find themselves confined to a narrow research bubble, with very few opportunities to showcase their discoveries outside of their immediate fields. Here, at AttractAdria, we believe that a sustainable research ecosystem cannot exist without visibility.
Celebrating Adria’s talent
If we want to move from brain drain to brain gain, and encourage ECRs to stay home, we must celebrate our talent openly. That is exactly why we are launching a dedicated initiative named Fellowship Programme – to break these academic silos and give our young researchers the platform they deserve.
About Fellowship Programme
To tackle the lack of public recognition head-on, AttractAdria will promote the work of our participating researchers across social media platforms. We want to show to the public who is driving the future of science in the Adria region.
True scientific growth requires international exposure. However, securing the means to travel and present at major international events is a hurdle for young scientists and students from the Adria region.
To remove this barrier, we have established an internal funding mechanism designed specifically to sponsor and support our fellows’ participation at prominent global conferences. This process will be managed by our industry partners, leveraging their administrative capacity to handle the selection and contracting smoothly for the entire network.
This mechanism will directly pave the way for our young researchers to present their work at major high-impact events, most notably the prestigious ISABS Conference (International Society for Applied Biological Sciences), happening this June, in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Through AttractAdria, relevant government agencies across Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia are also participating in this initiative. These institutions will closely evaluate the effects of our promotional and travel support activities. The ultimate goal? To integrate these feedback loops into national and regional policies, “evergreening” the mechanism so that future generations of researchers will benefit from similar state-backed support.
Looking forward
As we roll out these activities, we will be compiling a comprehensive report integrating direct feedback from the young researchers themselves. This will ensure that our strategies remain deeply relevant, agile, and aligned with what our talent actually needs to thrive.