EUTOPIA_HEALTH: Empowering Widening universities in EUTOPIA alliance to foster academic excellence in Health

Acronym: EUTOPIA_HEALTH

Title: Empowering Widening universities in EUTOPIA alliance to foster academic excellence in Health

Call: HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-03-01 - CSA

EU nr: 101136914

Period: 60 months: 01.01.2024-31.12.2028

Budget : total budget: 4,999,960.00€; VUB: 409,375.00€

Contacts:Philippe Westbroek, PhD, ERIS Coordinator, Tuur Roels, Knowledge Valorisator, Project Support

At ERIS we got a chance to interview Philippe Westbroek,Coordinator of VUBTechTransfer ERIS Cell and ask him 2 major questions: What is EUTOPIA_HEALTH about? and Why is it important for VUB?

What is EUTOPIA_HEALTH about?

Philippe: “Do you know what EUTOPIA stands for? EUTOPIA stands for European University Alliance, which was first launched in 2018.  It was build up on the basis of a strong pre-existing history of collaboration among some of its initial 6 members.  EUTOPIA was part of the first wave of projects selected in the framework of the ‘European Universities initiative’.  Currently, EUTOPIA comprises 10 European universities aiming to become, by 2030, an open, multicultural, confederated operation of connected campuses”.

So, why launching an EUTOPIA_HEALTH? “Dealing with emerging fields, new technologies and topics of health, (e.g., tsunami of big data, the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer assisted surgery, health apps & medical devices, implants, 3D printing organs, …), EUTOPIA_HEALTH aims to support institutions, academics and researchers to be a forerunner in health innovations. Hereto, EUTOPIA_HEALTH will look into the academic frameworks, the interdisciplinary research developments and how medical scientists will implement new technology in the treatment of patients and in the hospitals of the future. 
The objective of the project is to develop a novel, integrative institutional mindset advocating health-related Research & Innovation Excellence. Hence, EUTOPIA_HEALTH will create a platform for true value creation, eloquent societal impact while embedding these cross-fertilisations and transformations in the ‘cooperative network of EUTOPIA alliance’.”

Why is it important for ‘Vrije Universiteit Brussel’ (VUB)? 

Philippe:  “The VUB has a strong focus on ‘Health’, with research areas ranging from molecular biology and genetics to clinical and public health research. Offering a comprehensive education curriculum in Health, including undergraduate and graduate programs in different fields such as: medicine, biomedical sciences, public health, and rehabilitation sciences & physiotherapy.  Moreover, the VUB offers several postgraduate programs in health-related fields, such as MSc in Biomedical Engineering and MSc in Global Health. Our university also houses world-class Core Facilities on its Brussels Health Campus, and on the Etterbeek campus: e.g., VUB Medical Imaging Research Centre (MIRC), the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT), Brussels Human Robotics Research Center (Brubotics).”

How is VUB Health research structured?

At VUB the research groups at Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy are divided into 10  clusters covering many areas of health such as medical imaging, cardiovascular diseases, aging, diabetes, oncology, and mental health. The VUB is also actively engaged in several ongoing projects in Health and was awarded proposals EU funded in Horizon 2020; 2 projects come to my mind: BigO (Big Data Against Childhood Obesity) and Be the Cure. The latest one focuses on personalized medicine and cancer treatment.So, what is the unique service ERIS offers to its researchers?
At VUB TechTransfer, ERIS Team, will be involved in EUTOPIA_HEALTH by sharing its i-ISO  support to researchers when working on their EC proposals. Likewise, the ERIS team has developed a tool for text mining EC calls against a set of relevant keywords to select the right calls for defined EC proposal topics.  In this way ERIS will enhance proposal development skills, abilities and processes which researchers & management need to adapt and thrive in the ever changing ‘Health Innovative Ecosystem’ and ‘EC funding landscape’. “

AIM

The EUTOPIA_HEALTH project, a EUTOPIA Alliance initiative, aims to create a novel and innovative framework for the integrative academic management of health-related scientific areas, facilitating changes in the academic landscape within the European research area, through a comprehensive institutional transformation. The project targets 3 Widening countries (Romania, Slovenia, Portugal) of the Alliance, that have traditionally lagged behind in health-related domains, striving to overcome funding and publication disparities, and spearheading academic excellence and innovation in these critical domains.  Therefore, the project aims to empower institutional transformation by strengthening health-related R&I management capacity, upgrading and adapting R&I management strategies and policies within Widening HEIs in line with the principles of the European research assessment reform. 

METHODOLOGY

A health-focused R&I network within EUTOPIA will be established through Connected Health Research Communities, that will receive inter-, transdisciplinary trainings, research mobilities for early-career researchers and seed-funding for research collaborations, all centred around health-related challenges. By employing integrative, transdisciplinary approaches and implementing flexible academic career pathways in Health, the project focuses on creating a ‘Health Innovation Ecosystem’ . bridging the Health research communities to society, business partners, and policymakers by mainstreaming Open/Citizen/Inclusive/ Collaborative Science practices and translating research into tailored social innovation supported solutions. 

IMPACT

EUTOPIA_HEALTH, through its comprehensive activities, will positively impact the R&I achievements, research excellence, international visibility, funding absorption rate of the Widening HEIs and of entire EUTOPIA alliance.