The Second Joint Eu-SPRI training for early-career researchers with early-career policy professionals ‘Mission-Oriented Science-Policy Dialogues’
27-30 January 2026 (Online pre-events: 2, 9 and 16 Dec. 2025) Vienna, Austria
The Second Eu-SPRI Early Career Training on ‘Mission-Oriented Science-Policy Dialogues’, co-organised by LISIS and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) will take place in person in Vienna, Austria, from 27–30 January 2026, with online pre-events scheduled for the 2nd, 9th, and 16th December 2025.
This unique opportunity brings together early-career researchers and policy professionals to build bridges at the science-policy interface through mutual learning, co-production, and collaborative innovation.
For any queries, please contact the organising team at: scipol_training@umr-lisis.fr
Background
How do we learn to engage in dialogue at the science-policy interface?
Several formats and initiatives for (un-directional) policy advice exist, but bridging between the different environments is not straightforward and requires mutual (bidirectional) learning. In addition, established formats usually focus on experienced researchers and policymakers, and exclude early career individuals, which underlines the importance of (re)educating both researchers and policymakers of the future to systematically collaborate and leverage scientific as well as policy knowledge.
The recent emergence of transformative and mission-oriented Science, Technology and Innovation policies (TIP and MOIP) requires a new and cross-sectoral approach to policy making, thus leaving renewed impetus to build relationships between science and policy in addressing societal challenges.
In 2023, an exploratory initiative called Policy Dialogues Demonstrator (P2D), was launched by researchers from Eu-SPRI partner organisations: Fraunhofer ISI (coordinator), AIT, Ingenio and LISIS (https://euspri-forum.eu/exploratory-initiatives/p2d-policy-dialogues-demonstrator/). This initiative aims to develop and pilot new formats of dialogue between STI policy research and policymaking practice in Europe. This training is one of the demonstrators, to nurture new generations of early career professionals able to navigate within the science-policy interface.
This training is a joint event for early-career researchers with early-career professionals in the policy arena (e.g. ministries, funding agencies, etc.). The aim is to create a dialogue between both groups and in this way, to nurture a new generation of professionals at the science- policy interface. It provides a learning exercise in mission-oriented science-policy dialogues towards:
- Understanding mutual perspectives, professional values, needs and constraints;
- Understanding the process of co-production in terms of problems and solutions to improve policy making and
- Generating reflexivity for increased societal impacts.
Structure of the Training
This training is delivered in three phases:
Phase 1: Online Pre-Events (2, 9, and 16 December 2025)
In the first phase, we organise three online (plenary) pre-events, consisting of three main elements to:
Provide insights into the contexts of MOIP, and the need for dialogues in this regard
- Provide practical testimonies from (couples of) policy makers and researchers
- Initiating and preparing the group work of the training.
Phase 2: In-Person Training in Vienna (27–30 January 2026)
The second phase represents the main in-person training event in Vienna (AIT). The aim is to understand the difficulties of the different roles in science-policy dialogues, to understand institutional barriers and to co-develop a policy pitch through group work. Consequently, the training will be a mixture of two main activities:
- Interactive sessions to understand different roles and competences in science-policy dialogues (facilitated by Lene Topp) Group work to co-develop a policy pitch from problem definition to the design of potential solutions.
- The groups will consist of four participants of four (two early career researchers and two early career policy makers) and their work will be guided by mentors
Phase 3: Online Post-Events (Feb–June 2026, dates TBD)
The aim of the online post-events is to constructively discuss this learning exercise, continue creating networks among (previous) participants and share the outcomes with the larger Eu-SPRI community.
Who will attend
There will be place for 24 participants on the ‘Science-to-Policy training’: Twelve early-career researchers that are advanced in their PhD research (3rd year or higher) or post-doctoral researchers and research assistants having obtained the PhD degree in the past five to eight years. Research topics should be related to Science, Technology and Innovation Policies. Twelve early-career professionals in the STI policy arena (minimum 3 years of experience).
Key dates
Applications are now closed for this event.
Registration period: October 2025
Online pre-events:
Session 1: 2 December 2025 09.30-12.30
Session 2: 9 December 2025 12.00-13.30
Session 3: 16 December 2025 12.00-13.00
Main training event: 27-30 January 2026
Post-event activities: February-June 2026
