Rome, 4 April 2024 – Engage 2 has officially closed its call for PhD proposals aimed at advancing Air Traffic Management ATM across Europe. Launched in December last year, the initiative attracted significant interest from researchers keen to shape the future of ATM systems.
The nine winnershave been notified, following the evaluation by the Awards Board. As well as financial support, the PhDs will also benefit from continuous learning opportunities through summer schools and thematic workshops.
The deadline for applications saw a huge number of submissions from individuals and consortia alike. The selection process is now in the hands of the Engage 2 Awards Board, composed of Consortium members, SESAR representatives and industry partners. The Board will carefully evaluate each proposal, taking into account factors such as the impact on ATM, scientific relevance and the quality of the research plan.
Engage 2 is happy to announce the successful conclusion of its inaugural Catalyst Funds call. The quality and diversity of the applications reflect the dynamic innovation landscape and the willingness of both researchers and industry partners to work closely together.
The seven winners have been notified. Selected projects will benefit from financial backing and will have the opportunity to work in industry environments. This support is expected to accelerate the development of concepts, bringing them closer to market readiness.
The Catalyst Funds aim to bridge the gap between industry and research, fostering closer links in the early stages of concept development. By supporting promising ideas in their early stages, the programme helps them reach a higher level of maturity and readiness for further development and commercialisation.
Engage 2 extends its gratitude to all participants and looks forward to the continued success of the Catalyst Funds programme in nurturing innovation and industry-research collaboration. Stay tuned for updates on the next Catalyst Funds call!
Rome, March 11th 2024 –Catalyst funds provide financial support and access to industry collaboration environments. This fosters closer ties between industry and researchers during the crucial early stages of concept development, helping promising ideas reach higher maturity levels.
The application window opens on 11th March 2024 and closes on 13th May 2024 at 5:00 PM CEST. Selected projects are expected to run for a period of 12 months.
Proposals demonstrating original contributions to ATM are encouraged, either directly addressing a pre-defined thematic challenge (details available on the Engage 2 website) or focusing on open, innovative concepts.
Hot to apply and financial details
Proposals must comprise a project description and a project administrative form. Submissions, including a PDF proposal and the administrative form (MS Word format), should be emailed to engage2-coordinator@dblue.it with the subject line “Catalyst Call”.
In this first wave, Engage 2 offers €480,000 to support innovative projects – a total of €960,000 is available to support innovative ATM projects, split across two Calls. Sixteen focused projects will be awarded in two waves.
The maximum individual project grant is €60,000. Single entities or consortia of 2-4 entities are eligible to apply. Each entity must be located in a country participating in the Horizon Europe grant program. There is no minimum number of countries required for consortia.
For a complete understanding of the evaluation criteria and full details of the Call, please visit the dedicated page on Engage 2 website.
Rome, February 21st 2024 – Engage 2 has announced an extension of the deadline for its PhD call to Tuesday, April 2, 2024. The call invites proposals focusing on the long-term evolution of the European ATM system.
The initiative supports groundbreaking research and collaboration in ATM, focusing on the long-term evolution of the European system. Applicants, whether individual entities or consortia, are encouraged to address a broad range of innovative and interdisciplinary projects. The selection criteria prioritize impact on ATM, scientific relevance, research plan quality, and academic merit. Besides financial support, Engage 2 offers learning opportunities, including summer schools and workshops.
For more information and submission details, visit the link or contact Engage 2 at Engage2-coordinator@dblue.it with the subject line “PhD Call.”
Rome, January 26th 2024 – Are you an ambitious Master’s student seeking to enhance your academic journey and gain valuable industry insights? If so, we invite you to explore an exciting opportunity to receive tailored support and potentially participate in enriching experiences promoted by Engage 2.
Support for MSc theses and other benefits
We are offering support to university students who are in the process of working on the Master’s thesis, starting from February 2024. This support will encompass various aspects, including:
Assistance with thesis topic identification
Peer-review of the thesis regarding technical content towards the completion of the drafting process
Discussion on potential career paths
To further enrich your academic experience, we are pleased to offer additional benefits to selected students, such as participation in international ATM events and internship opportunities with CANSO members.
Eligibility and application
To submit your application, please contact the Engage 2 coordinator at the email address engage2-coordinator@dblue.it with “MSc students opportunity” in the subject line.
To be eligible, you must be a Master’s student already in the process of working on your thesis, with at least a version available in English for Engage to review, as it develops. The thesis topic must be in the ATM sector but can vary and doesn’t need to be directly related to the thematic challenges of Engage 2.
We encourage you to seize this opportunity to elevate your Master’s experience and gain valuable industry insights.
Rome, December 18th 2023 – Engage 2 has announced a call for PhDs dedicated to advancing ATM. This initiative will provide an important occasion for supporting researchers in the development of their ideas and contribute to the evolution of the European ATM system.
The deadline for submissions is the 18th of February 2024, and the selection process will be overseen by the Engage 2 Awards Board, comprising consortium members, SESAR representatives, research and industry partners. This initiative represents a significant step in supporting groundbreaking research and collaboration in the field of air traffic management in Europe.
A total of 600.000 euros has been allocated to financially support PhD candidates, with each project being eligible for up to 60.000 euros. This funding will enable researchers to explore innovative ideas, with an emphasis on Engage 2 thematic Challenges as identified through the open call ended in October.
Applicants are encouraged to focus on the long-term evolution of the European ATM system, with proposals expected to include a comprehensive Research plan, financial planning, and the credentials of the academic supervisor. The selection criteria will prioritize impact on ATM, scientific relevance, quality of research plan, and the academic merit of the supervisor.
The call is open to individual entities or consortia, provided that at least one of the entities is an educational establishment authorized to issue PhDs. The research themes are not restricted to the current challenges outlined by Engage 2, allowing for a broad range of innovative and interdisciplinary projects.
In addition to financial support, Engage 2 will offer continuous learning opportunities, including summer schools and thematic workshops. These will enable PhD candidates to present their progress and interact with peers and industry experts, enhancing their research through collaboration and feedback.
For more information and submission details, interested parties can visit this link or contact the Engage 2 coordinator at the email address Engage2-coordinator@dblue.it [using the subject line “PhD Call”].
In a significant step towards advancing research in ATM, Engage 2 has successfully concluded its first call for Thematic Challenges. Launched in July 2023 and closed at the end of October, the initiative received 21 submissions. The challenges, as selected by Engage 2 Awards Board, encompass a range of research topics that are crucial to both current and future operational challenges in the ATM domain.
The Thematic challenges propose research topics not currently sufficiently addressed by SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking (and its predecessor programs like SESAR and SESAR2020) and identify key areas of interest for upcoming Engage 2 initiatives, such as the call for PhDs and the call for Catalyst funding Projects. The participants in the PhD and catalyst funding calls will be asked to address these challenges proposing innovative solutions.
After reviewing the proposals, the Awards Board members decided to cluster them in the following four umbrellathematic challenges:
Climate impact analysis and mitigation for ATM-related non CO2-emissions: topics should address climate friendly trajectories and flow management (like Continuous Descent Operations, formation flying, etc.)
The passenger-centric digital airport: topic should address the data-driven airport, modeling passenger flows/movements at airports and virtual queueing
Disruptive ATM system modernization: topic should address a rethinking of ATM architecture without worrying about evolution/change management/transition
The integration of new entrants: topic should address airspace classes and flight planning, de-confliction as well as business models, incentivizing or regulatory aspects.
As Engage 2 is committed to fostering a collaborative research environment, each thematic challenge will be accompanied by one or more dedicated thematic workshops. These workshops aim to cultivate a deeper understanding and facilitate discussions among experts in the field.
Additionally, Engage 2 plans to integrate these themes into dedicated sessions at the SESAR Innovation Days, providing a platform to showcase and build upon the best work emerging from these workshops.
