The Innovative Training Networks (ITN) aim to train a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers, able to face current and future challenges and to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services for economic and social benefit.

ITN will raise excellence and structure research and doctoral training, extending the traditional academic research training setting, incorporating the elements of Open Science and equipping researchers with the right combination of research-related and transferable competences. It will provide enhanced career perspectives in both the academic and non-academic sectors through international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility combined with an innovation-oriented mind-set.

Expected Impact: At researcher level: - Increased set of skills, both research-related and transferable ones, leading to improved employability and career prospects both in and outside academia (leading in the longer-term to more successful careers) - Increase, in the longer-term, in higher impact R&I output, more knowledge and ideas converted into products and services - Greater contribution, in the longer term, to the knowledge-based economy and society At organisation level: - Enhanced cooperation and better transfer of knowledge between sectors and disciplines - Improvement in the quality of training programmes -  Creation of new networks and enhanced quality of existing ones -  Boosting R&I capacity among participating organisations -  Increased internationalisation of participating organisations At system level: - Increase in international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility of researchers in Europe -  More structured and innovative doctoral training, enhanced implementation of the European Charter and Code and the EU Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training - Stronger links between the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), notably through supporting the knowledge triangle between research, innovation and education - Improvement in the working and employment conditions for doctoral candidates in Europe - Increased societal and economic relevance of European higher education - Strengthening Europe's human capital base in R&I with a new generation of more entrepreneurial and highly-skilled early career researchers - Increase in Europe's attractiveness as a leading research destination, accompanied by a rise in the numbers of talented researchers retained and attracted from abroad - Better quality research and innovation contributing to Europe's competitiveness and growth Budget: EUR 370,000,000 Opening: 15 September 2016
Closing: 10 January 2017 More information