The BIG ERAChair (GA 952226) calls for proposals for twinning collaboration with selected centres of excellence in research and innovation. The twinning centres include CNRS, EPFL, Politecnico Milano, the University of Edinburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with areas of focus ranging from privacy and dependability to blockchain systems and design informatics. The exchanges aim to transfer skills to improve the research capacities of LARSyS and INESC-ID.

The twinning collaboration presents a unique opportunity for researchers and practitioners to engage with experts in various fields and advance their knowledge in areas of interest. The exchanges could range from incoming or outgoing visits of up to one week, and proposals should include the objective of the exchange and its relationship to BIG. The ERAChair holder, in collaboration with co-PIs from INESC-ID and LARSyS, will select the proposals, with preference given to junior researchers and PhD students researching topics related to blockchain technologies and design innovation for social good.

The Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), for instance, through LIRIS/DRIM research group, works on semantic information retrieval and document engineering, trust, reputation, and privacy-preservation in distributed systems, and robust and dependable distributed and mobile systems. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), on the other hand, has the Distributed Computing Lab, a world-leading research centre in the theory and practice of distributed computing. Politecnico di Milano has the Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Observatory, established in 2018 to generate and share knowledge on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger-related topics and service design and innovation through Poli.Design. The University of Edinburgh is focused on data-driven innovation, transforming society and the economy, and designing systems for better human data interaction in diverse settings such as health, culture, mobility, and finance. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for its part, has areas of focus in computer security and applied cryptography and co-leads the Computation Structures group of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Carnegie Mellon University has CyLab, a world-leading centre in security and privacy that brings together experts from all schools across the University, encompassing the fields of engineering, computer science, public policy, information systems, business, humanities, and social sciences.

The twinning collaboration is an opportunity to learn from the best experts in various fields and apply the knowledge to research and innovation for the social good. The exchanges will contribute to transferring skills and improving the research capacities of LARSyS and INESC-ID. The collaborations will foster networks and partnerships to enhance future research and innovation in various fields. The ERAChair is therefore calling on interested parties to submit their proposals for twinning collaboration to advance research and innovation for social good.

To apply, submit an application to bigerachair@gmail.com with relevant information, including:

  • The objective of the exchange and its relationship to BIG (300 words)
  • Short biography of the incoming or outgoing expert (300 words)
  • Dates of visit and estimation of travel and subsistence costs