Call for Trainee Applications: First ROAR-NET Training School

2025-03-03

The First ROAR-NET Training School will take place at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), in Belvaux, Luxembourg, from 16 to 20 June 2025.

About the School

Dedicated to “Computational Modelling of Combinatorial Optimisation Problems,” the Training School will consist of a combination of lectures, problem-solving group projects, poster presentations by the Trainees, and team-building activities. Topics include problem structuring, problem modelling for constructive search and for local search, the ROAR-NET API Specification, and practical aspects of model development and implementation. Each project will involve developing, implementing (coding) and evaluating a model for a given optimisation problem, and will be carried out by a team composed of 4-5 Trainees and one mentor (a Trainer).

Important notes:

• There are no registration costs.
• The language of the Training School is English.
• Coding will be done in Python.
• All Trainees will receive a detailed certificate of participation.

Eligibility

You may apply to attend the Training School if:

• You have basic programming skills in a commonly used programming language (e.g., Python, C, C++ or Java) and a basic understanding of optimisation.

• You possess at least one of the following:

  • Good programming skills in the Python language, including knowledge of common data structures and algorithms
  • Good optimisation skills, including knowledge of modelling paradigms and optimisation methods

• You are engaged in an official research programme as a PhD Student or postdoctoral fellow or are employed by, or affiliated to, an institution, organisation or legal entity where you work in research or innovation.

You may also apply for financial support to attend the Training School if, in addition:

• You are affiliated to a legal entity in a COST Full/Cooperating Member or Near Neighbour Country (NNC) or to a European RTD Organisation (see the Country and Organisations Table).

Financial support

Financial support is available for up to 24 Trainees in the form of a contribution to accommodation, meals, and short distance travel (daily allowance of 190€ for up to 6 days), and (limited) reimbursement of actual long-distance travel expenses.

Trainees eligible for reimbursement must sign the attendance list on each day of the event and correctly submit the reimbursement claim no later than 15 calendar days after the end date of the Training School. Expenses will be reimbursed up to 45 days after the Training School ends.

Application process

Applications must be submitted by completing the Trainee Application Form by 4 April 2025. The completed form must be accompanied by a one-page CV of the applicant.

Evaluation process

Applications will be assessed based on the following evaluation criteria and corresponding scoring scales:

1. Relevance of the applicant’s research or professional profile to ROAR-NET
   very high - 3, high - 2, medium - 1, low - 0
2. Applicant’s programming skill level
   very high - 3, high - 2, medium - 1, low - 0
3. Applicant’s optimisation skill level
   very high - 3, high - 2, medium - 1, low - 0
4. Expected contribution of the Training School to the professional development of the applicant
   high - 2, medium - 1, low - 0
5. Applicant qualifies as a Young Researcher or Innovator (YRI, under the age of 40)
   yes - 2, no - 1
6. Primary affiliation of the applicant in a COST Inclusiveness Target Country or Near Neighbour Country
   yes - 2, no - 1

The score of an application is the sum of its scores in all criteria.

Selection process

The following selection procedure is applied:

1. Incomplete or invalid applications, applications with a zero score in any of the criteria, and applications scoring one in both criteria 2 and 3 are rejected.

2. All applications are sorted in descending order of their scores. A high threshold is defined as the score of the application in the 19th position among all applications. A low threshold is defined as either the score of the application in the 24th position among those requesting financial support or the score of the application in the 30th position among all applications, whichever score is higher.

3. Applications with a score above the high threshold are approved for participation and, where applicable, for financial support.

4. Additional applications are selected from all applications scoring at least one point below the low threshold so as to improve gender balance, institutional and geographical diversity of the participants, and promote the participation of YRIs, within the room and funding capacity of the event.

5. If there is room capacity after step 4, additional applications not requesting financial support will be considered based on score values.

Regardless of financial support, successful candidates will be required to register with e-COST so that they can be formally invited to participate in the Training School.

Applicant notification and registration

All applicants will be notified of the selection decisions by 17 April 2025. Successful applicants will be required to respond to their official invitation on e-COST within two weeks of receiving it.

Contact

For further information, please contact:
ROAR-NET Action Chair
Carlos M. Fonseca <cmfonsec@dei.uc.pt>

Useful links

First ROAR-NET Training School web page
https://www.roar-net.eu/events/first-training-school

Trainee Application Form
https://roar-cloud.dei.uc.pt/apps/forms/s/Fpa49qeEjPr2fqtMrMRsJQgG

ROAR-NET API Specification
https://github.com/roar-net/roar-net-api-spec

COST Country and Organisations Table
https://www.cost.eu/Country_Organisations_Table

COST Travel Reimbursement Rules
https://www.cost.eu/travel_reimbursement_rules

e-COST – The online platform of COST Association
https://e-services.cost.eu/

ROAR-NET Memorandum of Understanding
https://e-services.cost.eu/files/domain_files/CA/Action_CA22137/mou/CA22137-e.pdf