ICTP Claudio Tuniz

ICTP | Strada Costiera 11 | 34151 Trieste - Italy | www.ictp.it

ICTP mission

Conducting research at the highest international standards, ICTP's mission is:

> To foster growth of advanced physics and mathematics studies in developing countries

> To develop high-level scientific programmes and encourage international scientific exchange

> To provide excellent research and training facilities

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Quick facts

> Founded in 1964 by Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam

> Provides training to improve scientific capacity in developing countries

> Supports in-house staff of world-class physicists and mathematicians

> Sponsored by tripartite agreement between Italy, UNESCO and IAEA

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Research at ICTP

> Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics> Earth System Physics> High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle

Physics> Mathematics> Applied Physics> Multidisciplinary Laboratory

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ICTP training and education

> Provides training and skills to scientists from developing countries

> Organises more than 60 conferences/workshops each year

> Welcomes 4000 scientists from about 130 nations each year

> Attracts an additional 2000 scientists/year through hosted activities

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ICTP training and education> Pre-PhD programmes

> Diploma Programme

> ICTP/IAEA Sandwich Training Educational Programme

> Joint Ph.D. programme with University of Trieste

> ICTP/University of Trieste Laurea Magistralis

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ICTP training and education

> Scientific career support:

> Associate and Federation Schemes

> Training and Research in Italian Laboratories

> ICTP visitors' programme

> Training at Elettra Synchrotron Light Laboratory

> SESAME Programme

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ICTP training and education> Office of External Activities

> Supports scientific activities in developing countries

> PhD courses

> Scientific meetings

> Regional networks

> Affiliated centres

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IAEA-ICTP Sandwich Training Educational Programme (STEP)

Capacity building by fostering the formation of PhD’s

Sandwich programme:

• Addressed to Ph.D students in developing countries, in physics, mathematics, and related areas.

• The STEP fellows come to ICTP or to a collaborating scientific institution for 3 to 6 months per year, for 3 consecutive years.

• They have a co-supervisor at the host institution who, together with the home supervisor, coordinates the Ph.D work of the student.

Started in 2003

• The Ph.D degree is awarded by the home Institution.

This is a scheme that is meant to expose the fellows to the international scientific community and offer them access to world-class research and training facilities, while they remain enrolled in their home Institution, and work for their home country.

Meant as an alternative to brain drain especially severe in sub-Saharan Africa -> therefore strong emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa

In the Sandwich scheme:

STEP FELLOWS

113 fellows (38 women)from 40 countries

2003-2010

7% LATIN AMERICA

& THE CARIBBEAN

22%CE EUROPE

54%AFRICA(44% sub-

Saharan Africa)

17%ASIA

Geographical distribution

Since 2003, the programme has awarded 113 fellowships

STEP FELLOWS

Host Institutes

Fellows since 2003:• 49 at ICTP• 22 at the Laser Laboratory (now at Elettra)• 14 at Elettra• 3 at the University of Trieste• 3 at the Jozef Stefan Inst., Ljubljana• 5 at INFN Laboratories • 5 at the CNR TASC Laboratory• 2 at the Hospital of Udine• 2 at ICS• 1 at the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste• 1 at SISSA• 6 at other Universities/Institutes

Main areas covered: nuclear physics, lasers, synchrotron radiation, earth science, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics and astrophysics, applied physics, mathematics

Results

• So far, 35 fellows have obtained their Ph.D degree (14 from sub-Saharan Africa). They are doing well (~4 papers/fellow)

• 29 are back in their home country -20 have permanent positions- 9 have temporary positions

most are teaching and doing research at their home University• 6 are postdocs elsewhere, mainly in Europe

• 74 fellows are completing their Ph.D work

• 4 fellows have left the programme without a Ph.D

• The fellowship catalyzes new international collaborations, which extend well after the fellowship** initiatives were taken also to stimulate applications of Ph.D students of Associates; when the home advisor benefits from the Associates programme, this facilitate a closer collaboration.