Collaborate and Solve Challenges Together
The e/MTIC Challenges Workshop is an engaging opportunity to collaborate with peers and experts on real-world challenges faced by e/MTIC researchers. Through an interactive workshop and brainstorming sessions, participants will work together to co-create actionable solutions.
Showcase your research challenges, collaborate, gain insights, and network over dinner. Connect with peers and get valuable feedback on your research issues. Through workshops, we will discuss selected challenges with field experts, engage in creative brainstorming sessions with participants, and find solutions together.
No preparation is required鈥攋ust bring your ideas, enthusiasm, and willingness to collaborate in teams of 5-6 researchers.
Event highlights
- Interactive Workshops: Work in teams to tackle pre-selected challenges.
- Expert Input and Feedback: Discuss solutions with peers and experienced professionals.
- Voting and Prizes: The winning team will receive 鈧�200 in prize money and additional support to develop their solution further.
- Networking Dinner: End the day by connecting with peers over pizza.
Event Details
鈥� Date/Time: 2nd April 2025, from 13:00 to 19:30 (including walking dinner)
鈥� Location: Flux 1.124, 果冻传媒 Campus
Challenge: Building a Professional Network
As a PhD researcher, I often work independently due to a lack of colleagues in my research group with similar focus areas. At 果冻传媒, only one other person is working on a related topic, making it challenging to stay motivated and solve complex issues without peer input. I want to expand my professional network, connect with others, and gain diverse perspectives to enhance problem-solving and collaboration.
How might we help PhD researchers connect with peers and expand their professional networks?
Challenge: Research Transfer and Documentation
When I began my PhD, I inherited a folder of code with multiple "main" functions but almost no documentation. The PhD student before me had already left, and no other group members had improved or updated the code. This lack of documentation caused significant delays early in my PhD. While I now aim to create thorough and accessible documentation, I am struggling to make it efficient, structured, and user-friendly for others who might use the code in the future.
How might we enable PhD researchers to efficiently document and transfer their research to their successors?
Challenge: Managing Stakeholder Expectations in a Consortium
My PhD project involves collaboration within a large consortium of stakeholders, each with distinct goals and priorities. Balancing these varying expectations, often with overlapping deadlines, has proven to be a significant challenge. I want to explore ways to enhance communication, align task priorities, and streamline timelines among consortium members to improve efficiency and collaboration.
How might we improve communication and alignment among consortium stakeholders to better manage expectations and research timelines?
Challenge: Navigating Delays in Clinical Data Access
My PhD relies on training deep learning models that require extensive clinical data. While I was promised access to this data early in my project, it took months to receive just a few cases. As I am working with Philips, while the hospitals are based in the U.S., I find it challenging to influence or expedite this process. Despite staying in the loop via my supervisor, the timeframe and quantity of clinical data I will receive remain unclear. Finding a way to overcome these delays is critical to my project's success.
How might we overcome delays and uncertainties in accessing clinical data to ensure research projects stay on track?
Challenge: Balancing Independent Research with Collaborative Contributions
In my project, I collaborate with researchers from other departments, working on interdependent tasks that have resulted in successful joint outputs and co-authored publications. However, as I near the end of my PhD, I need to focus on independent work鈥攕uch as a comprehensive review of developments in my field鈥攖o complete my dissertation. At the same time, my project partners depend on me to continue contributing to group objectives. My challenge is balancing the demands of independent research with the collaborative responsibilities of my project.
How might we help PhD researchers balance the demands of independent work with the collaborative responsibilities of their projects?
Agenda
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13:00 Arrival
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13:15 Introduction, agenda overview, and warm-up activity
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13:45 Team formation and topic selection
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14:15 Teamwork: Mind-mapping, Interviews, and brainstorming activities.
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16:10 Cross-sharing solutions and feedback
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17:05 Team presentations and open discussion with experts
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18:05 Voting and closing notes
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18:30 Networking dinner