Research and transferable skill training by the HYPERBOOST network

The network offers a customized spectrum of training events: 4 online courses, 15 workshops, 2 science cafés, 4 Annual Meetings and a HYPERBOOST symposium. Attendance to all events is mandatory for all ESRs, irrespective of their background. This novel and highly interdisciplinary character of our multi-disciplinary training programme is crucial for realising our prime goal to train a new generation of highly skilled cross-domain professionals able to address and solve complex oncological issues. The multi-disciplinary approach is also reflected in the secondments which always also involve cross-disciplinary secondments. Workshops will be organised in conjunction and location of the HYPERBOOST annual meetings to save travel time for participants. This will also facilitate face-to-face meetings to stimulate discussion, collaboration, and team building between ESRs and PIs. Workshop and e-learning activities will take into account the various levels and background of ESRs. And ESRs more experienced in specific topics will support less experienced ESRs or will be involved in teaching. To ensure best training we will implement a multi-level supervision, always involving a mentor from one discipline and a co-mentor from another discipline.

Main Network-Wide Training Events, Conferences and Contribution of Beneficiaries (soon planned and past trainings in green)

Main Training Events & Conferences			Lead Institution
PhD/ESR training at host institute
T1.1	PhD/ESR training: graduate schools, company training		All
T1.2	Clinical/technical/laboratory training		All
T1.3	Local symposia/retreats/science days (0.5 EC/meeting)		All
Network based training on specific skills
T2.1	Workshop Basic microscopy. Five-day course consists of lectures, discussions, hands-on demonstrations to guide ESR’s to implement cellular imaging in their project. Projects of attending ESRs are discussed to get exchange of ideas with other ESRs, operators and microscopy experts. Topics: • principles of microscopy; • specimen preparation and staining methods; • quantitative analysis of microscopic images (e.g. Image J); • fluorescence and electron microscopy techniques (including live cell and confocal imaging).		AMC, June 2022
T2.2	OOA Radiation Oncology Course. This 5-day course provides an overview of • radiobiological and physical principles of RT • technical innovation in precision RT • routing of the RT patient via diagnosis, imaging and treatment planning to therapy. Practical training includes • radiobiology laboratory • treatment simulation on linear accelerator • computer-based target volume delineation (OOA: http://www.ooa-graduateschool.org).		AMC
T2.3	ESHO school Medical, biological and technological aspects of HT. This 5-day course will consist of interactive lectures and provides a broad and multidisciplinary overview and introduction to all medical, biological, technological and regulatory aspects of HT.		June and September 2022
T2.4	RaySearch Advanced Radiotherapy Planning Course, 2-day course provides a broad and multidisciplinary overview of RT planning for photon, electron, proton and carbon therapy treatment, adaptive re-planning, machine learning.		September 2022
T2.5	ESTRO course clinical radiobiology. Three-day course covering: • mechanisms and models of RT cell killing; • Linear-quadratic approach (LQ) to fractionation; • molecular basis of RT response; • radiobiology and tolerance of normal tissues to (re)treatment; • alternative fractionation schedules in RT; • tumour hypoxia and the microenvironment; • the volume and dose-rate effect in RT; • biological response modifiers		ESTRO, 9-13, September 2023, Portugal
T2.6	Workshop Model-based data analysis for clinical applications. In this module the results of research in the field of dynamic modelling and computer simulation and systems dynamics in medicine will be transferred to education. This module addresses the potential of in silico studies as starting point for model-based data analysis. Duration 7 days.		ZHAW
T2.7	Workshop practical radio-immunobiology. This 2-day course comprises 50% theory/50% practical education. Theory: • Effect of RT on the immune system (IS) and response of IS towards RT exposure • What are immune matrices? • Radiosensitivity of immune cells vs. activation of immune cells following radiation exposure • Multi-colour-flow cytometry for closely-meshed monitoring of multiple and subtle changes in the IS. Practical: • processing of whole blood for flow cytometry analyses • Analyses by two/multi-colour flow cytometry • Analyses of multiple parameters with software, e.g. KaluzaR • Workflow on how to obtain, manage, store and use biomaterial.		UKER, March 2023, Erlangen
Network based training on transferable skills
T3.1	Workshops on time management and presentation skills combined in a two-days program.		online January 2022
T3.2	Workshop Project management, a 2-day course providing a variety of relevant and practical techniques to help ESRs to take better control of their own PhD research project. Day 1 of the course focuses on Project Management, day 2 on Time Management. Topics • goal setting • planning • milestones • decision moments • intermediate tasks definition • monitoring time wasters • time management.		online January 2022
T3.3	Workshop mentoring; Effective mentoring is key to the education and training of clinical and translational ESR’s. This 2-day course provides a supportive environment to ESRs and their mentors, with research mentoring to foster growth throughout one’s professional career. PO1 introductory mentor and mentee resources are framed around 4 phases of ESR-mentor relationship: Selection, Alignment, Cultivation, and Closure		DUMC, Amsterdam June 2022
T3.4	ESTRO workshop Foundations of leadership in radiation oncology, a 3-day course aims to equip ESRs with the knowledge, skills and attributes for effective leadership. The course is grounded in the Leader domain (CanMEDS2015), specifically to a RT specific competency set defined through Delphi consensus		ESTRO
T3.5	Workshop Grant writing. This 2-day course will teach ESRs state of the art skills in grant writing. Topics include: • orientation; • specific aims; • effective communication; • significance & innovation; • internal, operational and regulatory review. Novel method developed and successfully implemented by DUMC		DUMC
T3.6	Workshop Exchange of knowledge on mentorship/best practices. Goal of this 1-day workshop is to achieve sustainability of the training by implementing, sharing and harmonising best practices with DUMC		DUMC, Amsterdam June 2022
T3.7	Workshop IPR and patents, a 1-day IPR/patent workshop offers a highly interactive programme. Topics include: • Intellectual Property (IP)/patents; • importance of patents; • who can file a patent; • content of a patent; • patentable invention; • criteria for patentability; • balance between patenting and publication; • the patenting process; • collaboration with Industry.		AMC
T3.8	Workshop entrepreneurial strategies in oncology, a 2-day course outlining the process of bringing oncological products to the market: • system design & test; • certification; • sales & marketing; • customer support; • involvement in scientific community.		SMT, March 2023, Erlangen
E-Learning (online courses) transferable skills
T4.1	Scientific writing. This course provides skills and tools to write readable, relevant, credible research papers. Participants are guided through the writing process in 4 assignments • The point of the research; • Outline of the paper, clarifying the main messages of Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion sections; • Abstract and Title; • Complete paper, incorporate corrections & suggestions made by instructor and peer reviewers.		AMC
T4.2	Good Clinical Practice; this course provides ESRs with knowledge of the laws and regulations covering clinical research and their practical consequences.		Online 2021
T4.3	Career Development. This course includes subjects; • Individual Development Plan • Long-term Personal Development; • Career Awareness; • Workplace Readiness; • Financial Management; • Life/Work Portfolio.		ZHAW
T4.4	Equal Opportunity and Gender Equality on: • Awareness • Gender Equality • Conflict Management • Institutional Culture • Non-harassment and Discrimination Policy.		CUT
Network-dependent training: Annual meetings
T5.1	1st annual meeting, including keynotes of visiting scientists, workshops T2.1, T3.1-3.		AMC, June 2022
T5.2	2nd annual meeting, including keynotes of visiting scientists, workshops T2.6 and a Science Café (open to the general public to make our research activities known and to receive feedback from society and patient organisations).		ZHAW
T5.3	3rd annual meeting, including keynotes of visiting scientists, workshops T2.7, T3.5, T3.6 and a Science Café.		UKER, Erlangen, March 2023
T5.4	4th annual meeting + conference/symposium		CUB
Other
T6.1	Secondments
Network-independent training: International meetings
T7.1	Poster presentation(s) at international meeting(s)	All ESRs will present and network at (inter)national meetings – European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology (ESHO); – European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO); – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie; – the European Radiation Research Society; – European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics.	All
T7.2	Oral presentation(s) at international meeting(s)