Introducing FYRC – FoodProFuture Young Researcher Collaboration

Earlier this year, a designated working group consisting of all PostDocs, PhD and Master students involved in FoodProFuture was established. The FoodProFuture Young Researcher Collaboration (FYRC) group is led by PostDoc Katja-Maria Prexl (WP5), and currently has several members. FYRC serves as a platform and driving force for knowledge sharing across work packages and disciplines for young researchers.

“This is a great addition to the project. Our meetings foster multidisciplinary knowledge transfer and implementation, exchanges of views and fresh input for project execution. For us young researchers, it’s also helpful in that it can outline future pathways and roles,” says FYRC leader Katja-Maria Prexl.

Diversity in discussion

Their bi-monthly meetings are short, efficient and informal, and meant to enable continuous exchange and fast prototyping across WPs, and the option to join special events and discussions in the meantime.

“FYRC has been key in boosting internal communication procedures, as well as increasing the scientists’ interest in pursuing (popular) scientific publications,” Prexl says.

One of the strengths of the working group is its diversity, which means that each member has to practice communicating their work at a more fundamental level – ‘from the bottom up’. This opens the floor for open discussions with room for everyone to contribute and the strength of knowledge transfer.

Open to students

All FoodProFuture work packages, except WP6 (communication), are represented in the group. The group is sponsored by the WP5 leader, Antje Gonera, and currently consists of the following members: WP1: Erik Svanes; WP2: Anna Marthe Lundby; WP3: Cátia Carmo; WP4: Catherine Taylor Nordgård, Dimitrios Papoutsis and Tora Asledottir, and WP5: Anna Birgitte Milford, Katja-Maria Prexl.

New members, such as Master’s and Bachelor’s students, can also be integrated into the group. In fact, the group has already taken in a Masters student from NMBU.

Positive feedback

Katja-Maria Prexl says she has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the FYRC members and the WPs itself.

“Everyone is happy to collaborate and share experiences. At the end of the day, it facilitates the build-up towards a shared understanding of our common resources. This helps us further develop and adjust our approaches and to work on the goals we would like to achieve with FoodProFuture,” she says.

In the coming months, we invite you to get to know more about our backgrounds and objectives in FYRC. Articles will be published on the FoodProFuture website on a regular basis, and will also feature in upcoming newsletters.