The Research Talent Lifecycle
This event will explore all stages of the research talent journey: from attraction and selection to professional development
- Date
- 22/10/2026
- Hour
- 9.15 - 16.00 h
- Place
- Aula Magna, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Carrer de Casanova, 143, Barcelona.
The workshop “The Research Talent Lifecycle” will take place on October 22, 2026, at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain.
This event will explore all stages of the research talent journey: from attraction and selection to professional development. Participants will gain valuable insights into effective strategies and best practices for supporting research talent across its entire lifecycle.
Bringing together national and international experts, the workshop will combine keynote lectures with in-depth round-table discussions to address key challenges and opportunities and share best practices in research talent development. We expect the event to be directly relevant to our research ecosystem, and we highly encourage you to join the conversation.
The workshop is free and open to all, but registration is required. Please sign up using this form.
Agenda
9h15 – 9h30: Welcome
9h30 – 10h15: Inspirational Keynote - Marta Agostinho (Executive Director, EU-LIFE)
10h15 – 11h30: Attracting Talent: What It Is and Program Opportunities
Keynote Lecture: Michele Rosa-Clot (Portfolio Owner, HR Excellence in Research, European Commission)
Round Table:
- Cristina Borrás (moderator): International Area Director at the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR)
- Michele Rosa-Clot: Portfolio Owner, HR Excellence in Research at the European Commission
- Gonzalo Arévalo: Senior Advisor to the Director of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI)
- Paola Isetta: Director of Research, Innovation, and Fellowship Programmes at Fundació “la Caixa”
- Rachel Coulthard-Graf: Fellows' Skills & Career Development Lead/Scientific Ombudsperson at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
11h30 – 12h00: Coffee break
12h00 – 13h15: Selecting Talent: Fair and Transparent Selection Practices
Keynote Lecture: Alexander Rushforth (Assistant Professor, Universiteit Leiden)
Round Table:
- Eva Casamitjana (moderator): Scientific Coordinator at ISGlobal
- Alexander Rushforth: Assistant Professor at Universiteit Leiden
- Michela Bertero: Strategy Director at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS)
- Emilià Pola: Executive Director at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA)
- Miguel Angel Benítez: Project Manager at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM)
13h15 – 14h15: Lunch catering
14h15 – 14h45: Inspirational Keynote - Vanessa Saint-Gelais (Mind-Body & Executive Coach)
14h45 – 15h45: Retaining Talent: Training Programs
Round Table:
- María José Merino (moderator): HR and Organisational Development coordinator at ISGlobal
- Vanessa Saint-Gelais: Mind-Body & Executive Coach
- Teresa Rosas: Academic Talent and Gender officer at the Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre (CREAF)
- Damjana Kastelic: Head of Training and Academic Office at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
- Julio Gómez: Head of Human Resources at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
15h45 – 16h00: Final remarks
Keynote sessions
Marta Agostinho
From Talent to Thriving: The next frontier for research careers in Europe
The future of European research depends not only on scientific excellence, but on our ability to create career paths that allow researchers to grow, contribute and flourish. This keynote will reflect on the evolution of research careers in Europe and offer a forward-looking vision for the conditions needed to support talent across the entire research lifecycle—from attraction and selection to development, leadership and long-term impact.
About the speaker
Marta Agostinho is the Executive Director of EU-LIFE, an alliance of leading European research institutes in the life sciences. Her work spans science policy, research governance and culture, strategic science management, communication and public engagement. She co-designs and oversees EU-LIFE’s overall strategy, leads its science policy activities and represents the alliance externally.
She holds a PhD in Cell Biology and a post-graduation in Science Communication, and has over 15 years of experience in knowledge mediation, following a decade in life sciences research. Her previous roles include Director of the Communication & Training Unit at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon and Project Manager at NOVA Medical School, where she coordinated a European Joint Action in Mental Health policy. She also has experience as a trainer, lecturer and EU expert evaluator.
Michele Rosa-Clot
The European Charter for Researchers and its implementation process: a framework for institutional change
The European Charter for Researchers and its implementation through the HR Excellence in Research Award provide a framework for attractive and sustainable research careers through institutional change. The Award translates principles into a practical toolkit for stakeholder engagement, organisational development and continuous improvement, supporting institutions across the research talent lifecycle and moving implementation beyond compliance towards meaningful institutional transformation.
About the speaker
Michele Rosa-Clot has been the HR Excellence in Research Award Portfolio Owner at the European Commission, DG RTD, in the Unit “ERA, Spreading Excellence and Research Careers” since 2019. In this role, he contributes to the development of the European Charter for Researchers and coordinates its implementation through the HR Excellence in Research process. Previously, he worked in the European Commission’s Directorate for the Galileo satellite system at DG GROW.
A former international researcher, he holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pisa and an MA in History from the City University of New York. As a Fulbright scholar, he spent several years studying, researching and teaching in New York. His professional career has also included research on migration, renewable energy policy and work in the arts.
Vanessa Saint-Gelais
Research Yourself: Navigating Career Crossroads and What Comes Next
Career crossroads are a natural part of a research career, not a sign that something went wrong. This keynote speaks to both, those navigating their own next step and those supporting researchers to do the same. Drawing on her journey from PhD neuroscientist to corporate leadership in pharma and running her own business, Vanessa Saint-Gelais explores how to figure out your options and what to actually do next.
About the speaker
Vanessa Saint-Gelais, a PhD-trained neuroscientist, built her career across research, corporate leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, and now her own coaching and consulting practice. She coaches professionals and executives through career transitions, leadership development, and complex decisions. Her approach draws on neuroscience, somatic coaching, and over a decade of corporate experience to help people move forward with clarity.
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This workshop is supported with funding from our Centre of Excellence Severo Ochoa Programme, grant CEX2023-001290-S and also the grant GPE2024-001424-T, both funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033.
This content is related to the following SDGs:
