Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound and the patient’s reaction to it. Tinnitus remains a scientific and clinical enigma of iTinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound and the patient’s reaction to it. Although much progress has been made, tinnitus remains a scientific and clinical enigma of high prevalence and high economic burden. It affects more than 10% of the general population, whereas 1% of the population considers tinnitus their major health issue. Recent cohort studies show that tinnitus prevalence tends to increase over time and with older age. Assuming that there is no cure to be found, the prevalence estimates in Europe would double by 2050. A large variety of patient characteristics - including genotyping, aetiology, and phenotyping - are poorly understood, because integrated systems approaches are still missing to correlate patient`s characteristics to predict responses to combinatorial therapies. Although genetic causes of tinnitus have been neglected for decades, recent findings of genetic analysis in specific subgroups (gender and phenotype) have highlighted that bilateral tinnitus in men reached a heritability of 0.68. This heritability is close to autism, schizophrenia and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). There is no current consensus on tinnitus treatment. UNITI’s overall aim is to deliver a predictive computational model based on existing and longitudinal data attempting to address the question which treatment approach is optimal for a specific patient based on specific parameters. Clinical, epidemiological, medical, genetic and audiological data, including signals reflecting ear-brain communication, will be analysed from existing databases. Predictive factors for different patient groups will be extracted and their prognostic relevance will be tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which different groups of patients will undergo a combination of therapies targeting the auditory and central nervous systems.

ZIKAlliance is a multidisciplinary project with a global "One Health" approach, built: on a multi-centric network of clinical cohorts in the Caribbean, Central & South America; research sites in countries where the virus has been or is currently circulating (Africa, Asia, Polynesia) or at risk for emergence (Reunion Island); a strong network of European and Brazilian clinical & basic research institutions; and multiple interfaces with other scientific and public health programmes. ZIKAlliance will addrees three key objectives relating to (i) impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy and short & medium term effects on newborns, (ii) associated natural history of ZIKV infection in humans and their environment in the context of other circulating arboviruses and (iii) building the overall capacity for preparedness research for future epidemic threats in Latin America & the Caribbean. The project will take advantage of large standardised clinical cohorts of pregnant women and febrile patients in regions of Latin America and the Caribbean were the virus is circulating, expanding a preexisting network established by the IDAMS EU project. I will also benefit of a very strong expertise in basic and environmental sciences, with access to both field work and sophisticated technological infrastructures to characterise virus replication and physiopathology mechanisms. To meet its 3 key objectives, the scientific project has been organised in 9 work packages, with WP2/3 dedicated to clinical research (cohorts, clinical biology, epidemiology & modeling), WP3/4 to basic research (virology & antivirals, pathophysiology & animal models), WP5/6 to environmental research (animal reservoirs, vectors & vector control) , WP7/8 to social sciences & communication, and WP9 to management. The broad consortium set-up allow gathering the necessary expertise for an actual interdisciplinary approach, and operating in a range of countries with contrasting ZIKV epidemiological status.

<< Background >>The MICRO QUEST project is established and planned in front of a dramatic change in demand within the VET sector in Europe. Not only but also triggered and fostered by the Covid 19 pandemic effects on economies and labour markets and within the megatrend of digitalisation, learning and permanent adaptation of qualifications and competences has become a must. This, however, leads to changes in demand regarding vocational education and training required: because of an always shorter lifespan of knowledge, learners are massively requesting shorter, quicker, more flexible and at the same time high quality, recognisable, accumulable qualifications and training. Longer qualifications and training programmes have experienced a reduction of interest by learners over the last years and especially during a time where personal face to face training is not always possible and has been widely replaced by digital learning offers, webinars etc. there is a strong need for new and innovative VET offers. The European Commission has introduced and started a consultation and discussion process around an approach that is able to satisfy this new demand: micro-credentials. Smaller learning pieces but offered in a high quality and also able to be recognised and accumulated to a larger and longer qualification if needed by learners should become the future approach in VET. There are, however, a number of challenges hidden in this new innovative approach in VET, questions around quality assurance, mutual trust when awarding or recognising micro-credentials etc. need further thoughts and competences on the level of VET providers about how to define, offer, provide, award, recognise micro-credentials need to be developed - this creates the background of the MICRO QUEST project.<< Objectives >>For a broad implementation and use of micro-credentials in VET as new approach to offer individual and tailored learning chunks for an always more dynamic and flexible group of learners in VET it is important to research and discuss crucial questions such as: -How are micro-credentials defined in (non-)formal VET? -How can units for micro-credentials be extracted and offered by a non-formal VET provider in Europe?-Which possibilities and tools are available for quality assurance and providing mutual trust and recognition of micro-credentials provided by different VET institutions?-How can single micro-credentials be collected and fed into a larger non formal training programme for learners?-How can especially digital learning content lead to micro-credentials (e.g. MOOCs, online and distance learning)?-What is the concrete benefit for learners and VET providers when using the micro-credential approach? All these questions shall be approached, answered and supported by concrete quality tools with the help of the MICRO QUEST project.With the number of activities planned and implemented in the project and with the help of the 4 concrete project results which are going to be developed within the partnership, VET providers, VET learners and also VET policy makers should develop their competences and knowledge on the level of micro-credentials and start introducing and using this approach in their VET offer.<< Implementation >>In front of the overall project aim of the MICRO QUEST project which is the investigation and research as well as the development of an approach for identification and quality assurance of micro-credentials in VET in Europe, the project partnership has defined four main activity streams which are forming the basis for the expected project results:1) Implementation of an investigation research to identify the concrete needs and requirements of the target group (VET providers) regarding the use of micro-credentials for their training offers as well as to identify suitable quality assurance approaches which are meeting the requirements of micro-credentials and can be used for quality assurance during the definition and awarding of micro-credentials by VET providers (e.g. EQAVET, ISO, TQM etc).2) Development of a guideline for VET providers: if micro-credentials should be used on a broad and comparable level within Europe, the VET providers would need an easy and clear guideline, how they can deduct and define micro-credentials in their learning offer (with a special focus also on online learning offers such as MOOCs, webinars, online coaching).3) Development of a training workshop concept for (non)-formal VET providers: besides the written guidelines we find it important that representatives of VET providers, external experts in VET etc. get a practical training on e.g. how to deduct and define a micro-credentials from the training programme offered, requirements for awarding of micro-credentials, quality assurance approaches for micro-credentials, mutual recognition of micro-credentials.4) Development of a network of (non)-formal VET providers for micro-credentials in Europe: for its success we believe that we would immediately need to establish a broad network of potential VET providers who are on one hand providing micro-credentials in different sectors and learning topics and on the other hand are also willing to accept and trust other VET providers who have awarded micro-credentials. The members of this network will be non-formal VET providers who have all committed to the same ways of quality assurance and mutual trust. Their offer of micro-credentials will be displayed in an online platform ready to be used by potential VET learners.<< Results >>In front of these four activity streams, the results expected for the MICRO QUEST project are:R1: Investigation research - micro-credentials in VET (needs, demands and quality assurance)R2: Guideline for non-formal VET providersR3: Training workshop concept for (non)-formal VET providers R4: Network platform of VET providers for micro-credentials in EuropeAll results will be available in all partner country languages which are EN, DE, ES, SI and are accessible for download via the project website. Further outcomes and results are:1) Project website and information materials: included in the project management and implementation grant, the project will develop a dedicated project website with core information about the project and download possibility for all materials developed, the website will also host the link to the online network of VET providers and micro-credentials2) Sharing and promotion strategy: A comprehensive results sharing and promotion strategy will be developed and implemented for all partner organisations3) Quality management handbook and reports: the assurance of a high product and process quality is an important factor for the success of the project. One partner organisation will be especially responsible for the quality management in the project.4) Multiplier Events: in each partner country 1 multiplier event will be organised to present the project results to a wide group of potential users and multipliers

Expertise in nuclear and radiochemistry (NRC) is of strategic relevance in the nuclear energy sector and in many vital applications. The need for radiochemistry expertise will even increase as the focus shifts from safe nuclear power plant operation to decontamination and decommissioning, waste management and environmental monitoring. The non-energy fields of NRC applications are even much broader ranging from life sciences – radiopharmaceuticals, radiological diagnostics and therapy – through dating in geology and archaeology, (nuclear) forensics and safeguards operations, to radiation protection and radioecology. The A-CINCH project primarily addresses the loss of the young generation's interest for nuclear knowledge by focusing on secondary / high school students and teachers and involving them by the “Learn through Play” concept. This will be achieved by bringing advanced educational techniques such as state-of the art 3D virtual reality NRC laboratory, Massive Open Online Courses, RoboLab distance operated robotic experiments, Interactive Screen Experiments, NucWik database of teaching materials, or Flipped Classroom, into the NRC education. All the new and existing tools wrapped-up around the A-CINCH HUB – a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate single point of access – will contribute increasing the number of students and trainees in the field of nuclear and radiochemistry. Nuclear awareness will be further increased by the High School Teaching Package, Summer Schools for high school students, Teach the Teacher package and many others. Additionally, successful educational and training tools from previous projects will be continued and further developed. Networking is an important part of the project, facilitated by having ENEN as one of the partners and by having structural links with other Euratom projects, the EuChemS, the NRC-Network as well as by additional links with other end users and stakeholders including the high schools.