Responding to the need to equip European societies with multi-disciplinary expertise to tackle future public health crises, DOROTHY COFUND will recruit, train and launch the careers of 25 excellent fellows through 36-month fellowships (18 months overseas and 18 months in Ireland). Postdoctoral researchers from all disciplines will be eligible (e.g. epidemiology, engineering of materials, diagnostic tools, psychology, economics, social history, education, sociology, political science, medical and health humanities and philosophy), as long as their research projects fall within the remit of public-health crises. DOROTHY's goals are: -Support fellows’ career development, through excellent training and supervision and mentoring, and prepare them for future career opportunities by means of the exceptional skills and timely and topical experience that will be gained through these fellowships. - Create a critical mass of well-networked experts, from all disciplinary areas, who will be fully able to engage with the Irish and EU innovation ecosystem, through the set-up of an innovative multidisciplinary research and training platform. These individuals will be trained to tackle future public-health crises in ways that will lead to positive societal impact. -Promote the dissemination and communication of impactful research beyond traditional academic channels, targeting policymakers and population at large , with the objective of contributing to resourceful and resilient societies. - Pioneer an innovative multidisciplinary approach to the way public health crises are understood and tackled. As they are broad-ranging and complex phenomena, with multi-issue implications, solutions cannot prescind from the cooperation between disciplines, sectors and research areas. DOROTHY, which shows the feasibility of that, aims to become a replicable template for multidisciplinary, international and intersectoral training approaches.

The CAROLINE Fellowship Programme proposed by the Irish Research Council (IRC) will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to further develop their skills, competencies and experience through inter-sectoral collaboration with NGOs and International Organisations (IO). Proposals will be invited from all disciplines that speak to the overarching theme of global sustainable development as set out under the United Nations 2030 Agenda for shared economic prosperity, social development, and environmental protection. CAROLINE will fund 50 experienced researchers across two modes; International Fellowships (three-year) and Irish Fellowships (two-year). The IRC, a national agency, funds excellent research across all disciplines. Unique aspects of CAROLINE include the European and global resonance of the overarching research theme, the inclusion of NGO and IO partners with the host research performing organisations, flexibility in secondments, comprehensive approaches to equal opportunities and gender aspects, and dedicated core training and career support activities. Research outcomes and activities of the CAROLINE Fellows will benefit Europe, given the significance of the theme to Europe 2020, e.g. in employment, climate change and energy, education, and poverty reduction. CAROLINE will deliver experienced researchers with enhanced skills in inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary research and better access to a wider set of future career opportunities. The IRC has built an impressive array of support for this proposal from stakeholders in Ireland, Europe and internationally, including research performing-organisations, NGOs, IOs and other partners.