The second edition of ORMA – Advanced Training and Action-Research at research institutions in Tuscany has officially started on May 1. The initiative is funded by the Tuscany Region as part of the GiovaniSì project and provides twelve research grants, each lasting 24 months. The selected fellows will engage in training programs focused on communication and marketing of technologies and European projects. Specifically, ORMA2 is structured into three distinct projects, each aiming to train four experts:
• ORMA2COM – Advanced Training and Action-Research 2. Communication and Marketing of Tuscan Research Institutions
This project aims to train professionals capable of designing and managing communication strategies for research institutions, with a focus on their competencies, infrastructures, and laboratories—key engines of scientific and technological advancement. Fellows will learn how to create effective communication plans to foster relationships with local stakeholders.
• ORMA2TEC – Advanced Training and Action-Research 2. Communication and Marketing of Technologies and Technological Outreach
Fellows will acquire skills in technology marketing, technological outreach, and innovation support. Their role will be to encourage collaboration between research institutions and businesses, helping translate research outcomes into innovative solutions for industry. They will also gain tools to search for national and international partners.
• ORMA2EUR – Advanced Training and Action-Research 2. European Project Development, Internationalization, and International Networking
This path focuses on training experts in European project development and internationalization of research. Fellows will be prepared to identify international project calls—particularly those related to European funding—and to create international partnerships, promoting cooperation among research institutions, universities, and businesses worldwide.
The National Institute of Optics (INO) will coordinate ORMA2COM and ORMA2TEC projects (Project Manager: Daniela Selisca), and will host two scholarship holders: Stefania Tavella (Tutor: Francesco D’Amato) for ORMA2COM and Diana Tartaglia (Tutor: Daniela Selisca) for ORMA2TEC. Additionally, INO will also host Dafne Suraci, a fellow in ORMA2EUR project (Tutor: Donata Fornaciari).
Activities will take place primarily at INO, but also at other institutions both within and outside the Tuscany Region. In particular, ORMA2COM fellows will be hosted at the Area Science Park in Trieste and will also undergo international training at CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group in Geneva.
ORMA2TEC participants will also engage in training at institutions outside Tuscany, including ENEA (Bologna), Warrant Hub (Reggio Emilia), Gran Sasso Tech (L’Aquila), and Mister Smart Innovation (Bologna).
In addition to the three research grants based at INO in Sesto Fiorentino, the remaining nine are distributed across the following institutions:
• Institute of Clinical Physiology (CNR-IFC) – Pisa
• Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (CNR-IPCF) – Pisa
• National Institute for Nuclear Physics – Florence division (Sesto Fiorentino)
• National Institute for Astrophysics – Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory (Florence)
• Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara” (CNR-IFAC) – Sesto Fiorentino
• Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds (CNR-ICCOM) – Sesto Fiorentino
These initiatives are funded by PR FSE+ 2021/27 and are encompassed into the frame of GiovaniSì (www.giovanisi.it), the Tuscany Region Project for the independence of young people.