The FAIR project, funded under the PNRR, is entering its third year and will conclude in 2025. The FAIR Foundation, established to manage the project and its extended partnership, is already looking ahead by creating new research opportunities, launching new initiatives, and fostering the development of a robust Italian innovation ecosystem in which stakeholders can continue to collaborate beyond the end of this phase.
Alongside its ambitious scientific goals, FAIR is strongly committed to supporting the professional future of its participants. The Placement Program, developed in collaboration with Fondazione Emblema and presented on November 26 during the “Borsa del Placement” event in L’Aquila, provides tools and pathways to facilitate entry into the job market for PhD candidates, fixed-term researchers (RTD and RTDA), fellows, and post-docs involved in the FAIR project.
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The 13-month Placement Program is designed to enhance the skills of researchers and connect them with companies and investors, opening access to meaningful career opportunities and contributing to a stronger and more competitive AI ecosystem in Italy.
The programme is structured around three main phases: career orientation, connections with the job market, and support for entrepreneurship.
Placement Program activities
- Career orientation
- Coaching: two-day full-immersion sessions across the 10 Italian spoke locations (starting in Pisa on January 20–21, Trento on January 23–24, and Catania on January 28–29).
- Assessment: group sessions (8–12 participants) to evaluate skills and potential.
- Webinars: ten online meetings featuring company presentations to explore opportunities in the sector.
- Virtual desk: a personalized online guidance service for participants.
- Connections with the job market
- Recruiting Days: ten events designed to facilitate direct interaction with companies seeking qualified profiles.
- Virtual Career Fair: a full day of online interviews with leading companies.
- Participant directory: the creation of an up-to-date directory accessible to companies.
- Support for entrepreneurship
- ContaminationLab (CLab): four full-immersion sessions exploring the dynamics of self-employment.
- Club Deal: opportunities to present ideas and projects to potential investors and companies.
The Placement Program will also feature a dedicated online portal, integrated with the FAIR website, to host virtual events, provide informational materials, and enable direct interaction between participants and companies.
The strategic value of the programme
“This programme represents a key component of the Foundation’s strategy to offer new opportunities to researchers who have gained valuable experience within FAIR and are now ready to contribute to the labor market and to the AI ecosystem in Italy,” said Marta Rapallini, FAIR Program Manager.
– > discover the FAIR Placement Program portal <-