Young CAS gathering at CAS

The event brought together active, upcoming, and former project leaders from the two-year Young CAS programme. The programme for the day delivered essential guidance to current PIs while providing career development insights for alumni, addressing a clear need in the Young CAS community.

Presentations on ERC applications, research stays, and career planning

Ida-Marie Høyvik, fresh from receiving an ERC Consolidator Grant in December 2024, shared her application strategy and credited the Young CAS Grant as instrumental to her success. Her presentation sparked extensive discussion, covering everything from technical requirements to personal resilience during the application process.

Ben Schneider tackled the practical challenges of planning research stays—a common administrative hurdle given many researchers' temporary positions and frequent group changes. Drawing from his own successful experience, he emphasized the importance of early planning and maintaining ongoing communication with the administration at CAS.

We also had the pleasure of having Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør from the Young Academy of Norway present her take on building a career in academia. Rounding out the formal presentations by addressing that successful academic paths rarely follow linear progressions.

The session concluded with participant-led discussions covering research group dynamics, strategic use of Young CAS Grants, and career advancement tactics. These exchanges proved particularly valuable, with participants actively sharing insights and solutions.

Feedback was exceptionally positive, and energy was high throughout, it's clear this gathering filled a real gap in the Young CAS community.

A huge thanks to everyone who shared their insights and made this event such a success!