Sustainability of NICR through the eyes of scientists of different generations

Access to the most up-to-date technologies, collaboration with top scientists, sharing know-how with experts from narrowly specialised fields, and opportunities for career development. NICR contributes all this and more to both participating research teams and individual researchers. What do they expect from this consortium in the future, after the end of the project’s financing period, and how would they measure its success? We have asked your colleagues across all the NICR nodes.

1. What does inclusion in a consortium such as NICR contribute to your team, your institution, or to you at your stage of scientific career?
2. What do you think would be the most effective way of using the know-how and infrastructure created thanks to NICR, including the potential of research teams that were created thanks to this consortium?
3. What tools or metrics would you use to measure the success of the consortium after the end of its financing by the Next Generation EU as part of the National Recovery Plan? What do you think about the possibility of collaborating with the private sector and eventual financing coming from this side?

Veronika Vymetálková

Prague node, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS
Focus on tumour biomarkers

1. I have personally been part of the consortium as a co-investigator for a relatively short time. However, even before that, as a team member, I continuously followed its outputs and recognized the benefits it brings to our department and institution. I am proud that we can contribute to this collective effort and support the advancement of the scientific community in this field.
   Participation in NICR is of fundamental importance to our team. It has allowed us to expand our research on a highly promising biomarker that we discovered, whose role in colorectal cancer aetiology is proving to be crucial. Additionally, thanks to financial support, we were able to advance technologically and acquire a digital PCR instrument through the consortium’s funds. This technology enables us to detect mutations in circulating tumour DNA with high precision, opening new directions in early cancer detection and personalized medicine.
   Another significant advantage of participation in NICR is the daily sharing of know-how with experts from highly specific fields that are linked to clinical practice. This opportunity for continuous interdisciplinary discussion significantly accelerates knowledge transfer and application while allowing us to respond swiftly to new challenges. For us, the consortium is not just a formal alliance of institutions but a space for active collaboration, innovation, and growth.

2. The know-how and infrastructure should be fully utilized to further develop scientific collaboration and innovation. A key step is to continue implementing joint research projects at both the national and international levels. It is also crucial to foster an open scientific community by organizing specialized workshops, training sessions, and internships that would help other researchers and young talents engage in research. Furthermore, establishing a centralised platform for sharing data and results would be highly beneficial, as it would facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerate the implementation of new findings. 
3. After the Next Generation EU funding ends, the success of NICR could be evaluated using several key metrics, including publication outputs and their citation impact, follow-up projects and grant success, practical applications of research results such as new patents, licenses, or technology transfers, and, last but not least, the number of strategic partnerships established with other institutions or sectors.
   I am certainly open to collaboration with the private sector, provided it makes sense for both parties. If a company can offer something practical—such as technology or a pathway to advancing research results—I am willing to engage. However, it is important to me that such collaboration remains fair and does not compromise the essence of scientific work.

Claudia Carrera Bravo

Prague node, First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University
Postdoc focused on the architecture of cancer cells

1. In my position of a postdoc, work in the NICR gave me valuable opportunities to establish contact with renowned scientists, form new collaborative relationships, and to access the most up-to-date infrastructure and training in the most advanced technologies. It was doubtless an important step in the development of my scientific career. 
2. To maximise its impact, NICR should secure sustainable financing from national sources, improve training programmes for early career scientists, support collaboration among research units both within the consortium and with respected international authorities focused on translational medicine outside the consortium, and support the preservation of shared core facilities for research purposes on the national level.
   I am convinced that such steps would secure a long-term innovation potential and preserve the international importance of NICR in cancer research.

3. For evaluation the consortium’s success, I would consider the following key indicators: 

• • Scientific impact – publications, citations, patents, papers presented at conferences
  • Financing and collaboration – grants, international collaboration, partnership with industry
  • Transfer into clinical practice – studies, new therapies
  • Education and development of workforce – education of highly motivated secondary school students who have a strong potential for the study of natural science and support of research stays for university students; such strategies contribute to the growth of the research and development sector in the country by producing highly qualified professionals.

As I see it, organisation of scientific conferences and events enables us to collaborate with the private sector as sponsors and to present research conducted in the Czech Republic. 

Jakub Onhajzer

Prague node, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS
Postgraduate student focused on cell and developmental biology

1. As an early-career scientist and currently a PhD candidate, I initially had little understanding of what it truly meant to “be part of a consortium” or how research projects are financially supported. However, this changed rapidly. Through my involvement in NICR, I realized the fundamental significance of this opportunity—I gained access to technologies that would have otherwise been difficult for me to reach. At the same time, I came to understand that it is not just about funding but also, perhaps more importantly, about intellectual foundation. I have the chance to learn from more experienced colleagues and contribute to projects that integrate multiple disciplines, which is a tremendous advantage in modern science. Additionally, being part of the consortium has allowed me to participate in international events and present my research at conferences. These experiences are extremely valuable for my future career.
2. It would be highly beneficial if the existing technical and knowledge infrastructure remained accessible in the long term—not only for current research teams but also for other (young) scientists who could take advantage of NICR’s resources. I would also appreciate stronger support for the involvement of young researchers in applied research, for example, through internships in industry. Many early-career scientists have innovative ideas but lack the connections and resources to bring them to reality. If NICR could facilitate closer ties between academic research and the biotechnology sector, it could open up numerous new opportunities.
3. In my view, the most important measure of success is whether the consortium’s infrastructure continues to function effectively—whether ongoing research progresses, students receive appropriate training, and collaborations between institutions persist. In other words, NICR should not become a “dead shell” once its initial funding ends, but rather a dynamic and open platform for continued scientific cooperation. It would make sense to track records such as the number of young scientists who, with NICR’s support, secured research grants, published their findings, or established their own research groups—these, in my opinion, would reflect its true impact.
   As for collaboration with the private sector, I see great opportunity but also some challenges. In the Czech research environment, there is not yet a well-established culture of intensive cooperation between academia and industry. However, initiatives like NICR could help bridge this gap. The key is to maintain balance—while applied research is essential, basic research should not be sidelined. If a model can be established in which companies support applied research while allowing scientists the freedom to pursue their own directions, this could create a highly beneficial synergy for both sides.

Zdeněk Škrott

Olomouc node, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc
Postdoc focused on proteotoxic stress and genome integrity

1. Involvement in the NICR brought our institute a variety of benefits on several levels. Not only does it improve our access to top-level infrastructure and technologies but, above all, the consortium creates a platform for more effective collaboration between various research teams across the institutions involved. This increases interdisciplinarity and facilitates a faster and more effective research. And last but not least, involvement in the NICR is important for the development of young scientists like myself because, thanks to it, we can work in an inspiring environment and establish important contacts that will benefit our future career. 
2. In order to secure a long-term impact of investment into NICR, it is important to make sure that both the infrastructure and the knowledge remain in active use not only by the main members of the consortium but also among the wider research community. To fully use the potential of NICR, it is of key importance to secure its long-term sustainability even after the end of the currently main source of financing. It would be certainly most beneficial to keep supporting the synergy among teams, for instance via joint grant calls or thematic research programmes. Last but not least, it would be a good idea to keep supporting young researchers and newly created research teams.  
3. Success of the consortium should be evaluated mainly from the perspective of scientific and social impact of research. When applying traditional academic evaluation metrics, such as publications, patents, awarded grants, one should definitely look more at the quality rather than quantity of outputs. Naturally, it is also important to see whether the research will have a real impact on clinical practice and technological innovations. Crucial and excellent research is naturally also interesting for private companies, which leads to a close collaboration that is advantageous for both the academic and the private sphere.