Who can participate in this programme?
Any young candidate nominated by a GÉANT Project NREN partner studying at a university or college in a GÉANT partner country, or working at a GÉANT NREN.
How many candidates can you nominate for the programme?
We accept max 3 candidates per NREN.
What kind of candidates should you look for?
Ideal candidates are (under) graduate, master and PhD students (possibly interns at the NREN), who want to commit time and energy to learn and develop themselves beyond the basic university programme.
What kind of topic can be submitted for a lightning talk
The subject matter of each presentation could be any idea, project or research or innovation the candidate have been working on that addresses a technical, economic, legal, security or environmental aspect in any IT and networks field. Previously submitted topics.
How competitive is the programme?
All nominated candidates that comply to the programme requirements will be admitted to the Future Talent Programme - which in itself does not have a competitive element. The competitive element comes in the proposal to give a Lightning Talk at TNC. FTP candidates compete with the other proposals the conference will receive. The TNC programme committee decides on the winning proposals based on original content and clarity. The committee reserves some places for students every year.
What do you need to nominate a candidate for the Future Talent Programme?
Please register your candidate at https://events.geant.org/event/512/ including your contact details, your candidate’s contact details and university and a short description of the candidate's topic. The application must be submitted by 11 March 2022. GLAD will notify the candidate of acceptance after this deadline.
What are the next steps?
Please urge your candidate to apply to give a Lightning Talk at TNC conference. This is the key focus of the Future Talent Programme, which prepares students to present their ideas. A separate application is required for Lightning Talks, which are selected by the TNC committee. The candidate should submit a brief abstract of their proposed talk following TNC guidelines.
What is the duration of the Future Talent Programme?
The programme runs from March to June. The presentation training webinars will be organised in small groups and will run in April and May. Finalists whose proposals are accepted by the TNC Programme Committee will get 1:1 presentation coaching from a professional speaker prior to the conference. The TNC conference will take place from 13-17 June 2022.
What will be your role as a host and mentor?
Your role as a mentor is to engage with your candidate on a regular basis, provide encouragement and advice during the programme and attend related events. If your candidate is selected to speak at TNC, we encourage you to support him or her at the conference. Travel cost and some manpower for mentors can be funded. We ask the hosting NREN to finance the candidate's travel arrangements in advance. All candidates' costs is funded by the programme and can be reclaimed from GN4.3-WP1-T5 following the normal GÉANT project claimant rules and procedures.
What’s the 2022 programme timeline?
11 March: Future Talent Programme registration deadline
14 March: Lightning Talk proposal submission deadline to TNC committee
April-May: Expert Presentation Training Webinars
May: 1:1 presentation coaching for Lightning Talk finalists
13-17 June: Finalists participate in TNC conference
Have a different question?
Email: glad@geant.org or training@garr.it
This initiative is co-funded by the European Union. The content of this document is the sole responsibility of GÉANT and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.