What is TunTwin
The “National Institute for Research and Physico-Chemical Analysis” (INRAP), is coordinating a H2020 Twinning project founded by the European Commission under the action “Coordination and Support Action” within “Widespread” Topic.
The TUNTWIN project has started on January 1, 2021 and will last 3 years. The funding allocated to the project amounts to approximately 0.9 million €, including communication, dissemination and awareness raising.
TUNTWIN will strengthen research excellence and knowledge transfer of INRAP regarding mass spectrometry, and synchrotron techniques applied to environment, food and health sectors with a special attention to organic contaminants, element speciation, light and non-traditional isotopes, nanoparticles and food traceability, authenticity and safety. These sectors are of high economic benefit and relevance for the development of both EU and Tunisian economy and legislation.
To accomplish this, TUNTWIN will create an environment to transnational cooperation and develop a sustainable framework of research capacity building, research management, finance and administration, international networking to enhance the sustainable expertise of Tunisian scientists and stakeholders. As a result, TUNTWIN will foster the economic development of Tunisian economy in the sectors of environment, food and health. Strengthening of INRAP’s staff will be developed by EU partners of established scientific excellence in target topics, through 6 case studies, with proven record of experience.
TUNTWIN Specific Objectives
Why TUNTWIN?
- To enhance and develop the MS, SR based analytical skills of the young and confirmed researchers and the technical staff and to get aligned with the internationally leading laboratories.
- To contribute to promote the expertise and research potential of INRAP to become a center of excellence in inorganic and organic analysis in the selected domains of environment, food and health, leading to further investment in new state-of-the-art spectrometric instrumentations.
- To train the new generation of exceptional young researchers to help establishing high quality human resources and implementing the structural changes necessary to achieve excellence on a sustainable base.
- To align with H2020 RRI cross-cutting issues by providing basic trainings on key horizontal practices towards research excellence
- To promote a sustainable networking, integrate and develop long-term joint projects in EU research programs in environment, food and health to ensure further sustainability funding and increase the chances of engaging new undergraduate students into research.
- To increase the number of networking opportunities for high-level and earlystage researchers and to stay connected with partners across the EU
- to bring together institutions of excellence and an outstanding analysis laboratory (MARSS/IPREM and JSI) which have already benefited from a twinning project between some of the TUNTWIN partner (IPREM and IJS: MASSTWIN) and which are one of the main institutions in the field in EU, to act as a unique virtual center of excellence in mass spectrometry and related techniques around the Mediterranean Basin
- to Support the establishment of Reference Center in Marine Environment (CREM) programmed within the framework of the LMI-Ecosys-Med project between 3 institutions of IRD (France) and 6 Tunisian institutions (INRAP, INSTM, IPEIT, CBS, FSB, INAT).
- To increase international visibility and raise the profile of researchers and INRAP within Maghreb and African countries as well as the European Research Area (ERA).
- To enhance and enlarge collaboration with socioeconomic partners such as food and pharmaceutical industry and with government sectors (Ministries of Environment, Health, Agriculture and Commerce).