Young Academics Funding is an initiative first launched by the University of Luxembourg’s Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) in June 2021. The funding instrument, open to applicants from all disciplines and research areas, allows candidates to conduct their doctoral thesis in an interdisciplinary ecosystem, under the supervision of two academic staff members of the University of Luxembourg. In particular, the brand-new fellowship provides funding to outstanding candidates for projects aiming to advance the University’s interdisciplinary research. Its aim is to attract international talent to conduct scientific breakthroughs in untouched areas of research, usually those considered too risky or complex to address.
In the 2021 IAS Young Academics Call, two candidates, Alessandro Tugnetti and Xiaowei Chen, have successfully submitted research proposals with a link to SnT, and will begin their doctoral programmes as of January 2022. The selected candidates are endorsed by a Principal Investigator (PI) and a co-PI from two different fields to emphasise the interdisciplinary aspect of the scheme. The students will have the chance to receive training to acquire disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transversal skills through the duration of their degrees.
Tugnetti’s thesis will focus on a project entitled Data Analytics for Art valuation (DATART), led by Prof. Roman Kräussl, full professor in Finance in the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, whose research primarily surrounds alternative investments. Prof. Gilbert Fridgen, head of the Financial Services and Interorganisational Digital Transformations Research Group (FINATRAX) will endorse the project as a co-PI and provide expertise on digital technologies.
Under the supervision of Prof. Vincent Koenig as PI and Prof. Gabriele Lenzini as co-PI, Chen will work on a project entitled Achieving Effective and Sustainable Anti-Phishing Solutions (AES Anti-Phishing). Prof. Koenig is an assistant professor in the department of Behaviour and Cognitive Sciences. His work covers multiple areas including user-centred design, cognitive ergonomics and usable security. Prof. Lenzini, head of the Interdisciplinary Research in Socio-Technical Cybersecurity Group (IRiSC), works on challenging real-world security problems by considering their organisational, legal, and human aspects.
The opportunity will allow the future doctoral researchers to work with the different research groups at SnT/the University of Luxembourg and with its partners, private companies and public entities. SnT’s experts strive for excellence in research, which has the power to foster innovation and provide novel solutions for challenges faced by society.