EMBO recognizes talented young group leaders in Europe

Heidelberg, Germany, 4 November 2009 – The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) announced today this year's selection of 17 of Europe's most talented young researchers as EMBO Young Investigators.

Set up ten years ago, the programme identifies some of Europe's most promising and creative young life scientists. They will receive academic, practical and financial help from EMBO in the crucial years of their scientific careers – as they set up their first independent research laboratories and develop reputations in the scientific community.

This year, the programme received 123 applications. The new EMBO Young Investigators work in nine different countries, their average age is 36 years and four of them are women.

"The EMBO Young Investigators Programme offers a level of distinction for young researchers that is hard to find at this stage of their life science careers," says Gerlind Wallon, EMBO Deputy Director and manager of the Young Investigator Programme. "The recognition will help them consolidate their first independent teams and facilitate their contributions to European research."

Selected by EMBO Members for the high standard of their research, these 17 young group leaders join the network of around 230 scientists. As part of this group, they will benefit from a range of activities including a mentorship programme, laboratory management courses, non-scientific skills training as well as PhD courses for their students. The increasing size of this network also enables them to organize specialized meetings in diverse fields of molecular biology and to start new collaborations.

EMBO Young Investigators receive 15,000 euro per year directly from the member state where their laboratories are located. Additional support is provided by EMBO for networking activities and small research projects in their laboratories.

The next application deadline for the EMBO Young Investigator Programme is 1 April 2010.
More information can be found at www.embo.org/funding-awards/young-investigators.