LTFCOFUND2013 · Supporting transnational mobility within the European life sciences by cofunding of the EMBO Fellowship Programme

Supporting transnational mobility within the European life sciences by cofunding of the EMBO Fellowship Programme

The EMBO Fellowship Programme (http://www.embo.org/funding-awards/fellowships/long-term-fellowships) supports international mobility ad exchange in all areas of the life sciences. Renowned for its commitment to scientific excellence, the programme has funded thousands of talented early career scientists since its establishment in the 1960s. EMBO Long-Term Fellowships support advanced research and training by awarding funds to postdoctoral scientists for research visits between European countries or when justified worldwide. Since 2001, the number of applications for EMBO Fellowships has more than doubled (see chart 1), creating a situation in which the number of excellent proposals exceeded the available budget. In 2007, 2010 and 2011, EMBO successfully applied for co-funding which made it possible to award a significantly higher number of fellowships. The current project allows EMBO to meet the continued high demand for postdoctoral training in the life sciences. Both selection rounds in 2015 (spring and autumn) were supported by co-funding. Both calls had been publicly announced in various media including the Euraxess and the EMBO webpage. After the respective deadlines the submitted proposals (762 in spring 2015 and 787 in autumn 2015) were evaluated by the EMBO Fellowship Committee, a panel of internationally renowned experts covering the main scientific disciplines of the modern life sciences. In total 252 co-funded fellowships could be awarded, 132 and 120 per respective call. This represents a significant increase of around 25% compared to 206 when no COFUND grant was available. The selected fellows have enjoyed the benefits and the high prestige of an EMBO Long-Term Fellowship - co-funded by a Marie Curie Action until August 2018, in which most of the awarded fellows have completed their fellowhips. A list of participant organizations is attached. The Programme Head, Dr David del Alamo can be contacted at david.delalamo@embo.org

Data: CORDIS, © European Union