News Release

First steps to EMBO research awards agreed by the EMBC

Peer-Reviewed Publication

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

At the summer meeting of the European Molecular Biology Conference (the EMBC), it was decided to initiate the process of launching an EMBO Research Award Programme. This would be a major expansion of the EMBO activities that are predominantly funded by the EMBC. As such, it requires the establishment of a special project, a process that was used with success when the EMBC established the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). Frank Gannon, Executive Director of EMBO and Secretary General of the EMBC said; "This is an historic first step to a very useful addition to European-wide funding for research. This funding will be investigator initiated and selected, like all EMBO activities, solely on the basis of quality".

Having opened the Special Project process, interested EMBC member states will work to refine their plans for cooperation, leading to a formal agreement perhaps in 2004. Julio E. Celis, President of the EMBC said; "This development makes EMBC/EMBO even more central to the promotion of biosciences in Europe and acts as a prototype to other more ambitious programmes, such as the European Research Council, that are currently being actively discussed in Europe".

###

Contacts:

Prof. Frank Gannon
Executive Director
EMBC Secretary General
European Molecular Biology Organisation,
Meyerhofstrasse 1,
D-69117 Heidelberg
Tel. 49-6221-889-1-102
Fax. 49-6221-889-1-202
Frank.Gannon@embo.org
http://www.embo.org

Prof. Julio E. Celis
EMBO President
Institute of Cancer Biology & Danish Centre for Human Genome Research,
Strandboulevarden 49 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel. 45-3525-7363 Fax. 45-3525-7375 embc@embo.org

Ellen Peerenboom (PhD)
EMBO Press & Public Relations Officer
Communication & Web
Postfach 102240
D-69012 Heidelberg
Tel: 0049-6221-8891-108
Fax: 0049-6221-8891-200
pr_embo.org@embo.org
http://www.embo.org

The European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) supports EMBO's activities. The EMBC member states are: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

The European molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) promotes biosciences in Europe. It was established by leading scientists almost 40 years ago. The organization raised the standards in this area of science through the establishment of a specialist laboratory (EMBL), the provision of training through practical courses and workshops and by stimulating mobility through its Fellowship Programme. Today EMBO has 1200 elected members, including 36 Nobel Prize laureates.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.