Ten group leaders across Europe supported by EMBO Installation Grants

Heidelberg, 18 December 2018 – EMBO announces today the award of ten Installation Grants to early-career researchers establishing their independent laboratories in the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal and Turkey.

EMBO Director Maria Leptin says: “We’re pleased to welcome these ten talented life scientists to the EMBO community. They have all shown that they are able to carry out research of the highest quality, and we look forward to supporting them in taking the next step in their careers and setting up their own research groups.”

Each Installation Grantee will receive 50,000 euros annually for between three and five years. In addition to financial support, the recipients receive networking opportunities and practical support by becoming part of the EMBO Young Investigator network. The grants are funded primarily by the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal and Turkey, the participating Member States of the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), EMBO’s intergovernmental funding body.

“For some countries in Europe, retaining or attracting the best researchers can be a challenge,” explains Leptin. “Through the Installation Grants scheme, we encourage young researchers to return or move to countries that find it difficult to compete with large well-funded research centers in some of the other European countries. In doing so we hope to improve the participating countries’ competitiveness in European science.”

EMBO Installation Grants are awarded on the basis of scientific excellence and international mobility as the primary selection criteria. Recipients must have spent at least two consecutive years outside the country in which they are planning to establish their research group.

The next application deadline for EMBO Installation Grants is 15 April 2019.

http://embo.org/funding-awards/installation-grants

Selected statistics

• EMBO has supported 103 group leaders through Installation Grants since 2006
• The 2018 grantees will establish one laboratory each in the Czech Republic and Portugal, three in Poland and five in Turkey
• The 2018 Installation Grantees include four women and six men

Recipients of the EMBO Installation Grants 2018

• Ogun Adebali, Sabanci University, Istanbul, TR (G protein-coupled receptor evolution in the context of genetic diseases)
• Serap Aksu, Koc University, Istanbul, TR (Immune cell signalling in situ and in real time)
• Claudia Bank, Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Oeiras, PT (Fitness landscapes and the predictability of evolution)
• Sukru Anil Dogan, Bogazici University, Istanbul, TR (ROS-mediated control of tissue-specific mitochondrial biogenesis)
• Serap Erkek, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, TR (Epigenetic regulation of bladder cancer)
• Anna Karnkowska, University of Warsaw, PL (Evolution of phototrophy in eukaryotes)
• Serkan Kir, Koc University, Istanbul, TR (Dissecting tumour-induced signalling pathways driving energy wasting)
• Lukasz Piatkowski, Poznan University of Technology, PL (The role of hydration in cell membrane organization)
• Martin Schwarzer, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CZ (Bacteria-driven host juvenile growth promotion)
• Michal Szymanski, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, PL (Structural basis for DNA repair in human mitochondria)

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About EMBO

EMBO is an organization of more than 1800 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a research environment where scientists can achieve their best work.

EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe. For more information: http://www.embo.org

About EMBC

The European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) is an intergovernmental organization comprising 29 member states. EMBC promotes a strong transnational approach to the life sciences. Within EMBC, member states pool their resources to improve the quality of research at a national level and to contribute to the advancement of basic research in Europe. For more information: http://www.embc.embo.org

Funding agencies supporting the grant:

Czech Republic: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

Estonia: Estonian Research Agency

Poland: Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Portugal: Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia

Turkey: TUBITAK