Heidelberg, 1 March 2021 – A new fellowship for early career researchers is launched today in memory of Suzanne Eaton, an internationally acclaimed scientist and EMBO Member. The EMBO New Venture Fellowship supports young researchers from across the life sciences to enter a new field or bring a new direction to their work.
The aims of the New Venture Fellowship are to connect different perspectives, lead science down new avenues, and stimulate collaborations. They reflect Suzanne’s collaborative approach to research, which spanned cell biology, biophysics, biochemistry, genetics, and mathematical modelling. Suzanne united researchers to address key questions in areas such as cell signalling, metabolism regulation, and tissue formation. She also encouraged others to overcome the challenges of entering new fields for the benefit of intellectual and scientific advancement. Family and friends of Suzanne commented that her scientific identity and drive was inspired by her position at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, of which she was one of the founding members and a group leader for over 20 years.
She died in 2019 under tragic circumstances. Following her death, people across the world paid tribute to her, remembering a pioneering scientist, inspiring mentor, and dear friend. A memorial fund was set up in this spirit and the EMBO New Venture Fellowship has been established thanks to some of the generous donations made.
EMBO New Venture Fellows will spend up to 90 days with a host group, working on joint projects. Projects should address important problems or barriers to progress in the life sciences, clearly promote interdisciplinary approaches, take the Fellow’s work in a new direction, and be carried out jointly with the host team.
Up to six fellowships will be awarded across two calls, the first running from 1 March to 1 June 2021, and a second in spring next year. The travel costs and daily subsistence allowance will be provided to the fellows. Applicants must have a minimum of two years’ experience at PhD level and no more than two years’ experience as a principal investigator. Fellowships are awarded for exchanges between laboratories in EMBC Member States, Associate Member States, and co-operation partners.
“Suzanne Eaton was a truly inspiring scientist, and her work underscored the benefits of bringing together different fields to answer complex life science questions,” says Kelly Sheehan-Rooney, Head of the EMBO Fellowship Programme. “The EMBO New Venture Fellowship will open doors for young researchers to think about scientific puzzles in new ways. The goal is to support high quality candidates to explore feasible projects in fields outside their own area of expertise and generate the preliminary data that could help transform their research trajectory. It will also broaden views, sharpen insights, and build bridges between disciplines that we hope will lead to long-lasting collaborations.”
There will be two application calls for the EMBO New Venture Fellowship. Click here for further details.
Donations to the Suzanne Eaton Memorial Fund continue to be gratefully accepted here.
