5 June 2023 – EMBO announces the selection of 27 life scientists who have fled war zones to receive financial support via the EMBO Solidarity Grant scheme. This exceptional funding mechanism was conceived in 2022, with the aim of supporting scientists who have been displaced by armed conflict, such as the Russian war on Ukraine.
Each grantee will receive a one-year stipend to carry out a life science research project in an EMBO subject area and will be hosted by a laboratory in a country participating in the EMBO initiative to increase participation across Europe. Grantees have access to childcare allowances and can participate in training courses offered by EMBO Solutions.
Of the 27 grantees selected, four were living in Ukraine at the time of the application and will be starting new positions. The remaining grantees will be using the funding to continue employment in institutions which had previously agreed to host them. Several individuals found their current employment via opportunities shared on the EMBO-hosted ‘Solidarity List’ platform, which was launched in March 2022 to enable displaced researchers to find employment in safe areas.
The grantees elected to begin their projects at various points: some began already in May 2023 while others plan to begin in January 2024. Seven individuals will use the grants to continue or finish doctoral work, 19 individuals will be conducting postdoctoral work and one individual will be conducting research at the group leader level. The grantees will be hosted by institutions located in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Türkiye. Several will be joining members of the EMBO community in their labs.
Applications were open from 5 January 2023 until 15 February 2023.
