EMBO, EMBC and the National Science Council of Taiwan sign cooperation agreement

New ways of global scientific interaction have been created following a cooperation agreement between EMBO, its inter-governmental funding body, the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC). The agreement will allow Taiwanese scientists to participate in EMBO training programmes and activities. It also means that EMBO Courses & Workshops can take place at Taiwanese research institutes.

This is the first cooperation agreement of its kind between EMBO, EMBC and Taiwanese scientists, represented by NSC and Academia Sinica. The Taipei City-based Academia Sinica and NSC work together to create new opportunities for Taiwanese life scientists.

"EMBO promotes and encourages the development of the life sciences within Europe and beyond. We encourage the global mobility of scientists and we look forward to the increased scientific collaboration that this agreement will bring," said EMBO Director Maria Leptin.

EMBO Associate Member and Academia Sinica President Chi-Huey Wong said: "EMBO is a leading organization that fosters new generations of life science researchers producing world-class scientific results. It is our delight to create great opportunities for young Taiwanese scientists to connect with the elite scientists of Europe."

Representing the NSC, the cooperation agreement was signed by Minister Cyrus C.Y. Chu. He said: "This agreement opens up a gateway for Taiwanese life scientists to interact with some of the world's brightest minds. We anticipate that more Taiwanese scientists will form affiliations with leading European life scientists because of this agreement."

Under the terms of the agreement, scientists can apply for EMBO Short-Term and Long-Term Fellowships. Young Taiwanese group leaders will be eligible to benefit from the EMBO Young Investigator Programme, which provides outstanding young scientists with financial, academic and practical support to start up their first independent research laboratories.

Taiwanese scientists and EMBO will also cooperate in the organization of EMBO Courses & Workshops, which will help to spark collaborations between different scientific disciplines. Earlier this year, Academia Sinica and EMBO jointly organized the lecture course "Logic of Regulatory Circuits in Life Sciences" in Taipei City.

Conference organizers can apply for funding for plenary lectures given by EMBO Members or lectures given by EMBO Young Investigators at Taiwanese institutes and universities. Travel stipends will be available for Taiwanese scientists to attend EMBO Courses & Workshops and The EMBO Meeting.

The cooperation agreement will run for three years.

Provided by European Molecular Biology Organization