New sponsorship offers stepping stone for young researchers in the life sciences in Vienna

17-Feb-2010 - Austria

The "Vienna International Post-Graduate Program for Molecular Life Siences" (VIPS) supports scientists from their successful Ph.D. to establishing their own independent research group. This innovative approach combines scientific specialization in one area of research and the development of an independent research focus of the participants within the framework of a 3-5 year long training. As an initiative of the Max F. Perutz laboratories, VIPS will become one more incentive for international researchers to choose Vienna for this important part of their career development.

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMWF) and the City of Vienna support the new "Vienna International Post-Graduate Program for Molecular Life Sciences", short VIPS, with 5 Mio. Euro. Within the framework of this project, the Max F. Perutz Laboratories offer promising young scientists the possibility to spend their post-doctoral time in a unique training program in Vienna. In bi-annual international calls, the best candidates will be selected through a competitive screening process. During their three to five year long stay at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories, the successful PostDocs will contribute their know-how and are in return prepared for their next important career leap: the establishment of their own independent research group. Customized advanced training and guidance by experienced scientists at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories will help the young researches to stay motivated and reach their goal of becoming group leaders.

"This will set a new standard in the Austrian science community", says the RNA-researcher and Wittgenstein-Award laureate Renée Schroeder, one of the initiators of VIPS: "Especially in the difficult time after finishing the Ph.D., young scientists rarely receive support to become independent. VIPS will offer a new approach for their promotion from which all PostDocs at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories will profit and which, in turn, can also be implemented at other institutes. "

The first successful applicants will be coming to Vienna in summer 2010. Until then, the future mentors will also go through advanced training to prepare for the task ahead. With this, the VIPS program also sets new standards for the further education of established scientists.

The VIPS program is a pilot project in the field of basic research (molecular biology) at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories of the Campus Vienna Biocenter. Starting with this pilot project, a new model for post-graduate education can be developed, which can also be extended to other fields of research. VIPS has the potential to develop into a Viennese-wide program for the recruitment of top-class young scientists in the life sciences.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/113507/new-sponsorship-offers-stepping-stone-for-young-researchers-in-the-life-sciences-in-vienna.html