EMBL in Norway awareness meeting

Norway is financially supporting three different International organizations, the EMBL, EMBO and the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). All three organizations support Norwegian scientists to go abroad to work to top foreign research labs. However, it is also a fact that relatively few Norwegian scientists take advantage of these opportunities, and a significant number are not even aware of what is on offer. We believe this is in large part a communication problem. The key mission of the EMBL alumni association is to advertise the EMBL more widely in the scientific communities in the member states that support the laboratory. In this context one day meetings are organized periodically by the Alumni association in the member states with the aim to encourage more scientists to apply for positions or to take advantages of the excellent Facilities in the EMBL system. Over the years, relatively few Norwegians have taken advantage of the enormous opportunities available in the EMBL system with less than 40 alumni in total. With this background, the EMBL Alumni association is planning to organize an EMBL awareness day at UiO on Friday Sept 29, with Rein Aasland and Gareth Griffiths (The Chairman of the EMBL Alumni association) as the main local organizers. To make the day more productive we decided also to include the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) into the program. The program will also provide personal examples of people who have experienced working in the EMBL, or are currently working there. The scientific director of EMBL Matthias Hentze and the secretary general of HFSP Warwick Anderson will present their organizations; Dr Hentze will also summarize EMBO activities. The broad scope of the activities related to molecular biology, at EMBL in Heidelberg, as well as in its six outstations are directly relevant to key NFR initiatives, for example in the BIOTEK2021 programme and its Digital Life Norway.