(January) 2014

ISSUE 1 (JANUARY) 2014 50 years of FEBS FEBS programmes: FEBS community FEBS publications Scientific events updates news calendar Page 3 Page 6 Page 20 Page 23 Page 30 CONTENTS Key upcoming dates for FEBS activities Contents: FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference 30 August – 4 September 2014 50 Years of FEBS 3 Registration from 9 January 2014 Bursary application deadline: 28 March 2014 FEBS Programmes: updates www.febs-embo2014.org FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference 6 FEBS Advanced Courses 10 FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum FEBS Fellowships news 13 27–30 August 2014 FEBS Education news 14 Applications: 8 December 2013 – 31 March 2014 www.febs-embo2014.org FEBS Committees: news 16 FEBS Advanced Courses Applications for 2015 course funding: 1 March 2014 Viewpoint 18 Applications to participate in 2014 courses: see individual course deadlines Community News www.febs.org/our-activities/advanced-courses FEBS3+ Meeting 20 FEBS Fellowships FEBS National Lectures 21 Application deadlines: Long-Term and Return-to-Europe Fellowships: FEBS Publications 1 October 2014 FEBS Journal 23 Summer Fellowships: 1 April 2014 FEBS Letters 27 Follow-up Research Fund (for FEBS Fellows): 1 April 2014 Molecular Oncology 28 Applications for other Fellowships can be FEBS Open Bio 29 submitted throughout the year www.febs.org/our-activities/fellowships Scientific Events Calendar 30 Career Opportunities 30 FEBS Education Training Award Application deadline: 30 May 2014 www.febs.org/our-activities/education Cover: FEBS is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014! Pages 3–5 of this issue explain something of the origins of FEBS and its development over the past 50 years, and introduce plans for the anniversary year. About FEBS News: FEBS News is published three times a year. An e-newsletter containing a link to FEBS News is sent to subscribers and to FEBS Constituent Societies whenever a new issue is out. This issue as well as all former issues of FEBS News are available online at www.febs.org. To subscribe, simply sign up to the e-newsletter in the News section of the FEBS website. As a service to its members, FEBS offers FREE advertising of academic positions (PhD students, postdocs, etc.) in the Career Opportunities section of the website, and scientific events can be listed in our Conference Calendar. Selected postings are also included in FEBS News. In addition, Constituent Societies of FEBS are able to post news on the FEBS website; see the Our Members section. Questions and suggestions about FEBS News should be sent to the FEBS News Editor, Carolyn Elliss ([email protected]). Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS): www.febs.org. A charitable organization advancing research in the molecular life sciences across Europe and beyond A Company Limited by Guarantee (Number 08239097); A Registered Charity (Number 1149638); Registered in England and Wales; Registered office: 98 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1DP, UK. 2 FEBS News January 2014 50th ANNIVERSARY 50 Years of FEBS However, the need for additional activities to support biochemistry and biochemists, and encourage collaboration and information exchange between scientists working in different countries in Europe, in particular across the serious political boundaries in existence for much of the second half of the 20th century, was soon apparent. Hence, it was not long before FEBS had added summer schools (later called Advanced Courses) and, crucially, scientific publishing into its portfolio. In the 50 years since 1964, the dynamism and devotion of a succession of scientists working for FEBS on a voluntary basis, and careful management of income from its journals, has seen the range of activities of The Federation of European Biochemical Societies FEBS diversify further, with a prestigious (FEBS) came into official existence on 1 January Fellowships programme for research and training 1964, with the main initial goal of facilitating intra- begun in 1979, and initiatives such as the Young European meetings in biochemistry. FEBS was to Scientists’ Forum, undergraduate and postgraduate provide a formal framework for this purpose that education workshops, science and society workshops, built on informal contacts and collaborations promoting women in science, and assistance to between biochemical societies in some European Central and Eastern Europe starting around the turn countries in the preceding few years. The first FEBS of the century. The number of Constituent Societies scientific meeting was held in March 1964 in of FEBS – the biochemistry and molecular biology London, with a truly international mix of speakers societies in individual countries in Europe and and over 1000 attendees. The early annual neighbouring regions for which FEBS acts as an ‘meetings’ eventually became the current annual umbrella organization – also increased dramatically FEBS Congresses. from the initial 18 to over 40 in the early 2000s as (left) The original Statutes of the Federation, signed by delegates of 18 adhering societies (from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) on 23 March 1964 in London; (above) a selection of programmes from early FEBS meetings. Both images are from Forty Years of FEBS – A Memoir, by Horst Feldmann (available from the FEBS website’s About us section). 3 FEBS News January 2014 50th ANNIVERSARY the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia selected papers (from authors in their country) of split into independent states, and FEBS’ area of particular interest or impact from the past 50 years interest extended to neighbouring regions of Europe. in these journals as Anniversary Virtual Issues. As indicated on the timeline on page 5, since 1964, These will be presented through the FEBS and FEBS has witnessed huge changes in science and in journal websites and announced through society Europe. To mention just some of its many responses news posts during the year. to this, our Federation has developed from its In 2014, we are also celebrating two innovative biochemistry roots to embrace the full spectrum of areas of FEBS work that began more recently, in modern molecular life science research, played an 2001, and have had significant impact over the past important role in supporting and integrating 10 years or so: ‘science and society’ and ‘education’. biosciences and scientists from Central and Eastern The FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference will see an European countries through times of great political Anniversary Science and Society round-table upheaval, launched open access publishing options, discussion entitled ‘New trends in Scientific Policy and has an increasingly global outlook. in Europe’ (with Gottfried Schatz), and during 2014 FEBS will award a short-term Education Training Our 50th anniversary celebrations and Award with the aim of enhancing molecular life projects science undergraduate or postgraduate education. We start our 50th year with a newly designed Of course, no anniversary year is complete website, www.febs.org, which aside from providing without a look back at events and progress, and updated platforms for secure functionality, allows indeed we are looking forward to the completion of easier access to information on all our activities and two anniversary book projects. First, Fifty Years of our member societies, as well as an updated news FEBS, 1964 to 2013 – A Memoir is an e-book that is management system. We hope you find the site being compiled by Horst Feldmann and Guy helpful for finding out more about FEBS activities. Dirheimer (past long-serving FEBS officers). It will Comments for the webmaster are welcome. be available in the summer of 2014 on the FEBS Given the early important role of FEBS in website, and also distributed to FEBS–EMBO 2014 facilitating intra-European meetings, we are very Conference participants. In addition, a FEBS ‘essay pleased to be celebrating our anniversary year with book’ is in development, edited by Richard Perham an exciting first congress collaboration with (past FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief, and Mary EMBO (also celebrating 50 years) for the joint Purton, FEBS Open Bio Executive Editor) with the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference, hosted by the theme ‘Where have we been and where are we French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular going?’. We will also be honouring past contributors Biology (SFBBM). SFBBM was one of the founding to FEBS by invitations to an Anniversary Dinner at member societies of FEBS, and in 2014 celebrates the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference. its 100th anniversary, making this collaboration With an eye to the future, the 50th anniversary particularly apt. FEBS Congresses have increasingly year will see FEBS grappling with big questions attracted participants from across the globe, and such as charitable objectives for public benefit, the with the 2014 event drawing on the strengths of all open-access publishing upheaval and the three organizations involved in the conference we implications for FEBS’ income, the role of learned are looking forward to a spectacular international societies in the 21st century, and how best to serve gathering in Paris for inspiration, education, the upcoming generation of scientists. We will also research updates and networking. You can read more be inviting young scientists at the 2014 FEBS about the plans on pages 6–9. Do join us there! Fellows’ Forum and Young Scientists’ Forum to The varied and many Constituent Societies of express their expectations of FEBS in a writing FEBS are the basis of the existence of FEBS and its competition entitled ‘FEBS FAST FORWARD’, and governance. We are combining a celebration of expect to publish some of their pieces in FEBS News. scientific advances from our societies’ countries Israel Pecht, FEBS Secretary General with the ongoing role of our long-established publications FEBS Journal (formerly European Journal Facing page: Timeline of 50 years of some FEBS activities of Biochemistry) and FEBS Letters in the (right), and some key events in Europe and developments of increasing complexity and technology in bioscience (left).

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