SPRING 2017 ISSUE 35 EMBO Laboratory Management Courses Exploring individual leadership styles PAGES 6 – 7 Protected as soon as you unveil your masterpiece Long-Term Fellowships Scooping protection Solving the tax extended to preprints conundrum PAGE 3 PAGE 9 Installation Grants Researcher, mother, advocate Beyond scientific discussions Lithuania part of the scheme for the first time Ottoline Leyser receives FEBS | EMBO EMBO Science Policy Lecture Grants Women in Science Award explained PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 8 www.embo.org Table of contents EMBO news Bridging the gap: interview with EMBO Molecular Medicine’s new Chief Editor Page 13 Science story EMBO NEWS EMBO Press scooping protection policy EMBL Photolab Marietta Schupp, © extended to preprints Page 3 Editorial Lithuania joins the Installation Grants scheme Page 4 SCIENCE STORY nternational exchange and cross-border mobility are central to EMBO’s mission Ottoline Leyser receives FEBS | EMBO Where membranes kiss: membrane Iof supporting the life science commu- Women in Science Award Page 5 contact sites in the spotlight nity. That is why we created the Science Pages 10 – 11 Solidarity list in response to the U.S. government’s travel ban (page 5). Using Science Solidarity list: a show of unity and EMBO’s strength in bringing people togeth- support Page 5 er, we felt that connecting scientists need- Science policy ing help with those offering it was some- India | EMBO Symposia launch Page 5 thing that we could, and should, do. Sparking science policy discussions Other political developments, though through EMBO lecture grants Page 12 less widely publicized, also affect EMBO’s work. For example, the situation for Announcing the 5th World Conference on postdoctoral fellowships in Europe has changed, with several national govern- Research Integrity Page 12 ments in Europe no longer accepting non- taxable fellowships and insisting on full social security payments. The result: in EMBO community some cases fellows have suffered unaccep- table net reductions in their fellowship, in EMBO NEWS Updates from across others the host institute or research group Honing research leadership skills at Europe Pages 14 – 15 has had to supplement their stipends. On page 9, we present some of the EMBO Laboratory Management Courses comments, questions and feedback we Pages 6 – 7 Sir Raymond Kenelm Appleyard have received from EMBO Long-Term (1922 – 2017) Page 17 Fellows. And we look at the challenges and Connecting European and Taiwanese opportunities that this change in the situ- scientists Page 8 ation in Europe brings. Is there any future Awards and publications for tax-free fellowships? What consequenc- es would a transition to contracts have? Achievements and papers by members of And what else needs to change? These are the types of questions we are explor- the EMBO community Page 16 ing to make sure the EMBO Fellowship Programme retains its place as the most respected and effective postdoctoral fund- EMBO events ing programme in Europe. Upcoming courses, workshops and Maria Leptin conferences Page 18 Director, EMBO EMBO NEWS EMBO Fellowships: trying to solve the tax conundrum Page 9 Fresh from EMBO Press Some of EMBO’s latest publications at a glance Page 19 2 EMBOencounters | Spring 2017 | [email protected] ©2017 EMBO EMBO NEWS Protected as soon as you unveil your masterpiece EMBO Press scooping protection policy extended to preprints VIDEO n December 2016 the four EMBO Press jour- on a recognized preprint server, if it is submit- nals announced the extension of their “scoop- ted to an EMBO Press journal in a similar form Iing protection” to preprints to help and within four months of posting. encourage scientists to share their research find- “Preprints are one important step towards ings in a timely manner. an Open Science future and allow sharing of Scooping protection is a key characteristic of research findings with minimal delay,” explains Watch the video: EMBO Press – A different way to publish the Transparent Process that EMBO Press uses for Bernd Pulverer, Head of Scientific Publications its four publications – The EMBO Journal, EMBO at EMBO. Preprints afford scientists and journals https://youtu.be/6iFa3AOOOmA Reports, EMBO Molecular Medicine and Molecular the time necessary to publish reproducible, relia- ble research findings. Depressurizing the publica- tion process in this way will encourage thorough EMBO Director Maria Leptin says: “We peer review, prepublication quality control and understand the time pressure young researchers How EMBO supports data curation processes, as well as proper revi- face, and therefore made the decision to accept sion time. preprints as part of a Long-Term Fellowship appli- preprints Pulverer continues: “We hope that extending cant’s publication record. Although preprints the scooping protection policy of our journals to cannot replace peer-reviewed publications, they ➔➔ authors encouraged to post preprints preprints will encourage preprint posting without offer applicants an additional opportunity to before or coincidental with submission the concern of losing priority to a competitor’s demonstrate the way they approach scientific to an EMBO publication publication. It is now up to funders and institu- questions and interpret experimental data.” ➔➔ citation of preprints encouraged tions to encourage preprint posting by making As a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration ➔➔ scooping protection extended to them count for research assessment.” on Research Assement (DORA), EMBO aims to preprints EMBO has already taken this step, and accepts use alternatives to journal metrics for research preprints as evidence for research achievements assessment and does not accept papers submit- ➔➔ preprints accepted as part of publication as part of the Long-Term Fellowship applications. ted for publication as part of an application for record for EMBO Long-Term Fellowship Young scientists looking to take the next step in funding. Through its support for preprints, EMBO application their careers do not always have time to wait for is further encouraging a move away from journal publication of their research in a peer reviewed metrics. journal, which can take anywhere between six Systems Biology. Under this policy, similar find- months and two years, before having to apply for More information ings published by other researchers during peer- postdoctoral fellowships. Preprints allow them embopress.org review or revision of a manuscript are not used to formally document their research before the emboj.embopress.org/content/35/24/2617 as a criterion for rejection. Now, scooping protec- completion of peer review, making it publicly tion applies from the day a manuscript is posted available for assessment in a funding application. ©2017 EMBO EMBOencounters | Spring 2017 | [email protected] 3 EMBO NEWS Establishing talent across Europe EMBO Installation Grants scheme continues to expand n December 2016, eight life scientists were accepted into the Installation Grants scheme by participating countries. These grants are awarded annually to early-career life scientists Iestablishing new independent research groups in the countries taking part in the scheme. Each of the award holders receives annual funding of 50,000 euros for three to five years while they establish their laboratory in the host country. In addition to financial support, they bene- fit from networking opportunities, mentorship and access to research leadership training by becoming part of the EMBO Young Investigator Network. Jaan-Olle Andressoo Claus Maria Azzalin Murat Alper Cevher Rafal Ciosk Gene knock-up to treat Telomeres, cancer and aging Mediator-estrogen receptor Cell fate plasticity in development Parkinson’s disease Lisbon, PT interaction and tissue homeostasis Tallinn, EE Ankara, TR Poznan, PL Catarina Homem Abdullah Kahraman Vladimír Varga Piotr Ziolkowski Temporal and metabolic Non-coding cancer driver Construction of the eukaryotic Crossover control in plants regulation of stem cells mutations in isoform networks flagellum Poznan, PL Lisbon, PT Istanbul, TR Prague, CZ Lithuania joins Installation Grants scheme he eight scientists awarded EMBO Installation of skills and knowledge from more established opportunities for young researchers to establish TGrants in 2016 are the eleventh cohort to research communities to the participating coun- research facilities in Lithuania. The ability to receive funding through the scheme. Initiated in tries,” says Programme Manager Gerlind Wallon. compete with larger economies to attract the 2006, EMBO Installation Grants are designed to In 2017, the Installation Grant scheme includ- finest researchers will help the continued growth counter the “brain drain” of scientists to coun- ed Lithuania for the first time. The country joined of life sciences in our country.” tries with large economies and established scien- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal tific facilities. and Turkey as hosts for EMBO Installation embo.org/funding-awards/installation-grants “EMBO Installation Grants encourage talented Grantees. Virginijus Siksnys, Lithuania’s repre- young group leaders to establish laboratories in sentative at the European Molecular Biology countries which might otherwise lose their top Conference (EMBC), comments on the positive scientists abroad. They also support the transfer effects for Lithuania: “It is a pleasure to see new 4 EMBOencounters | Spring 2017 | [email protected] ©2017 EMBO EMBO NEWS lant biologist Ottoline Leyser