News & Topics

JST-EMBO Collaboration in FY2024 (Activity Report)

Department of International Affairs

In July of 2023, JST and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to further promote international talent circulation and career development in the field of life science. Under this MoC the following activities were undertaken in FY2024.

EMBO’s Young Investigator Programme eligibility extended to JST researchers

The Young Investigator Programme (YIP) is an EMBO funding initiative aimed at supporting young researchers in the life sciences field. Life scientists who have been group leaders for at least one year and less than four years at the time of application are eligible to apply and receive support in setting up their laboratories for four years. In addition to financial support, YIP members are able to participate in EMBO networking activities, benefit from training opportunities, and receive mentoring from EMBO members. They become part of an international network of more than 600 current and former EMBO Young Investigators, Installation Grantees and Global Investigators.

Previously, researchers based in Japanese institutions were not eligible for this programme; however, through the MoC, PIs and Co-PIs supported by JST funding programs —PRESTO, ACT-X, FOREST, and ASPIRE —are now eligible to apply.

In the 2024 call, Dr. Momoko Ikeuchi, an Associate Professor at Nara Institute of Science and Technology and PI of FOREST, became the first researcher from a Japanese institution to be selected for the program.

EMBO’s Interview article with Associate Professor Ikeuchi:
https://www.embo.org/people/unravelling-plant-regeneration/
For details on eligibility and the application process for the Young Investigator Programme, please refer to the following page:
https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/young-investigator-programme/eligibility/

EMBO’s Scientific Exchange Grants eligibility extended to JST researchers

EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants (SEG) fund research exchanges of up to three months between laboratories in eligible countries. The grants facilitate collaborations with research groups with expertise, techniques, or infrastructure that is unavailable in the applicant’s laboratory. The SEG covers travel and subsistence costs of the grantee.

As with the Young Investigator Programme, researchers based in Japanese institutions were previously ineligible for this program. However, PIs, Co-PIs, and research participants supported by the JST programs —ERATO, CREST, PRESTO, ACT-X, FOREST, and ASPIRE—are now eligible to apply for these grants under the MoC.

In FY2024, a researcher from the ERATO KURUMIZAKA Chromatin Atlas Project and a graduate student research collaborator from the ERATO UEDA Biological Time Project were selected as the first researchers based in Japanese institutions to receive this grant.

For detailed information on eligibility and how to apply for the SEG, please refer to the following page:
https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/scientific-exchange-grants/eligibility/

The Japan-Europe Researcher Matchmaking Workshop

JST and EMBO held the JST-EMBO Matchmaking Workshop at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, from February 26th to 28th with the aim of fostering networks between outstanding researchers in the life sciences from Japan and Europe. Nearly 90 researchers from both regions participated in the event, and during the networking sessions, active exchanges took place to create opportunities for new research collaborations.

An overview of the workshop can be found below:
https://meetings.embo.org/event/embo-jst-meeting
Workshop reports:
JST:https://www.jst.go.jp/report/2024/250313.html
EMBO:https://www.embo.org/features/networking-excellence-second-jst-embo-workshop/

JST is continuing these collaborations with EMBO in FY2025.

【Contact Information】

  • For general inquiries regarding JST-EMBO collaboration
  • Department of International Affairs, Japan Science and Technology Agency
  • Email: jst.internationaljst.go.jp