Entry details & judging procedures

Who can apply for the award?

Entrants must be early career scientists with an advanced degree (Ph.D. or Medical Doctor) performing biomedical research in Europe based on laboratory methods of molecular, cellular, systems, or organismic biology, including novel analytical concepts, who are not older than 35 years of age* at the time of entry.

*The eligibility threshold can be extended for the following documented circumstances:

• Maternity leave: 18 months extension for each child born. If the applicant can document a longer total maternity leave, the eligibility period will be extended by the documented time of actual leave(s) for all children taken
• Paternity leave: extension by the documented time of paternity leave for each child born
• Disability, long-term illness (absence from academic activity of more than six consecutive months in a year)
• National or civilian service: extension by the documented amount of leave taken by the applicant
• Clinical training: extension by the documented time of clinical training received by the applicant up to a maximum of 2 years
  
  
  

How to apply

Online applications for the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators are accepted from October 1 of each year onwards at www.eppendorf.com/award/application.

While the research may be part of a larger team effort, an eligible entrant must be a single individual and the essay must focus on their contribution. The entrant must have performed or directed the experimental laboratory work described in the essay.

The main focus is on investigating the molecular biological mechanisms of the human organism and then translating this research into practical findings for the long-term goal of disease diagnosis and therapy.

Nominations are not accepted.

Your application must include:

• your personal data
• your curriculum vitae
• a title describing the subject of your research
• an essay of max. 2,000 characters (incl. spaces) summarizing your research
• a brief description of your major discovery
• your publication list with PDF files of your published papers (min. 3 - max. 5)
  
  

Your application and all submitted documents must be in English.

Entrants are accountable for the accuracy of the entry and for ensuring that there is no plagiarism. They must also ensure that all sources are appropriately cited.

Application deadline: January 15 of each year.

Judging procedures

Eppendorf has no influence on deciding who receives the award.

The prize is awarded by an independent committee composed of seven renowned experts under the chairmanship of Laura Machesky (Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK), from the fields of:

• Cell Biology and Cancer (Laura Machesky: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK)
• Neurobiology (Richard Benton, Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland)
• RNA Biology (Matthias Hentze, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany)
• Developmental Biology (Madeline Lancaster: MRC Laboratory of Meluclar Biology, University of Cambridge, UK)
• Genomics and Systems Biology (Ben Lehner: Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain and Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK)
• Structural Biochemistry (Stefan Raunser, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany)
• Immunity and Cell Migration (Michael Sixt, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria)
  
  

The papers submitted will be evaluated with respect to the following five selection criteria:

1. Independent scientific work
2. Creativity (independent of instructions from head of institute)
3. Successful practical application of research approach
4. Significance of research results for the field of medicine
5. Achievement of candidate in relation to his/her age

The final selection of the winner takes place at a Jury-Meeting at the end of February each year. Winner and finalists will be informed immediately afterwards.