The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) is setting up a grant program to fund ¤30 million each year for outstanding research in molecular biology. The program may be of particular interest to scientists from smaller countries and to those who are working in research that is difficult to fund (such as work with genetically modified plants).
This scheme may make science more competitive because researchers will vie for grants with peers from all over Europe, rather than from just one country. "If you are a scientist who has been awarded a European grant where choice is purely based on quality, that would send a message to all of your peers in your country, saying that you are in fact a top-class scientist," says EMBO's executive director, Frank Gannon.
Gannon hopes scientists will be able to apply for funds within the next two years. Details on financing the effort are currently ...
