FEBS Working Group on the Career of Young Scientists

The Working Group on the Career of Young Scientists was established in 2001.

Inspired by the initiative performed for many years by the French Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, FEBS has proposed to the council to set up a Forum attached to the annual Congress dedicated to young scientists.  The organisation of the annual Young Scientists Forum (YSF) is the key activity of this Working Group.

The basic idea of FEBS is on the one hand to promote interactions between students in the pre-doctoral and early post-doctoral stages, and give them the opportunity to be responsible for the organisation of the event.   Each year the local organisation is run by students in the Congress host country.

Usually 100 students are selected to participate in the Forum which takes place immediately before the annual Congress in a relaxing and informal atmosphere, where these students can make friends, interact and exchange ideas.  These students area also granted financial support to attend the annual FEBS Congress.

The first Forum was organised in 2001 in Oeiras, Portugal as a satellite meeting of the 27^th FEBS Congress.  

After this debut, several workshops were then organised under the supervision of Professor Marja Makarow who was appointed by FEBS council as the first Chair of the Working Group.  Due to the success of this meeting, the YSF has been held every year since.   The Forum permits the students to attend the annual Congress as well, and therefore enjoy different experiences.

As well as  supervising the YSF, the Working Group moderates the YSF round table discussions which deal with issues related to the young scientists careers.   The Working Group has  invited people from several organisations, such as EMBO, ELSO, who have launched programmes aimed to promote and support the young scientists careers.   Representatives of companies are also invited  to give advise on career prospects.  

During the discussions the students have raised several questions, particularly related to scientific publishing, management, career pathways in academia, as well as science politics.  

Last year the 9^th YSF  took place in Prague along side of the 34rd FEBS Congress. It was organised by a group of young students who were very dynamic and stimulating. 

In order to monitor the success of the YSF, and to make improvements on future events, of the participants each year are asked to fill out a questionnaire which are then analysed.

Prof. Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada was elected by the FEBS' Council in Warsaw, 2004 as Chair of the Working Group and subsequently supervised the 5th YSF held in Visegràd, 2005, located at the Danube Bend (30th FEBS Congress), the 6th YSF, held at the Doga Club, Istanbul, 2006, (31th FEBS Congress) and the 7th YSF held in Vienna, Austria 2007 (32nd FEBS Congress). Prof. Rodrigues-Pousada stepped down as chair at the end of 2007. 

Prof. Daniela Corda from the Institute of Protein Biochemistry, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy is her successor, and has supervised the YSF Athens (33rd FEBS Congress), the YSF in Prague (34th FEBS Congress) and the upcoming YSF in Gotheburg (35th FEBS Congress).