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Training

To train scientists, students, and visitors at all levels

EMBL training aims to foster scientific inquiry and share knowledge among scientists, students, and visitors at all levels in the life sciences. Each year, EMBL also provides important science education programmes and public engagement activities.

EMBL provides state-of-the-art scientific training for a diverse array of participants – internal and external. In 2023, this multi-faceted work continued to live up to EMBL’s reputation for excellence in training at all stages of careers involving life sciences – even those young scientists whose interest is just starting to be kindled.

“We are in a unique position to share a variety of expertise on some of the very best microscopes, but also techniques that have been honed here at EMBL and workflows that might improve services elsewhere.”

– Virginia Pierini, EMBL Imaging Centre service manager

Courses, conferences, and scientific visitors

Among the many externally directed training opportunities in 2023, EMBL held a conference about organisms and their environment, exploring how molecular and cellular biology can be pointed in an ecological direction. Elsewhere, at the EMBL Imaging Centre, a job shadowing programme shared customised world-class microscopy expertise, offering scientific visitors hands-on experience with EMBL’s state-of-the-art technology.

Dispensing microscopy expertise

The EMBL Imaging Centre job shadowing programme shared customised world-class microscopy expertise, empowering scientists in Europe and beyond.

“I’m very excited about the renewal of the agreement with the Université Grenoble Alpes and the opportunities for our students to connect with the local scientific and academic environment. This will be extremely important for their career development.”

– Monika Lachner, Dean of Graduate Studies at EMBL, on an agreement that will continue to provide for a joint PhD between the two organisations

PhD and postdoc fellow training and support

In 2023, 43 new PhDs graduated from EMBL. Additionally, EMBL led a new regional infrastructure infrastructure management training, based on its ARISE fellowships, to exchange information and expand technology access with members of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim.

EMBL celebrates 43 new PhDs

EMBL celebrated its newest class of PhD graduates from all six EMBL sites. The fellows conducted research in diverse range of molecular biology fields.

“…Molecular biology in particular lays the foundation for new therapeutic approaches and can provide us with real game changers. This is why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is committed to communicating this exciting research and is funding this EMBL exhibition….It shows why basic research is so important for a better understanding of cancer, for example.”

– Bettina Stark-Watzinger, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, on the potential impacts of EMBL’s new exhibition, the World of Molecular Biology

Science education and public engagement

With the start of TREC, outreach was a key element at 'super sites' in 2023. Additionally, EMBL organised outreach projects like ‘science days’ and Nexus Island, a new game-based workshop, engaging participants and providing a taste of the research life. Additionally, EMBL’s newly opened exhibit, ‘The World of Molecular Biology’, served as a nexus for politicians, researchers, and philanthropists.

Exploring Nexus Island

EMBL launched a game-based workshop that lets participants experience what it feels like to be a researcher on its TREC expedition that is bringing extraordinary tools and expertise to field research.

Enjoying a science day in Grenoble

EMBL Grenoble was on hand for the annual science outreach event ‘Parvis des Sciences’, introducing families to life science through fun activities.

EMBL Training in Numbers

EMBL’s International PhD Programme

1,653 Applications 51 New PhD students 256 PhD students in total 43 Graduations

Multidisciplinary Postdoc Programmes

52 New postdocs in 2023 228 Postdocs in 2023 in total 118 Classical stream 62 EIPOD programme 37 Personal merit fellowship 11 Site-specific programmes 46 Postdocs departing in 2023

* Does not include former PhD students finalising their projects via a bridging postdoc contract.

Courses & Conferences

8676 participants from 99 countries attended courses and conferences hosted by EMBL sites in 2023 74.3% of participants were from EMBL member or associate member states

Courses

46 courses 100% of courses rated as ‘very good' or 'excellent’ by the majority of participants

Conferences

25 conferences 100% of conferences rated as ‘very good' or 'excellent’ by the majority of participants

Scientific Visitors

Scientific Visitors 726 visitors Doughnut graph: Visitors 223 Master’s students and trainees 36 Master’s graduates 119 Visiting researchers 69 Visiting technical experts 112 Visiting postdoctoral fellows 127 Visiting predoctoral fellows 37 Visiting group leaders 3 Non-scientific visitors. 69.3% of visitors from EMBL member states

Connecting Communities

EMBL’s public engagement is aimed at fostering a pipeline of scientists and building community awareness of the role molecular biology plays in understanding themselves and the planet.

Activities delivered 150 People engaged 21,130 Countries reached 64

These numbers include public engagement activities delivered as part of the TREC project

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