“The last few months have shown us once again how important constant scientific research is, especially in the biomedical field. This is why we believe that a strong message of recovery and care is needed after the last few months, which have been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, we have decided to dedicate a special fellowship this year precisely to the study and treatment of coronavirus.” These are the words through which Silvia Misiti, Scientific Director of the IBSA Foundation, presented the 2020 edition of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships, a support programme for scientific training now in its eighth year.
The programme consists of five fellowships, each worth €30,000, which are open to researchers under 40 years of age, of any nationality, with a degree in medicine, biology, pharmacy, biotechnology or bioengineering. Applications are accepted for PhD, post-doctoral and postgraduate students and fellows who have set themselves apart for their skills and for having embarked on relevant projects in the following research areas: dermatology, endocrinology, fertility/urology and pain medicine/orthopaedics/rheumatology. This year, the fifth grant, a “special edition”, is dedicated to coronavirus infections and the study of tissue-specific and systemic effects, both new targets for potential therapies.
Italy has a very important role to pay in the international context. In addition to the Fellowship programme, there are numerous other activities through which the IBSA Foundation is committed to promoting scientific research and innovation in the medical and technological fields. The IBSA Foundation formula, entirely focused on the circulation of knowledge, lends itself to a very broad interpretation of “support” for research. Through open fora, where the public is an active part of the work, the Foundation offers, for example, the possibility of a constructive dialogue devoted to innovation between world-renowned experts and professors and young people, researchers, but also university students. In this dynamic framework, the response to the IBSA Foundation Fellowship call for proposals from Italy is very strong. In past editions, around 45% of the projects submitted were from Italian researchers, bringing our country to the apex of global innovation and development in the fields covered by the call for applications.
“The fight against a possible resurgence of the virus in autumn or winter is a short-term research priority,” according to the IBSA Foundation Scientific Committee, “but we cannot underestimate the medium- and long-term aspects as well. The COVID-19 pandemic should not lead us to let out guard down when it comes to other conditions, which afflict millions of patients around the world each and every day. That is why the IBSA Foundation believes that support for research and innovation should never be lacking, regardless of current events. Our fellowships have been designed and conceived to satisfy this need.”
The deadline for applications is 31 December 2020. You can download the full call and find all the instructions for sending your application on the website ibsafoundation.org.