ARIB – The research incubator for promising young scientists got the green light from the European Commission

The “ARIB (Advanced Research Incubator in Biosciences) – A centre of excellence for disseminating quality biomedical research and boosting the next research generation for sustainable growth” project submitted by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMG) in cooperation with Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) commences the preparatory period of activity on 1 September 2017.

ARIB builds on the recent investments in the BIOCEV Centre of Excellence in the Central Bohemia Region as well as in the infrastructures and methodological background of the IMG in the campus of biological and biomedical institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague – Krč with the aim of creating a stimulating and long-lasting environment that combines cutting edge research as well as application sphere. A key tool for enhancing the quality of research will be provisioning support to promising young research groups and international talents, whom ARIB, in cooperation with the Max Planck Society, will present with competitive know-how based on the internationally successful MPI-CBG model in Dresden.

MPI-CBG is a key part of the successful DRESDEN-concept, an alliance of 250 institutions doing research in the Dresden region, forming a basis for cutting-edge biomedical research. ARIB benefits from the geographical proximity of both sites, the existing links between the laboratories of both institutions and the developing cooperation within the Central Bohemian Region, in particular the innovative STAR Research & Innovation Cluster based in Dolní Břežany.

The aim of the “Teaming for Excellence” program is to transfer experience from Europe’s top research centers to stimulate the development of regional ecosystems connecting educational and research institutions, local businesses, government and self-government as well as other players, thus encouraging the emergence of regional innovation clusters in the new EU member states.

ARIB succeeded in the strong competition of 209 projects thanks to its unique goal of providing support to talented scientific leaders in the early stages of their careers. The idea of transferring the properties of the world-renowned Dresden model to the Czech Republic and engaging in support for the new scientific generation was met with enthusiastic support of both the scientific and political community. The international scientific advisory board of the ARIB will be composed of the leaders of world science. These include, for example, the Director of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Maria Leptin and the Vice-

Presidents of Max Planck Society in Germany, the Howard Hughes Foundation in the US and the Welcome Trust in Great Britain. The project also enjoys strong support from the Academy of Sciences in the Czech Republic, Max Planck Society and the ministers responsible for science development both in Saxony and the Czech Republic.

As part of the first year phase of the project, we plan to organize a series of events to discuss the needs of the research community, industry, regional clusters and other stakeholders. Based on these surveys, a comprehensive business plan for the creation of a research centre of excellence under the auspices of the IMG will be developed. Should this plan be selected for funding in the second phase of the “Teaming for Excellence” call, the European Commission will support it with up to € 15 million from the Horizon 2020 program.

Contact:

Assoc. Prof. Radislav Sedlacek, Ph.D. (Project Coordinator),
phone: +420 325 873 243, e-mail: radislav.sedlacek@img.cas.cz,
web: www.img.cas.cz/research/radislav-sedlacek, www.phenogenomics.cz