EMBO Courses &
Workshops Programme
India | EMBO Lecture Courses
Application guidelines
Table of Contents
1. About 4
2. Eligibility 5
3. Application process 5
3.1. Timeline 2023 5
4. Application forms 7
4.1. Meeting type 8
4.2. Proposed title of meeting 8
4.3. Meeting format and location 8
4.3.1. Hybrid format 8
4.3.2. Virtual format 9
4.4. Abstract, keywords, topic 9
4.5. Speakers 10
4.6. Programme 11
4.6.1. Networking activities 12
4.6.2. Poster sessions 13
4.7. Participants 13
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 2
4.8. Organizers 13
4.9. Location 14
4.10. Budget (to be provided in the online form) 14
5. Selection procedure 16
6. Selection criteria 17
7. San Francisco Declaration on Research
Assessment (DORA) 19
8. Confidentiality 19
9. Hybrid Conferences 19
10. Appendix I - Reducing the environmental impact
of the meeting 21
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 3
Application deadlines:
1 March and 1 August annually
Eligible Countries
A
EMBC Member States
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Türkiye, and United Kingdom
B
EMBC Associate Member States
India, Singapore
C
Countries / territories covered
by a co-operation agreement
Chile, Taiwan
D
Countries / territories eligible
for co-funding by EMBO and
The Company of Biologists
Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Republic
of Korea
EMBO subject areas
Cell Cycle, Cell & Tissue Architecture, Cellular Metabolism, Chromatin & Transcription,
Development, Differentiation & Death, Evolution & Ecology, Genome Stability & Dynamics,
Genomic & Computational Biology, Immunology, Membranes & Transport, Microbiology,
Virology & Pathogens, Molecular Medicine, Neuroscience, Plant Biology, Proteins &
Biochemistry, RNA, Signal Transduction, Structural Biology & Biophysics, Systems Biology
Contact: [email protected]
EMBO Course Committee Spring 2024
Andrés Aguilera (ES)
Buzz Baum (UK)
Ana Martin-Villalba (DE)
Guillermo Montoya (DK)
Gioacchino Natoli (IT)
Tracy Palmer (UK)
Franck Perez (FR)
Yiota Poirazi (GR)
Maya Schuldiner (IL)
Nic Tapon (UK) Chair
Eric Westhof (FR)
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 4
1. About
The aim of an India | EMBO Lecture Course is to teach participants, primarily PhD students and
postdoctoral researchers about a specific scientific topic. The course should provide participants
with background and underlying concepts, thereby making the topic accessible to scientists with
diverse scientific background.
An India | EMBO Lecture Course should consist of:
• Scientific lectures by experts: preferably the speakers would give both a general overview
lecture and a more specific research lecture
• Poster sessions and student presentations
• Additional sessions covering e.g.:
o Technologies relevant to the research
o Journal clubs
o Reviewing of manuscripts
o Career options
o Responsible conduct of research
o Where, when, and how to apply for postdoctoral positions and fellowships.
• Practical training if deemed necessary
Organizers are encouraged to consider covering scientific writing, job applications, presentation
skills, or grant application writing. If additional trainers need to be hired, EMBO and India Alliance
funds can be used. Please specify your request in the application.
India | EMBO Lecture Courses must take place in India and last between three and ten days to
provide sufficient time for all the activities. Attendance of these events should not exceed 120
participants and the ratio of speakers to participants should be around 1:5.
Scientists can apply for funding to organize an India | EMBO Lecture Course. EMBO contributes a
maximum of €35,000 of core funding and the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (India Alliance) a
maximum of INR 5.5 Lakhs (~ €7000) for travel grants, childcare support, and training workshops.
Applications to organize an India | EMBO Lecture Course are accepted via the EMBO online
system. Application deadlines are 1 March and 1 August annually. Selections for funding are made
by the EMBO Course Committee in April/May and in September/October. Please check the eligibility
criteria before applying.
Organizers are advised to contact the EMBO office to discuss their proposal before the application
deadline, especially if they are applying for an India | EMBO Lecture Course for the first time:
[email protected].
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 5
2. Eligibility
Applications for India | EMBO Lecture Courses must meet the following criteria to be considered
for funding:
• The topic covered in the course must be within the life sciences (see EMBO subject areas
on page 3).
• Scientists based anywhere in the world are eligible to apply, independent of their
nationality.
• The scientific organizing committee must be gender diverse and include members from
more than one institute. At least one of the organizers must be based outside India.
• The course must take place in India.
Please note: For repeating lecture courses, a new application is required for each individual event.
Please remember to download the latest offline form.
3. Application process
3.1. Timeline 2023
Applications to organize an India | EMBO Lecture Course must be submitted online.
First call opening
First deadline for application
Committee meeting
Results announced to applicants
Second call opening
Second deadline for application
Committee meeting
Results announced to applicants
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 6
Organizers are advised to apply as early as possible in the calendar year before the proposed date
of the lecture course to ensure sufficient time for the proper advertising and promotion of the
meeting if the application is accepted for funding.
Applications to fund events in the same calendar year will not be considered. Applications
can only be for the following calendar year e.g., applications in 2024 are only accepted for an
event taking place in 2025.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 7
4. Application forms
Applications must be submitted online and consist of an online and an offline form.
In the online form, you will be asked to provide:
• Proposed title of the lecture course
• Proposed date and location of the course
• Format of the meeting (in-person only, virtual only, or hybrid)
• A list of the organizers, specifying their role (e.g., main organizer, co-organizer,
administrative or financial contact)
• The expected number of participants
• Information on speakers
• An abstract describing the principal themes and objectives of the meeting
• Subject areas and keywords
• A draft budget
In the offline form (MS Word format) please provide:
• A description of the reasons to hold a meeting on the proposed topic
• Improvements that you have made based on feedback from previous meetings (if
applicable). Please note that EMBO must have received and approved the reporting
documents from the previous meeting before resubmission. The committee usually does
not support repeat meetings without the reporting documents for the previous meeting.
• The list of speakers
• The draft programme
• A description of the networking activities
• If you are organizing a hybrid meeting, a short description of the virtual component
• The criteria for selecting the course participants
• Selection criteria for participation and expected number of participants
• A list of the scientific organizers, including a link to their respective institutional home
pages and their previous meeting organizing experience
• A short description of the location
• A listing of measures you plan to take to reduce the environmental impact of the meeting.
This form must be saved in PDF format and uploaded via the online application site.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 8
4.1. Meeting type
When completing your application, please ensure you choose India | EMBO Lecture Course.
4.2. Proposed title of meeting
The (main) title of the lecture course should not mention sponsor’s, organization’s or institute’s
names. Organizers should also refrain from using excessively long titles and numbers referring to
previous meetings.
The description of the course should detail which organisms/systems are being covered.
4.3. Meeting format and location
Please indicate the proposed format and location of your meeting by selecting the format and
entering the venue details on where the meeting will be held or run from (for virtual meetings).
The meeting format can be either:
In-person meeting,
Virtual meeting, or
Hybrid meeting
4.3.1. Hybrid format
EMBO has conducted a study on virtual and hybrid conferences, interviewing and surveying
scientists about their experiences with virtual scientific conferences. The full report can be
downloaded here.
As a result, EMBO encourages organizers to experiment with hybrid meeting formats and will offer
€10,000 on top of the core funding to assist with the additional costs incurred. The funds can go
towards paying for a virtual platform, technical/AV support, rental of technical equipment, as well
as additional administrative support that you might need to set up the virtual component.
Please see Hybrid_Conferences for a summary of options and points to consider.
In the offline form, please describe what you plan to offer to virtual participants (e.g., access to the
talks and possibly other activities). It is understood that the final format may differ from the
description offered in the form.
The costs associated with the delivery of the virtual part should be included in the final financial
reports to be submitted to EMBO. Please note that EMBO funding cannot be used to purchase
technical equipment associated with running the meeting.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 9
4.3.2. Virtual format
EMBO funds virtual meetings. Organizers may use an online platform or event management tool of
their choice. Please note that EMBO does not take responsibility for nor endorse any online
platforms or services. EMBO funds can be used to pay for the online meeting platform, tools, or
software necessary to host a virtual meeting.
The costs associated with the delivery of the virtual meeting should be reported in the financial
statement to be submitted to EMBO.
Please note that EMBO funding cannot be used to purchase technical equipment associated with
running the meeting.
Please see Hybrid_Conferences for a summary of options and points to consider.
4.4. Abstract, keywords, topic
Please provide a short abstract (max. 200 words), stating the principal themes and objectives of the
event.
Describe the meeting with five scientific keywords and choose a primary and secondary subject
area from the EMBO subject areas (listed on page 3).
Describe the reasons for holding a meeting on the proposed topic in the near future (max. 200
words), describing recent developments in the field and how the meeting would contribute to the
advancement of the research field. For repeating India | EMBO Lecture Courses, please state why
the meeting should be repeated, i.e., what are the new developments in the field that would justify
a repeat at this stage.
Similar meetings
Not applicable for India | EMBO Lecture Courses.
If applicable – Feedback from previous EMBO-funded meeting(s) or resubmission
For meetings previously funded by EMBO, describe any improvements, or changes you propose to
implement based on the experience of, and feedback from, the previous meeting(s) (max. 200
words).
Please include the ID number of the previous EMBO funded meeting.
Note that the committee receives feedback from the previous meeting(s) and takes this into account
when judging a resubmission.
Also, please list the names of the organizers of up to three previous EMBO-funded meetings in case
of a repeating event.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 10
For resubmission of a previously unsuccessful application, please state the ID number of the
previous application and list the main adjustments that you have introduced.
4.5. Speakers
Organizers are expected to apply with a list of at least 90% confirmed speakers. If speakers are not
confirmed, the application is ineligible.
Please consider the following:
Number
The number of speakers and instructors should be
adequate to cover the topic in sufficient depth without
making the programme overly dense.
The ratio of speakers to participants should be around
1:5. Additional trainers/instructors for practical
training can be accommodated.
Expertise
Speakers and instructors should be experienced
researchers with significant expertise in the course
subject.
Speakers selected from
abstracts
Some speakers should be selected from abstract
submissions, prioritizing junior researchers (students
and postdocs). The balance between invited speakers
and selected speakers is an important selection
criterion.
Career level
EMBO supports the career progression of young
scientists. The list of speakers should balance early-
stage (maximally 7 years of independence) and
established investigators/group leaders. Applications
with higher proportions of early-stage researchers will
be viewed positively by the committee.
Gender distribution
At least 40% of the speakers must be of the
underrepresented genders.
Geographical diversity
At least 40% of the speakers should be working across
a variety of European countries. The inclusion of
speakers from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and South America
is strongly encouraged. The diversity of the speaker list
(both within and outside Europe) is an important
selection criterion.
Repeat speakers (only if the
event is a repeat of an EMBO
event)
It is expected that at least 50% of the speakers are
different between subsequent events in a repeating
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 11
lecture course series.
While EMBO specifies targets for gender and geographic participation to promote inclusivity and
diversity in EMBO Courses and Workshops, we ask organizers to enable diversity across the
spectrum, thus ensuring that EMBO Courses and Workshops are a safe, inclusive, and welcoming
learning space for all speakers and participants regardless of individual beliefs or characteristics.
Please list the speakers in the following format:
1. First Name Last Name, Institute, City, Country. Please list in alphabetical order, i.e., by Last
Name.
2. Add a link to the home page of the speakers’ research group
3. Please add:
- C (for confirmed),
- W (for woman),
- M (for man),
- NB (non-binary),
- R (for repeat speaker),
- O (for speakers not based in the host continent),
- E (for early-stage researchers, up to 7 years of independence)
4. Add title and link to a relevant publication that led to the speaker’s invitation.
Please see example below:
No.
Name and affiliation.
Include link to lab home page
Status
(C, W,
M, NB,
R,
O, RE)
List the most recent publication that is
relevant to their contribution to the
meeting (include title and PubMed link).
1.
John Bloggs (Institute, City, Country)
https://www.XY.JohnBloggsLab/uxy.
xy
C, O
John Bloggs et al, Molecular Systems
Biology, 2019; The systems biology of
cancer stroma; PubMed link
2.
Jane Doe (Institute, City, Country)
https://www.XY.JaneDoeLab/uxy.xy
C, W
Jane Doe et al, EMBO J, 2020; Ras
signaling in melanoma; PubMed link
3.
You will be requested to provide the number of invited speakers in each category in the online
form, the percentages will be calculated automatically.
4.6. Programme
Introductory paragraph
Please give a one-paragraph introduction, explaining the logic behind the order of the sessions. In
the draft programme, please note in a few words what the invited speakers will contribute to that
session. Final talk titles are not expected at such an early stage.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 12
Draft Programme
The programme should be sufficiently detailed, listing session themes and speakers, and including
time for questions, discussions, and networking. It should have the appropriate duration for the
size and focus of the meeting, and the time allocated to talks and Q&A sessions should be
appropriate.
Please ensure that the programme is legible by adding empty lines between days. Please see
example below:
Day
Time
Programme
category (e.g.,
talk, break,
keynote lecture,
etc.)
Speaker name and topic of talk
Day 1
12:00
OPENING
12:15 –
13:15
KEYNOTE
John Bloggs on cancer stroma
13:15 –
13:45
BREAK
13:45 –
15:30
SESSION
Signalling networks in cancer I
13:45 –
14:15
TALK
Jane Doe: Ras signalling in melanoma
….
15:30 –
17:00
POSTERS
All posters
4.6.1. Networking activities
EMBO and India Alliance believe that networking is a vital component of every scientific meeting.
Organizers are expected to facilitate networking through dedicated activities during the course,
these should include, but not be limited to poster sessions, joint meals, meet-the-speaker sessions,
flash talks.
Please describe how discussion and interaction between participants and speakers/instructors will
be stimulated. The committee welcomes creative ideas regarding the facilitation/promotion of
networking (max. 400 words).
EMBO will not fund a separate "speakers' dinner".
The networking activities should be listed in the programme.
If organizing a hybrid meeting, please describe how you will involve the virtual participants in the
meeting (max. 400 words).
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 13
4.6.2. Poster sessions
Poster sessions should be held at a time that encourages maximal attendance, ideally not during
lunch or coffee breaks, and should not overlap with other activities. Poster sessions should be held
in a room with sufficient space and last for at least 90 minutes.
The form requires you to check the corresponding box if the following applies to your poster
session:
- The venue for the poster session is close to the lecture hall
- The posters will be available for viewing throughout the entire meeting
- In case multiple poster sessions are planned, participants will be assigned to a specific
session
- A social event will be incorporated (e.g., drinks and snacks)
4.7. Participants
Attendance of these events should not exceed 120 participants.
Further requirements:
- Early career researchers should have the opportunity to attend and present their research.
- Participants should not be restricted to a pre-defined group, such as from a single
institution only or other defined groups.
- It is expected that the wider local community benefits from the meeting. 75% of the
participants should be based in Asia.
- EMBO is committed to gender diversity in all activities, so please ensure that this is the
case in the proposed event (minimum 40% for the underrepresented genders).
- Organizers are asked to enable diversity across the spectrum, thus ensuring that India |
EMBO Lecture Courses are a safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning space for all speakers
and participants regardless of individual beliefs or characteristics.
Provide an estimate of the number of participants you plan to accept and the percentage of
participants from India. For India | EMBO Lecture Courses, it is understood that most participants
will be based in India.
Please describe the criteria that will be used to select the participants.
Please indicate the names and the role of those who will select the participants (e.g., organizers,
speakers, etc.).
Please also state the number of participants who will be selected for oral presentations and specify
the duration of their presentations.
4.8. Organizers
There can be only one main organizer and the number of co-organizers should not exceed five.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 14
Please list for each organizer their respective experience in organizing courses (please restrict to
the last three relevant events).
The main organizer is the primary scientific contact for all correspondence after submission of
the proposal. Co-organizers are researchers who have major scientific/technical involvement in
the planning and execution of the meeting.
The scientific organizing committee must be geographically and gender diverse and come from
more than one institute i.e., an international grouping representing the topics covered in the
meeting.
The administrative contact will be copied on all email correspondence related to the application.
Additionally, you may add a financial contact who can be contacted for budgetary issues.
Multiple roles for one person are acceptable, e.g., one of the organizers may also be the
administrative or financial contact.
4.9. Location
Provide the address of the proposed location and a short description of the venue (e.g., capacity,
equipment of relevant facilities, accommodation, and catering (max. 200 words)). The venue
should have suitable facilities and preferably accommodation should be onsite or close by.
Participants and speakers should be accommodated in the same location or in a limited number of
locations.
Accommodation should be reasonably priced. If all participants cannot be housed together, make
sure that low-priced accommodation is also available in the vicinity.
Please note the availability of wireless internet access and how the location can be reached.
4.10. Budget (to be provided in the online form)
Expenses
The form requests your estimates for travel, accommodation costs, local transport, or shuttle
services that you want to provide, catering, expenses related to the venue, promotion, and
organization. The sums are automatically calculated.
EMBO funds can be used to cover:
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 15
For in-person meetings
- Economy travel, accommodation, and
subsistence costs of the speakers
- On-site catering for the meeting
- Administration costs up to €4,000
- Room hire, audio-visual, and IT facilities
essential for the meeting
- Social activity (e.g., excursions) costs up
to €3,000
For virtual meetings
- Rental of online platform to run a
virtual meeting
- Administrative costs up to €8,000
- Room hire, audio-visual, and IT facilities
rental essential for the meeting
For hybrid meetings (An additional grant of
€10,000 will be provided)
- Rental of a virtual platform to host the
virtual part of the meeting
- Rental of additional AV equipment and
personnel costs
- Additional administration costs up to
€8,000.
EMBO funds do not cover overheads or purchase of equipment or gifts for speakers and
participants, honoraria and dinners/meals exclusively organized for the speakers.
EMBO will create the event website (including an online registration system), design a poster and
abstract book cover at no additional charge. EMBO funds cannot be used to pay for alternative
website providers.
India Alliance funds (INR 6.3 Lakhs (~ €7,000)) can be used to cover:
- Travel grants for participants (up to INR 20,000 per person)
- Childcare support (e.g., fees for a caregiver or child-care facility, travel and
accommodation costs for a caregiver or for taking the child to the meeting, etc; up to INR
20,000 per person)
- Training workshops (see page 4 for examples)
Income
Registration fees
The registration fee for an India | EMBO Lecture Course:
- Should not exceed INR 5300/€60 (< 5 days in length) and INR 8000/€90 (≥ 5 days in length)
- Should not be less than INR 13000/€150 for participants from industry
Reduced registration fees can be charged to virtual participants. Discounts for group registrations
should be considered.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 16
Funding and Sponsorship
Please state the amount of funding requested from EMBO. A maximum of €35,000 of core funding
may be provided. If the meeting is organized as a hybrid event, an additional €10,000 will be
allocated to your event if funded. You do not have to request these additional funds in your
application.
The India Alliance will provide up to INR 6.3 Lakhs (~ €7,000) to all funded courses and therefore
you do not have to request funds for travel grants, childcare support, and training
workshops in your budget. Details on how travel grants should be distributed to participants can
be found in the guidelines for organizers.
Please also state other funding sources or sponsorship that you expect and list any non-monetary
support. Ensure that all funders and sponsors understand that they cannot be mentioned in the
title of the meeting but can be acknowledged on the website and the poster. Sponsors and funders
who provide €20,000 or more towards the meeting can also be recognized as co-sponsors.
State the name of the funder or sponsor, the status of sponsorship (confirmed, pending, not yet
approached) and special conditions linked to the sponsorship.
Budget balance
Total expenses should match the total expected income. Please explain if this is not the case.
5. Selection procedure
- All incoming applications are screened by the EMBO Office to ensure eligibility
requirements are met.
- Each application is assigned to at least two members of the Course Committee for
evaluation.
- Final funding decisions are made by the entire EMBO Course Committee in April/May and
September/October each year.
- All applicants are informed of the outcome of their application by email shortly after the
committee meeting.
Please do not contact the committee members directly. This may lead to your application being
excluded from the review process.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 17
6. Selection criteria
The EMBO Course Committee is looking to fund lecture courses that cover the latest developments
and gather the best international experts.
Applications should be as complete as possible, and the proposed event should not overlap with
other meetings in the same year.
The committee will pay special attention to the following aspects:
A. TOPIC
Originality
The topic should not be overlapping with other meetings in
the same year.
Relevance
Significant new developments in a field should be addressed.
Broadness
The topic should be covered in sufficient depth and breadth.
Unique focus
If the topic is overlapping with an on-going series of events
funded by EMBO, or other organizations (GRC, CSH, FASEB,
Keystone, EMBL, etc.), the unique focus of the proposed
meeting should be clearly indicated.
B. PROGRAMME
Clear
structure
The programme should be sufficiently detailed, listing session
themes and speakers, and allowing time for questions,
discussions, and networking.
Appropriate
duration
The programme should have the appropriate duration for the
size and focus of the meeting.
Talk duration
The time allocated to talks and Q&A should be appropriate.
Overly long talks should be avoided.
Previous feedback
(only if it is a repeat
EMBO event)
If there was any negative feedback, the attempts to rectify the
issues in the current application should be specified.
C. SPEAKERS
Number
There should be enough invited speakers to cover the
topic in sufficient depth but without making the
programme overly dense.
Expertise
The speakers should be qualified experts in their area. The
organizers should carefully survey the field they wish to
cover and ensure they capture its diversity rather than focus
on a small number of established scientists.
Speakers selected
from abstracts
Some speakers should be selected from abstract
submissions, prioritizing junior researchers (students and
postdocs). The balance between invited speakers and
selected speakers is an important selection criterion.
Status
The vast majority of speakers should be confirmed.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 18
Career level
The list of speakers should balance early-stage (maximum 7
years of independence) and established investigators/group
leaders. Applications with higher proportions of early-stage
researchers will be viewed positively by the committee.
Gender distribution
At least 40% of the speakers should be of the
underrepresented gender. A lower proportion must be
justified. This is checked by the office prior to assignment.
Geographical
diversity
At least 40% of the speakers should be working across a
variety of European countries. The inclusion of speakers
from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and South America is strongly
encouraged. The diversity of the speaker list (both within
and outside Europe) is an important selection criterion.
Repeat speakers (only
if it is a repeat EMBO
event)
It is expected that at least 50% of the speakers are different
between subsequent events in a repeating lecture course
series.
D. NETWORKING
Networking
opportunities
Sufficient time should be dedicated to activities that promote
exchanges between the participants, e.g., coffee breaks, group
activities, meet-the-speaker sessions, flash talks, discussion
rounds. Other attempts to promote interaction amongst
attendees are a plus. The committee places a lot of importance
on activities that allow junior and senior researchers to
interact.
Common meals
Meals should be organized for all participants in order to
encourage interaction. EMBO will not fund a separate
"speakers' dinner" during the meeting.
Poster sessions
schedule and
location
Poster sessions should be held at a time that encourages
maximal attendance, ideally not during lunch/dinner or
breaks, and should not overlap with other activities.
Poster sessions
(number and
duration)
Should last for at least 90 minutes. At least two poster sessions
should be organized for a meeting with more than 150
participants.
E. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND MEETING LOCATION
Diversity
Co-organizers should be an international and gender-
diverse group of scientists.
Location of
the event
The venue should be easy to reach, and it should be suitable
for the type of meeting proposed. Participants and speakers
should be accommodated in the same location or in a
limited number of locations.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 19
7. San Francisco Declaration on
Research Assessment (DORA)
EMBO is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and as
such does not use publication metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor during the assessment
process (see website for further details). Applicants are asked NOT to include publication-based
metrics when listing invited speakers’ and co-organizers’ publications.
8. Confidentiality
All applications are treated in confidence and only publicised following acceptance of the funding
conditions by the organizer.
The EMBO Courses & Workshops office should be contacted with any questions concerning
applications.
Contacting individual members of the EMBO Course Committee to influence the decision process
will result in disqualification of the application.
9. Hybrid Conferences
Conferences in hybrid format allow scientists to participate when they are unable to attend in
person. Possible reasons include health-related issues, care obligations, lack of funding, or
difficulty to obtain a visa.
One of the goals of EMBO is to stimulate scientific exchange across a broad audience. We therefore
encourage the organizers of EMBO Courses and Workshops to opt for a hybrid format. Additional
funding of up to €10,000 is provided for expenses related to a hybrid set-up for e.g., AV support,
virtual platform, administrative support, etc.
EMBO works with a third-party conference management service that can provide a virtual meeting
platform as well as a mobile app. Depending on the number of users and the amount of support
needed, the cost for this platform will range between €1,100 – €2,200. In addition to that, EMBO can
offer you a bespoke mobile app for your meeting, which allows participants to easily communicate
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 20
with each other. The cost for this mobile app for your event is €1,100 as a stand-alone or €1,900
together with the virtual platform.
Based on feedback from previous organizers of hybrid EMBO meetings, below some suggestions
for setting up a hybrid meeting:
- Designate someone as responsible for interacting with the virtual participants
- Invite and support participation of virtual participants in the Q+A session: Appoint an
additional session chair to monitor questions from the virtual participants
- Consider selecting virtual participants for short talks
- Enable online networking activities, such as online poster and discussion sessions, or flash
talks, amongst virtual participants. These can be hosted via Zoom breakout rooms or other
social networking platforms*, for e.g., Wonder.me, Gather.Town, SpatialChat, Topia, and
others
- Support participation of virtual participants in discussion sessions or other on-site
sessions
- Speakers must be informed and asked for consent if talks are recorded
- Recording of the talks helps, virtual participants to deal with the time difference and
screen fatigue, they should be available as soon as possible on a dedicated platform or
website. Talks should be recorded individually, not as a full session. This will make
viewing and excluding talks that are not to be recorded easier
- Advertise activities for virtual participants in the meeting programme.
Disclaimer: These are merely suggestions. EMBO does not endorse any software or services and does
not take any responsibility for third-party services that the organizer may choose to use.
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 21
10. Appendix I - Reducing the
environmental impact of the
meeting
EMBO encourages organizers of EMBO Courses and Workshops to implement measures that reduce
the environmental impact of their meetings.
We hope that this initiative will create awareness and help change many people’s minds and
behaviours. Only together can we make a difference for the environment, climate, and future
generations on the planet.
EMBO Courses & Workshops awards points to meetings that implement sustainability measures.
Implementation of various measures qualify the meeting for points ranging between one and five
as listed in the table below. The accumulated points will rank the meeting on one of three levels,
recognizing the organizers’ efforts towards increasing the sustainability of their course or
workshop:
- Level 1 – Meeting with moderate sustainability: 13–16 points
- Level 2 – Meeting with high sustainability: 17–20 points
- Level 3 – Meeting with very high sustainability: 21 points or more
Below is a sample of measures you could choose to implement to acquire a sustainable meeting la
Measure
Points
Venue
Choose a certified environmentally friendly venue e.g., EU Ecolabel, Green key
5
Choose a venue that takes energy efficiency measures, but is not (yet) certified, e.g., uses solar
energy, including for heating water, gets green electricity, participates in waste sorting and
local recycling etc.
4
Choose a centrally located venue with good public transport connections, close to major
transport hubs to reduce additional travel
4
Virtual or Hybrid participation
Enable some participants to attend the meeting virtually, thus increasing participation without
significantly increasing the overall environmental impact
3
Catering
Serve only vegetarian food on at least one day of the meeting
1
Serving locally sourced food
1
No bottled water, opt for water fountains/tap water in jugs
1
No single-use wares such as disposable cutlery, cups, plastic bottles, or cans
1
Travel
Require at least 4 speakers/organizers travelling within Europe to travel by train
3
EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme – Application Guidelines – December 2023 22
Require some invited speakers from other continents to give their talks remotely. The funds
saved on travel (€1,500 per speaker) can be used to fund train travel incentives for participants
(see below)
2 for 1
3 for 2
Offer a discount on registration fees for participants traveling by train, or otherwise incentivize
train travel with rewards. You could use the €1,500 that were saved on travel for invited
speakers from other continents to fund train travel incentives for participants
2
CO2 Offsetting
Offset the CO
2
footprint of your meeting through different actions e.g., by acquiring external
funding for compensations via CO
2
offset projects (these could be certified organizations or
initiatives that support biodiversity projects or local sustainability projects); by requiring
speakers and participants to donate to CO
2
offset projects; or any other innovative ideas
2
moderate sustainability
13-16
high sustainability
17-20
very high sustainability
21 and above
Additional steps that you can take for a more sustainable meeting:
Electronic programme and abstract book: Organizers are encouraged to distribute the abstract
book in electronic format via the meeting website and print only a minimum number of hard copies,
if necessary. Organizers can export the abstract book in electronic format via the meeting website
provided by EMBO. The abstract book can then be made available on the meeting website as a
password-protected PDF document.
Plastic-free badges: Organizers should consider using paper badges.
Promotional material: EMBO offers promotional materials for your EMBO funded course or
workshop. We have aimed to source sustainably as much as possible and provide material that is
useful beyond the meeting. Please order the minimum quantities you would need and encourage
participants to re-use the bags and notebooks after the meeting.
Advertising: Organizers are encouraged to opt for digital advertising using the poster EMBO
provides and use the social media handles set up for you.
Reduce the environmental impact of traveling: Organizers may encourage speakers and
participants to donate to CO
2
offset projects.
Provide participants with information and directions for local public transport and encourage its
use,
Organize joint activities at locations that can be reached by foot or public transport.
Raise awareness: Inform participants about the sustainability measures you are adopting for your
meeting.
Ask participants for feedback and suggestions on your sustainability measures at the end of the
meeting.