The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) is a biennial, pan-European meeting dedicated to scientific research, innovation, and dialogue between science and society. It was launched in 2004 in Stockholm under the auspices of EuroScience, a grassroots association of researchers founded in 1997. ESOF brings together scientists, policymakers, industry representatives, and the public for discussions on cutting-edge research, science policy, and societal challenges. Each edition is hosted by a different European city, serving as the “European City of Science,” and features a programme of scientific sessions, public engagement events, and policy debates. ESOF has become one of Europe’s largest interdisciplinary science forums, complementing EU research initiatives by fostering international collaboration, science communication, and public trust in science.
The European Science Foundation was established in 1974 as an association of major national funding agencies and research organisations across Europe. Its mission was to promote high-quality science in a European context by coordinating research activities, funding collaborative programmes, and facilitating scientific networking across disciplines. Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, ESF played a significant role in shaping European research policy, supporting mobility and cooperation, and fostering new areas of scientific inquiry. From the 1980s through the early 2000s, it sponsored research programmes, exploratory workshops, and networking activities across the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. With the rise of the European Union’s Framework Programmes and the creation of the European Research Council, ESF’s role gradually shifted. In the 2010s it restructured, winding down many of its scientific programmes and transitioning to a service-based organisation supporting peer review, evaluation, and research management.
EMBO Press is the editorially independent publishing arm of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). It brings together EMBO’s scientific journals and publishing activities under EMBO’s own publishing platform with a stated mission to promote transparent, ethical, and reproducible scientific publishing. EMBO’s journals began as discrete titles with the establishment of The EMBO Journal in 1982, and were published on behalf of EMBO by commercial publishing partners for many years; in 2013 EMBO consolidated editorial control and branding under EMBO Press while continuing to work with production/distribution partners.
EMBO Press currently publishes five titles: The EMBO Journal, EMBO Reports, Molecular Systems Biology, EMBO Molecular Medicine, and Life Science Alliance.
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of European states, formally established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. It traces its origins to earlier forms of European cooperation, including the European Coal and Steel Community (1951) and the European Economic Community (1957). The EU aims to promote peace, stability, and prosperity through shared institutions, a single market, and common policies in areas such as trade, agriculture, research, and the environment. It has progressively expanded in membership and competences, and today comprises 27 member states (following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom in 2020). The EU operates through a system of supranational institutions—including the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council—and has its own legal framework, currency (the euro, adopted by 20 members), and external relations.
The Young Investigator Program scheme was designed from the outset to offer financial support and training opportunities to group leaders with less than four years’ experience leading a laboratory. The intention was to support both excellence and maintain a healthy geographic distribution. The scheme was first proposed to the EMBO Council in 1998, who, receiving it favorably, officially accepted it a year later and established a working group with the support of all participating countries. Council subsequently established a selection committee and carried out its first round of selections in 2001, accepting 23 candidates.
The primary allure of the program to applicants seemed from the beginning to be the Networking opportunities. The YIP program offered participants the opportunity to present their work and meet their peers at yearly meetings, access to EMBL core facilities, mentoring opportunities, and even courses for PHD students at participants’ laboratories.
In 2005 these networking opportunities expanded to include Laboratory Management Courses (now [Lab Leadership Courses]), designed to empower YIPs with skills in everything from project management to managing laboratory groups.
In 2008 the program created the Special Development Installation Grant. These were established as a Special Project of the EMBC for the purpose of supporting scientists in peripheral nations: The Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Estonia, and were based on and replaced the EMBO/HHMI Startup Grants. Eligibility has since grown to include Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, and Türkiye.
By 2011, Council noted the strength of the project, highlighting the promotion of scientists engaging in novel research topics. Through the years the prestige of the award as well as the networking opportunities has provided the greatest motivation to applicants.. YIPs currently receive a financial award of 15,000 euros in their second year, and can also apply for additional small grants of up to 10,000 euros per year. There is currently a network of over 700 YIP alumni.
In 1999, EMBO, EMBL, and ELSO engaged in talks to create a Forum for the life sciences in Europe, coming together at a meeting at the EMBO headquarters to establish the ELSF shortly thereafter. The ELSF aimed to empower scientists to engage more actively in strategic and science policy matters, to present a unified voice on issues of shared concern, and to enhance the visibility and policy influence of organisations representing the life sciences.
A small governing body was appointed consisting of Frank Gannon, Fotis Kafatos, Kai Simons, and Julio E. Celis as President. Luc van Dyck joined as manager six months after the organisation was created. The secretariat was set up at the EMBL/EMBO facilities in Heidelberg and the EMBL, EMBO, and FEBS offered to cover a large fraction of the expenses for a period of 3 years.
Additionally, the ELSF identified as priorities the career of young scientists and the creation of a European Research Council (ERC) to support basic research.