News & Views item - July 2007

 

 

Australia to Become an Associate Member Nation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). (July 11, 2007)

     Group of Eight Executive Director, Michael Gallagher, in a media release said, "Australia has now been accepted as the first associate member of EMBL... Australia was offered this opportunity in recognition of its record of achievement in molecular biology research and in complementary areas such as the physical sciences."

 

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory was the idea of prominent scientists such as the American physicist and molecular biologist Leo Szilárd and Nobel laureates James D. Watson and John C. Kendrew. Their goal was to create a CERN-like supranational research centre to redress the balance in the strongly US-dominated field of molecular biology. The founding contract was signed in July 1974 on a basis of an intergovernmental treaty of nine European countries plus Israel. Since then, the number of member states has increased progressively, until Croatia became the nineteenth member in 2006, almost doubling the original membership.

 

 

 

    According to the Go8 the key benefits to Australia of associate membership include:

·  increased profile for Australian research and enhanced research collaboration between Australia and Europe;

·  guaranteed annual doctoral and postdoctoral positions at EMBL’s five sites across Europe;

·  guaranteed group leader positions for Australians at EMBL;

·  preferential access to EMBL sites for visiting Australian researchers;

·  ability to create an EMBL scholarship program tailored to Australia’s needs;

·  membership of the network of the EMBL network of 1300 employees and 3000 alumni from 60 countries;

·  linkages with EMBL’s research commercialisation and technology transfer arm.

The EMBL Council agreed to Australia’s request to become an associate member on 3 July , with associate membership formally commencing from January 2008.

 

"Australia is a highly valuable addition to EMBL and we are very pleased to welcome it as our first associate member," said Iain Mattaj, Director General of the EMBL. "In recent years Australia has become a central player in the landscape of molecular biology. With its special expertise, for example in the fields of medical epidemiology and stem cell research, it will be an excellent complement to EMBL's focus on basic research in molecular biology."

   

The Minister for Education Science and Training, Julie Bishop said: "This new relationship between Australia and EMBL will facilitate interaction and exchange between the Australian and European molecular biology communities. It will further integrate and strengthen Australian and European research by combining Australia’s special expertise in the fields of medical epidemiology and stem cell research with EMBL’s focus on basic research in molecular biology."

 

Funding for Australia’s associate membership will be provided through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and through contributions from Monash University, The University of Western Australia, The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney and CSIRO.