The 10th edition of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships: a record year for number of projects received

This year, the Fellowships project promoted by IBSA Foundation for scientific research celebrates its tenth edition (referred to the year 2022) and marks the record for number of projects received since the competition was established. Indeed, 221 male and female researchers from universities and research institutes from all over the world submitted their projects for the 2022 edition.

The award ceremony was held on April 20, at IBSA’s production site cosmos in Lugano (CH). Arturo Licenziati, President and CEO of IBSA, Silvia Misiti, Director of IBSA Foundation, and Luisa Lambertini, Appointed Rector of the University of Italian Switzerland (USI, Università della Svizzera Italiana), officially awarded the six scholarships – each worth € 30,000 – to the winners.

“Supporting research and cutting-edge projects aimed at advancing society and opening up new scientific research prospects: this is the goal we want to achieve, by renewing the Fellowships call every year”, explained Silvia Misiti. “We have been pursuing this commitment for 10 years and will continue to do so, because we believe in the talent of today’s young people, so that they become the scientists of tomorrow”.

THE WINNERS

The awarded young talents come from Italian, Swiss, British and Australian universities and research centres:

• Laura Yerly, Lausanne University Hospital Center (Switzerland)
• Camilla Basso, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (Cantonal Hospital) and Università della Svizzera Italiana (Switzerland)
• Valentina Lorenzi, University of Cambridge (UK)
• Francesco De Logu, University of Florence (Italy)
• Marco Fantuz, University of Padua (Italy)
• Julio Aguado, University of Queensland (Australia)

PARTICIPATION AREAS

There were five scientific areas pertaining to the projects to be submitted: four therapeutic areas and a special category that the IBSA Foundation board renews from year to year, and for which two scholarships had been planned:

• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Fertility/Urology
• Pain Medicine/Orthopaedics/Rheumatology
• 2022 special category: “Healthy Aging”

The participation of female researchers in the Fellowship programme has always been larger than that of their male colleagues. Data from the 2022 edition also confirms this trend, with 61% of applications from female scientists compared to 39% from male candidates.

THE NOVELTY OF THE 2023 FELLOWSHIPS CALL

IBSA Foundation confirms its commitment to research and young talents, and launches a new call for the 2023 edition, which will award six innovative and distinguishing projects in the scientific areas of Dermatology, Endocrinology, Fertility/Urology, Pain Medicine/Orthopaedics/Rheumatology and “Healthy Aging/Regenerative Medicine” in the special category, which will collect projects dealing with at least one of these two research areas.

The novelty of the new call is represented by the economic value of each scholarship, which has been increased to € 32,000.

Candidates who wish to submit their research project have until December 31, 2023 to apply through the dedicated platform.