Call for applications: "Grand prix scientifique 2024" Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation
Deadline: February 15, 2024
Every year, the Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation of the Institut de France awards a scientific prize based on the recommendations of a jury formed by members of the Institut de France. The scientific theme of the award alternates between disciplines of the two divisions of the Academy of Sciences.
The 2024’s Grand Prix will be awarded to a French or European scientist and his/her team(2) who will propose an ambitious research project on: “Seeing Living Systems”.
Biological research relies on a range of technologies. Of these technologies, direct imaging forms a principal component. The advent of the ‘resolution revolution’ in cryo-electron microscopy has paved the way for the determination of previously unattainable three-dimensional structures such as those of membrane proteins, large multi-protein complexes and more. Furthermore, it has allowed for visualisation of cellular processes such as mRNA translation by ribosomes or the replication of the flu virus. More recently, cryo-electron tomography has enabled high-resolution visualisation of structures present within bacteria or cells. At lower resolution, optical microscopy has also made important advances in the analysis of macromolecular complexes in vivo. Fluorescent labelling of specific cellular components provides a means to follow interactions within cells in real time. For example, interactions can be followed during the infection of human cells by foreign invaders, or between T-cells and tumours, as well as during the migration of cells during development and organogenesis. This prize will reward a team which has made significant advances by taking advantage of the latest imaging technologies and will present a project concerning the visualisation of phenomena, which are as yet “unseen”.
The prize is as follows:
a) 200,000 € to finance the work of the award-winning group,
b) 25,000 € awarded to the pincipal investigator (PI) of the research group,
c) 50,000 € (maximum amount paid upon presentation of supporting documents) for hiring one French or foreign postdoctoral researcher to be selected by the PI, in the two years following the attribution of the award. A report must be sent within two months after the end of the contract.
A contract agreement will be established between the laboratory and the Del Duca Foundation to define the conditions of payment.