SIPOD · A Coordinated and Structured International Post-Doctoral Program to Foster Trans-national Mobility and Independent Career of Scientists in Biomedicine

This program encompasses the coordinated action of three major Biomedicine Research Centers and a Biotech shell in Lombardy, to launch a new Structured International Post-Doctoral program (SIPOD). These research centers operate in conjunction with the Scuola Europea di Medicina Molecolare (SEMM) whose aim is to promote the training and research of young scientists within emerging sectors of biomedicine. SIPOD is designed to attract excellent scientists and to boost their career as post-doctoral fellows towards becoming successful and independent group leaders. SIPOD aims to foster the incoming trans-national mobility and the reintegration of fellows. SIPOD is characterized by: 1. Trans-national mobility and re-integration of fellows. 2. Freedom of choice for the fellows to select the research topic and destination within the receiving Host Institutions. 3. Equal Opportunities for men and women, and consideration of career breaks. 4. Higher education program based on five training activities: Patenting, Tech transfer and Licensing; Grants scouting, writing and management; Team leading and Group organization; Translational Research and Clinical Trials; Ethical issues in science. 5. Fostering the career development toward successful and independent group leaders. This program stems from internal and external post-doctoral surveys indicating that at present the career transition from postdoctoral fellow to group leader (independent investigator) is not supported by an adequate training/educational support. SIPOD is designed to fill this gap.