Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce that the Cells 2021 Young Investigator Award and Cells 2021 PhD Thesis Award are now open for application!

These awards will be given in recognition of the excellence of the recipient in the field of cell biology, with the Cells 2021 Young Investigator Award granted to a young investigator and the Cells 2021 PhD Thesis Award granted to a PhD student about to graduate or participate in their graduation defense.

All nominations and applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee led by the Editors-in-Chief, Dr. Alexander E. Kalyuzhny and Prof. Dr. Cord Brakebusch.

Cells 2021 Young Investigator Award

1. Prize:

— CHF 2000 (Swiss Francs);

— Option to publish one paper free-of-charge in Cells after peer review before the end of 2022;

— An electronic certificate;

— The top ten nominees as assessed by our Evaluation Committee will each be granted a 20% discount voucher toward publication in Cells, valid until the end of 2022.

2. Eligibility and Requirements:

— Maximum of 40 years of age and no more than 8 years after receiving their PhD;

— A significant contribution to the advancement/research of cell biology, molecular biology, and biophysics research fields;

— Eligible applicants should be from academic, governmental, or biotech/pharma laboratories.

3. List of Documents for Nomination:

— Detailed CV including education history, a publication list, and a list of research grants;

— Birth certificate or other proof of age;

— Research description (up to two pages);

— Reference letter(s) from supervisor(s), research director(s), or department head(s);

— copy of doctorate certificate.

4. Schedule:

— Open for nominations: 1 January 2021;

— Deadline for application: 1 September 2021;

— Date for announcement of the winners: 31 October 2021.

Cells 2021 PhD Thesis Award

1. Prize:

— CHF 800 (Swiss Francs).

2. Eligibility and Requirements:

— The candidate must be a PhD student about to graduate or participate in their graduation thesis defense;

— The PhD thesis must be original work;

— The PhD thesis must be defended between 1 January 2021 and 31 October 2021;

— Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

1. An executive summary of the PhD thesis in English, around 3000 words;
2. A letter from the PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
3. The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications connected with the thesis;
4. An electronic copy of the PhD thesis.

3. Selection Criteria:

— Quality of resume and publications;

— Relevance of the candidate and research description;

— Novelty of the candidate’s PhD thesis;

— Strength of the recommendation letter;

— Anticipated academic potential;

— Originality and impact of the research.

4. Schedule:

— Open for nominations: 1 January 2021;

— Deadline for application: 31 October 2021;

— Date for announcement of the winners: 31 December 2021.

How to submit nominations and Applications?

The nominations and applications must be submitted online by the following links:

Cells 2021 Young Investigator Award:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cells/awards/submit/1256

Cells 2021 PhD Thesis Award:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cells/awards/submit/1257

Should you have any questions, suggestions, or recommendations, please feel free to contact [email protected] or [email protected] directly.