v1.1 – December 2025
BIOMICS sponsorship programme aims to leverage GIMM’s scientific excellence by training a new generation of skilled, critically thinking and ethically aware researchers who are able to test scientific hypotheses on biomedical data and soundly interpret their results and implications.
1. BIOMICS Sponsorship
1.1. BIOMICS will support short-term staff exchanges, as well as networking and training activities, associated with biomedical data science-related research founded on scientific interests shared between labs from GIMM and the partnering institutes (CRG, EMBL-EBI, ETH).
1.1.1. This sponsorship will support 14 exchanges over the course of the project.
1.2. BIOMICS will attribute scholarships to relevant courses on fundamental, transversal, and “transferrable” data science skills (not highly specific bioinformatics techniques) delivered at EMBL as part of their Training programme (e.g., Computing skills for reproducible research, Data science for life scientists, Data visualisation for biology, Systems biology: from large datasets to biological insight) and ELIXIR Training Platform.
1.2.1. This sponsorship will be attributed to an estimate of 10 applications per year.
1.3. BIOMICS will attribute scholarships to dedicated training events abroad: Hackathon on population genetics, organised at EMBL-EBI by John Lees (Feb 2026); Workshop on Evolutionary Medical Genomics, organised by Manuel Irimia at CRG (Nov 2026).
1.3.1. This sponsorship will be attributed to an estimate of 10 applications per event.
1.4. BIOMICS will support free and priority registration in BIOMICS training events at GIMM: Course on Bayesian model building, led by Mafalda Dias and Jonathan Frazer (CRG) (May 2026); Course on approaches to protein data integration and interpretation, led by Maria Martin (EMBL-EBI) (date TBA); Summer School on Critical Thinking, organised by Nuno Barbosa-Morais (summer 2026); EMBL-EBI Train-the-Trainer Course (early 2027).
1.5. BIOMICS will attribute scholarships to facilitate participation of GIMM junior scientists (MSc and PhD students, technicians and postdocs, as well as members of relevant units/facilities) in conferences in biomedical data science or in which disseminating BIOMICS work is impactful. These can also include innovation-driven events (open also to non-research GIMM staff), and relevant events organised in international roadmaps of Research Infrastructures.
1.5.1. This sponsorship will be attributed to an estimate of 7 applications per year.
2. Sponsorship Coverage and Pre-Approval Requirements
2.1. The sponsorship will cover early-bird registration fees (when applicable), travel, accommodation (if not included in the registration fee) and presentation costs. Costs related to travel authorisations and visas, including ETA and ESTA, and all other expenses, must be covered by the research funds of the applicant.
2.2. Pre-Approval Requirements:
2.2.1. Students must obtain written approval of the sponsorship by the BIOMICS project prior to registering for the conference, course, or training activity.
2.2.2. Registrations made before sponsorship approval will not be eligible for reimbursement.
2.2.3. In case the sponsorship is not granted, students may still proceed with registration using other research funds.
3. Eligibility rules and selection criteria
3.1. Eligible applicants must be affiliated with GIMM.
3.2. Engagement in BIOMICS’ ethos and training programme is mandatory, namely by joining Data Hive, assiduously participating in regular community meetings (e.g., Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Seminars – CBBS), and principles of good scientific citizenship (i.e., intellectual honesty and scientific integrity), to be specified in a document to be drafted and discussed by the community.
3.3. The applicants must send an email to biomics@gimm.pt in a single .pdf, 3 weeks before the end of the early bird registration period, including:
3.3.1. Applicant full name, name and link of the conference.
3.3.2. A motivation letter (max 900 words), summarising how the event will help the applicant to develop fundamental data science skills, why it is the right forum for feedback on the applicant’s data science work (in the case of conferences), and how the applicant’s participation in the event can benefit the local community.
3.3.3. A short CV (max 3 pages).
3.3.4. Abstract to be submitted for poster/oral presentation (mandatory when applicable, namely conferences).
3.3.5. Estimated budget, including registration fees, travel and accommodation requests and costs.
3.3.6. A brief letter of support from the academic supervisor.
3.4. Applications will be evaluated by the BIOMICS representatives according to:
3.4.1. Quality of the motivation letter.
3.4.2. Potential impact on the applicant’s development.
3.4.3. Budget feasibility.
3.4.4. Strength of data science component of work to be presented (when applicable).
3.5. Applicants will be notified by email of the selection result and further steps, within one week after submitting the application.
3.6. All expenses must comply with GIMM financial regulations and procedures.
4. Obligations of sponsored junior scientists
4.1. Sponsored applicants must deliver to BIOMICS project manager:
4.1.1. A short report, template to be provided, within 30 days of the event.
4.1.2. Boarding passes and transportation tickets, if applicable.
4.1.3. Expenses receipts with GIMM Foundation NIF (PT517706156), except for public transports outside Portugal, or Portuguese tolls.
4.1.4. Copy of the certificate of attendance.
4.1.5. Copy of the presented work (poster or cover and acknowledgement slides in A4).
4.1.6. A photograph of the event where the attendant is presenting. This photograph will be used for BIOMICS dissemination and published on BIOMICS social media and website, if authorized.
4.2. All dissemination outputs resulting from activities supported by this sponsorship must acknowledge BIOMICS, in accordance with the following rules:
4.2.1. Posters presented at conferences must display the BIOMICS logo, the European Union flag, and the reference “Grant Agreement No. 101159926”.
4.2.2. Oral presentations (talks) must include, on the acknowledgements slide, the BIOMICS logo, the European Union flag, and the following statement: “This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101159926 (Fostering Excellent Research, Training and Innovation in Biomedical Data Science).”
4.2.3. Scientific publications (papers) must include an acknowledgement stating that: “Part of this work has been supported by BIOMICS (Grant Agreement No. 101159926: Fostering Excellent Research, Training and Innovation in Biomedical Data Science).” or an equivalent formulation conveying the same meaning.
4.3. Applicants commit to share knowledge acquired at the events with the community. This should be done, whenever possible by:
4.3.1. making all associated materials available (if permitted) through a dedicated internal repository managed by BIOMICS and GIMM’s ADA Unit; and/or
4.3.2. informally presenting in an internal meeting (e.g., CBBS) the most relevant insights and learnings from the event (when applicable).
5. Other provisions
5.1. This regulation may be updated by BIOMICS Project Coordinator (Nuno Barbosa-Morais), as necessary.
5.2. Exceptional cases may be considered individually, with justification.
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