Following the recommendation of the “Joint Science Conference”, which was jointly organised by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the French Académie des sciences, the Heads of State and Government decided at the Western Balkans Conference on 12 July in Trieste, Italy, to establish a foundation to support junior scientists at scientific institutions in the Balkans. The Joint Science Conference is one of the pillars of the “Western Balkans Process / Berlin Process”, an initiative of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, aiming to support the integration of the Balkan countries into the European Union.

(...) The Foundation is designed to enable outstanding junior scientists from the Balkans and from Europe to build up excellent research labs and teams in the Balkan countries within a period of five years through ad personam grants,enjoying grant portability. The grants will allow a preceding one to two-year training period in top research teams or labs in Europe, thus enhancing scientific links between the Western Balkans and the European Union. Grant agreements between the Foundation, the grantee and the host institutions (in the WB and the EU) will safeguard autonomy of operations. These grants are a central measure of brain gain aimed at the Balkans. (...)

Source and further information: Joint Science Conference