Fondation Santé

DESCRIPTION

Biotechnology has already made significant contributions to our understanding of the biology of living organisms; most importantly, it promises to revolutionize the way we view and address health and disease. The industry offers extraordinary, novel opportunities to young people in the interface of science and business. In countries where biotechnology is not fully developed, however, talented individuals find it difficult to gain access to these opportunities.

Fondation Santé aims to help young professionals from countries in the southeast Mediterranean and the Balkans outside the mainstream of the biotechnology industry to gain access to some of the most successful US and European biotech companies for education and training.

WHO CAN APPLY

Science graduates wishing to pursue a career in biotechnology may apply to this internship program. A committee will select qualified applicants and, in accordance with their background and interests, will channel them to specific companies where they will work for one year. Selected applicants who successfully complete a year's internship program become Fondation Santé fellows.

Candidates should have completed higher education recently. More specifically, candidates should:

have a degree in medicine (M.D.) or a doctorate (Ph.D.) in biology, chemistry, computer science (bio-informatics) or other related fields;
be affiliated with a country in southeastern Mediterranean or the Balkans (nationality, country of residence, place of scientific work);
be fluent in English.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Fondation Santé administers the internship program independently. All applications will be reviewed by the foundation's Selection Committee, which is solely responsible for the evaluation of the candidates. The ultimate placement of fellows with appropriate companies is done in consultation with the sponsor companies. Candidates should complete the application form and submit it to Fondation Santé.

The application must include:

a statement (no longer than one page) describing interests, as well as short- and long-term professional goals;

a CV describing academic background and accomplishments;

three confidential letters of recommendation, to be sent DIRECTLY from the people making these recommendations to the foundation. These letters will be kept in strict confidence.

Deadline: Applications for the internship program starting in September of each year, must reach Fondation Santé no later than the end of June of the same year.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Dept of Cell Biology, Boston, USA and Professor at the Collège de France, Paris, France.

Dimitri P. Lalas, Ph.D.

Director of FACET3S, Ltd Consulting, Athens, Greece.

Stelios Papadopoulos, Ph.D.

Chairman of the Board/Treasurer
Fondation Santé