Designed by and for young chemists

For the first time, we will feature talks about the latest advances in chemistry. We selected six rising stars from a variety of fields and invited them to talk, not only about their groundbreaking research, but also about their careers. We want to show that it is possible to be young and run your own group, return from your postdoc and get competitive funding to develop your independent research line, and succeed in academia. Invited speakers include Sophie Carenco (Sorbonne), Thomas Bennett (Cambridge University), Silvia Osuna (ICREA and University of Girona), Allan Watson (St. Andrews University), Mónica Pérez-Temprano (ICIQ) and Alvaro Mata (Queen Mary University of London).

We will keep supporting one of our oldest traditions – the European Young Chemist Awards (EYCA). Co-organised with the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) and the Consiglio Nazionale dei Chimici (CNC), the EYCA aim to highlight the achievements of remarkable PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from all around Europe. The candidates for this prestigious award, selected by a panel of experts, will present their latest results during the EYCN symposium in Liverpool. Following this, a jury will select the winners of the gold and silver medals. We are also delighted to announce that, before the candidates’ presentations, Maria Escudero-Escribano (University of Copenhagen and EYCA Gold Medal 2016) will give a lecture about her research, and her experience in the previous edition of this award.

We will also keep our tradition of organising talks, panels, and workshops on soft-skills. During lunch breaks, we will have CV clinics, thanks to the collaboration of experts from both EYCN and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Young chemists are invited to attend and we will review their CV, cover letter, and social media presence, and give advice on how to improve and have better chances of finding their dream job. There will be talks and a panel dedicated to science communication and chemistry education, with the participation of Bibiana Campos-Seijo (Chemical and Engineering News) and Emma Stoye (Chemistry World). We will also organise sessions on the opportunities and challenges in the chemical industry, with contributions from Jackie O’Neil (Alkermes) and Mauro Davanzo (Vileda), among others.

There are two poster sessions, which form part of the congress programme, and we would encourage poster abstract submissions from those who wish to present their work onsite at the congress. Submissions can be made online with the deadline for submissions 16 April.

Because we know how important funding is, we have created a special session devoted to European funding, with focus on Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and European Research Council grants. We have invited experts and evaluators from a variety of panels, as well as scientists that have recently received European grants to share their experience, knowledge, and tips on how to make your proposal more appealing to the evaluating committees.

And last but not least, because we love networking, we have invited representatives of fellow organisations, such as the Younger Chemist Committee and the International Activities Committee from the American Chemical Society, the International Young Chemist Nework (an associated organisation of IUPAC since 2017) and friends from the organising committee of the 2019 IUPAC 100 Conference in Paris. As well as their presentation lectures, we will have a special networking reception, where some companies will collaborate as well. Bring some business cards!

Bursaries are available from the Royal Society of Chemistry to those attending both the 7th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress as well as the Early Career Symposium, which is another event, designed to complement the EYCN strand of the congress programme and takes place in the same location immediately after the congress. 

Stay tuned to the website of the 7th EuCheMS Chemistry Conference in Liverpool to get the latest updates to our programme. We will be delighted to welcome you in our symposium by and for young chemists.