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Courses and Conferences

EMBL Courses and Conferences are a major European platform for sharing and expanding research, knowledge and contacts through face-to-face and virtual interaction

About the programme

Join over 7000 participants annually who attend our practical courses, workshops and conferences across all six EMBL sites.

EMBL Conference Programme

The EMBL Course and Conference Programme welcomes 7000 participants annually and covers practical courses, workshops and conferences across all the six EMBL sites.

EMBL Conferences

Organised by EMBL, the topics of these conferences reflect the scientific research carried out by EMBL scientists or bring together long established communities sometimes outside the realm of EMBL research. This platform allows for the exchange of our exciting findings with the international scientific community. Most meetings are held in our Advanced Training Centre at EMBL Heidelberg, however smaller conferences can also take place at the EMBL campuses in Barcelona/Spain, Grenoble/France, Hamburg/Germany, Hinxton/UK and Rome/Italy.

EMBO|EMBL Symposia

Jointly organised by EMBL and EMBO, the symposia focus on interdisciplinary topics in the life sciences and provide scientists with a platform to discuss and exchange ideas on forward-looking topics and new developments. The symposia address a broader scientific community, and focus on scientific communication and collaboration. EMBO|EMBL Symposia are held exclusively in the EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg, Germany.

EMBO Workshops

Many of our conferences in the Advanced Training Centre are financially supported by EMBO, and thus carry the prestigious name of the organisation. These conferences cover different and evolving aspects of important and relatively broad subject areas.

EMBL-Wellcome Connecting Science Conferences

A number of conferences are jointly held with the Wellcome Genome Campus (WGC) Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences in Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. The meetings are based on topics of mutual interest and alternate annually between the WGC Conference Centre in Hinxton and the Advanced Training Centre at EMBL Heidelberg.

Conferences partnered with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Some EMBL Conferences and EMBO Conferences are partnered with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), USA. The conferences alternate annually between CSHL, USA, and EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, to encourage the participation of scientists from these continents.

EMBL Course Programme

EMBL Courses

Reflecting the scientific research carried out by EMBL scientists and beyond, these courses are mainly held at EMBL Heidelberg and the EBI campus in Hinxton/UK, however they can also take place at the EMBL campuses in Barcelona/Spain, Grenoble/France, Hamburg/Germany, and Rome/Italy. While at the EBI they run purely bioinformatics courses, at other EMBL campuses most of the courses are comprised of a mix of wet-lab and bioinformatics modules. 

EMBO Practical Courses

Many of our courses across all EMBL sites are financially supported by EMBO, and thus carry the prestigious name of the organisation. These courses often reflect the research that is done at that specific site, but can also cover other current key subject areas of the life sciences.

Our Newsletter

Our quarterly EMBL Events e-newsletter delivers the latest information on events taking place at EMBL Heidelberg and its sites

Reasons to attend an event at EMBL

Reputation

The history of events at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory dates back to 1977, with the first record of a course being held at EMBL Heidelberg. 40 years of excellence in organising events means not only welcoming top-class trainers and speakers – including Nobel Prize laureates – but also showcasing and presenting cutting-edge science and technologies.

Location

Surrounded by forest in the picturesque hills of Heidelberg, our venue is ideal for holding scientific conferences and courses in the heart of Europe. Heidelberg is a hub for scientific research and is home to major international research institutions such as four Max-Planck Institutes, the German Cancer Research Centre, and the oldest university in Germany – Heidelberg University.Prize laureates – but also showcasing and presenting cutting-edge science and technologies.

Training Facilities

Conferences and courses hosted at EMBL Heidelberg take place in the modern Advanced Training Centre, the architecture of which was inspired by DNA’s double helix. The facility includes a 464 seat auditorium, as well as wet labs, microscopy and computer rooms, which allow courses on the latest technologies in the field of molecular biology.

Financial Assistance

Aimed at involving young scientists – particularly those travelling from countries in need of scientific strengthening – EMBL has a flexible system of financial assistance offering a wide range of fellowships, including Corporate Partnership Programme registration fee waivers and travel grants for courses and conferences. Find out more about the financial assistance in this video.

Onsite support

Our onsite services ensure you can sit back and enjoy the science. Onsite childcare allows parents to attend events, and in-house catering lets us cater to all dietary requirements. Accommodation is blocked for our events, ensuring guests a room in the area, and we arrange frequent bus transfers to and from various stops around Heidelberg. EMBL staff are always onsite to assist you with any further enquiries

Social Programme

Alongside the scientific part of the conference programme, participants are welcome to take part in a range of social events including onsite parties, dinners and jazz sessions. In addition, we provide visiting scientists with a variety of opportunities for networking including Speed Networking, Meet the Speakers, Flash Talks and Science Slam sessions during conferences.

Testimonials

We think it’s important to listen to our participants to make sure we are meeting their expectations. This includes ensuring we provide a full and varied programme, a rich speaker line-up and a range of networking opportunities. Whether a new, ground-breaking conference or an established, state-of-the-art course, be inspired by the testimonials from our past participants to experience EMBL Events for yourself.

2017 – 40 years of events

Advanced training is one of the five core missions of EMBL. EMBL has been training scientists throughout its history, with the first officially recorded practical course dating back to 1977

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