PALS follows the success and track record of the previous WCMM and SciLifeLab collaboration termed NMMP (National Molecular Medicine Fellows Program). With PALS, 10 universities as well as the Museum of Natural History are now part of the collaboration, expanding the scope of the collaboration from molecular medicine to also include the diverse areas of life science that the data-driven research communities represent.
PALS offers excellent opportunities for experimental and computational scientists to meet in order to establish multi-disciplinary collaborations. The future leaders of Swedish life science can thereby establish strong national networks that could last for years to come and that will broadly enrich opportunities for excellence in life science.
The collaboration is a catalyst and plays a national role in the life science sector across Sweden, leading also to strong external collaborations with industry, environmental groups and health care providers as well as the global research community.
Many of our group leaders have been trained at the best universities and laboratories in the world, and represent a major addition of cutting-edge expertise and talent to the Swedish life science sector.
Funding
PALS is co-funded by a SEK 20 million grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (2024-2028), supporting a deep and broad national multidisciplinary research community that creates powerful links and synergies in life science.PALS Objectives for 2024-2028
PALS has the following main objectives for the time period of 2024-2028, to further strengthen the research network and to foster the next generation of research group leaders.
- Continue with the successful tradition of a major annual meeting including all fellows, as established within the NMMP. Rotate the responsibility for the meetings across WCMM, SciLifeLab and DDLS sites. We expect that each meeting will feature joint general sessions of interest to all fellows, but also specific parallel sessions tailored to the diverse interest areas of specific fellow communities.
- Promote additional scientific interactions between the curiosity-driven, technology-driven and data-driven researchers, as well as translational and clinical scientists, through support of new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary research collaborations and technology/knowledge/data transfer in the context of e.g. joint research projects or training/workshop events.
- Provide new fellows with information about SciLifeLab and other Swedish research infrastructures, computational infrastructures and data.