Paths to Scientific Excellence
On the way to scientific excellence, each step brings many challenges. These might be striving for continuous learning, gaining access to infrastructure, finding collaborators, or more complex matters such as achieving a work-life balance.
How can one help? So far, our support of the community has included the DECTRIS Award for excellent scientific achievements, equipment donations, teaching and sponsoring of schools, and direct support of students. However, for some scientists, the challenges they encounter on their path to excellence are more severe.
Andreas Förster Travel Grant
The Andreas Förster Travel Grant focuses on the challenges faced by scientists in less-privileged and developing regions of the world. It targets students and researchers up to the postdoc level from countries which are below the 50 leading countries in GDP per capita*.
A grant of up to 1,500 CHF each will be awarded to two different applicants who aim to attend a conference, workshop, or school of their choice. One of Andreas’ many passions was the training and education of the next generation of crystallographers, and this is why the grant supports attendance at conferences and schools.
*Please note that this means you must currently be studying or researching in that country
Call for Applications in 2024
Thank you for your interest in applying for the Andreas Förster Travel Grant. Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting applications for 2024. The next grant will open at the beginning of 2025.
Dr. Andreas Förster (1975-2021)
Dr. Andreas Förster
The Andreas Förster Travel Grant was established in memory of our colleague Andreas, who lost his battle with cancer in 2021. He lives on in our memories as a true polymath and man of the world.
Andreas was a renowned structural biochemist, a teacher, and a lecturer, who sharpened his expertise at several universities and institutes worldwide. Upon joining DECTRIS, he shifted his scientific focus to supporting other scientists in their endeavors, as well as promoting initiatives to push the field of Macromolecular Crystallography further.
His curious and flexible mind also allowed him to take on a commercial sales role and further enhance his passion for writing. As an avid traveler and bicyclist, he was always on the move, and his good spirits and contagious laughter managed to brighten up even the cloudiest of days.
We hope that Andreas' personality will inspire other researchers to learn, explore, collaborate - and, most of all, be kind and supportive.
At the IUCr conference in Hyderabad, 2017.
Meeting up after the ACA conference 2019 in Kentucky.
