EMBL International PhD ProgrammeExcellence in advanced training European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Table of contentsWelcome to the EMBL International PhD Programme 4Freedom for your independent spirit 6What’s the best thing about doing your PhD at EMBL? 9EMBL research units 12EMBL sites 16Our partner universities 19A quick guide to the programme 20EMBL Heidelberg, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, EMBL Grenoble, EMBL Hamburg, EMBL Monterotondo,Germany UK France Germany Italy 3
Welcome to theEMBL International PhD ProgrammeUnique in the world and waiting for youThe years you spend as a PhD Do you want to work in an and relax with the many musical,student play a pivotal role in your international environment and in sports and social activities availablecareer as a scientist. The personal small groups with close contact to at EMBL. Our students also havefriendships and professional mentors? Collaboration and the privilege of exploring andnetworks you make during this collegiality are hallmarks of the benefiting from the enrichingtime, as well as the spirit of doing successful and fun EMBL culture. environments of EMBL’s five sites,science that you encounter during Whether you are looking for a located in Germany, Italy, Franceyour PhD, will shape the rest of friendly lab with open doors or a and the UK. As EMBL students,your working life. Clearly, a powerful scientific network, EMBL you are ambassadors of yoursuccessful PhD project will also offers both. culture and country to EMBL, andopen doors that may otherwise be In addition to hosting open and of EMBL to your home country.difficult to step through. interactive research groups and The EMBL International PhDDoing science ‘EMBL style’ means providing state-of-the-art Programme is also unique in thethat you work at the cutting edge equipment, EMBL is a hub for the way its students obtain their PhDof science in a laboratory that has best scientists in the world. Its degree. We have establishedbeen ranked as the top non-US seminar programme is matched by partnerships with some of the bestresearch institution in the world*. few. We are committed to universities across Europe to awardOur research projects are providing a fine balance between joint PhD degrees with EMBL.interdisciplinary and offer exciting carefully mentoring students and Consequently, you may obtain youropportunities for biologists, fostering early independence. Our degree from either one of EMBL’schemists, physicists, computer students are not only active partner universities or from ascientists, mathematicians and researchers, but they also take part national university of your choice.medical graduates who want to in many other initiatives: they We invite you to apply to becomepursue a PhD in the molecular life independently organise the an active member of the ‘EMBLsciences. acclaimed EMBL PhD Student culture’, so please read on. Symposia, participate in Science We are committed to making these and Society debates and meetings, most valuable years of yours a great success. Helke Hillebrand and Lars Steinmetz Right, Helke Hillebrand, Dean of Graduate Studies * ISI Science Indicator, World Rankings and Lars Steinmetz, Joint Head of Genome Biology in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Unit and EIPP Academic Mentor; left, former Deans 1997 – 2007. Anne Ephrussi, Head of Developmental Biology Unit and EICAT Coordinator and Matthias Hentze, Associate Director of EMBL4
“EMBL’s International PhD Programme is a key part ofthe institute. The students create a youthful, dynamicatmosphere in the lab and we give them the resourcesand help they need to succeed.” Iain Mattaj, EMBL Director-General180 students are currentlyenrolled in the programme 5
Freedom for your independent spirit6
Imagine a career that takes you fundamental biological problems associated with novel research.anywhere you want to go. Where and surround yourself with like- And camaraderie among youryou can focus on bold questions minded colleagues and advisors. colleagues gives you the supportwhose answers will shape the Choosing where to do your PhD you need to become anfuture of science. This is a PhD in degree is another important independent thinker andmolecular biology, a frontier wide- decision. Many factors come into researcher.open for discovery, which offers play when you look for an The EMBL International PhDyoung people from many institution. EMBL’s excellent Programme provides the idealdisciplines wonderful career resources and solid funding mean environment for ambitiousopportunities all over the world. that you have the security to focus students. Our resources, facilities,Choosing the right career path is on your project. The lack of and staff are second to none. Wenot easy. As you finish your barriers between research units continually strive to make this theundergraduate degree, you will gives you a chance to collaborate best possible place for creative PhDlikely find yourself facing many with scientists from different students. Over the course of youropportunities. A PhD is one option disciplines, bringing out the best studies, you will develop newthat stands out above the rest. It ideas and solutions to problems. insights, mature into a modernallows you to develop your An ‘open door’ policy gives you the researcher and make importantindependent scientific thinking, chance to discuss projects and the contributions to the life sciences.exercise your creativity, solve challenges that are invariably150 applicants (out of ~1000)are invited for an interview every year 7
EMBL Graduates Taking science from the bench to societyModelling spindle positioningin the C. elegans embryoCleopatra Kozlowski Giuseppe TestaNationality: British/Japanese/Polish Nationality: ItalianGraduated from EMBL in 2007. Cleo is now a postdoc at Graduated from EMBL in 2001. Giuseppe is now at theGenentech Inc., a large biotech company in San Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, European Institute ofFrancisco, California Oncology, Milan. He is a recipient of the Branco Weiss Fellowship ‘Society in Science’.“Being among people in the pure pursuit ofknowledge is very important in learning to ask the “EMBL unleashes your scientific curiosity andright questions.” encourages you to take science beyond the bench.”As a child, Cleo was always curious about how things worked – During his studies at medical school in Perugia, Italy, Giuseppe“especially the weird things,” she says. “What first motivated me became increasingly fascinated with molecular biology – seeing itto study biology may have been the images of a two-headed fly as the real future of medicine. He knew that EMBL was the place hein a first year molecular biology course about the role of Hox wanted to be. “When EMBL called me for an interview, I didn’tgenes in development.” hesitate,” he says.While studying at Cambridge University in the UK, Cleo At EMBL, Giuseppe enjoyed the vibrant mix of languages, culturesdecided that EMBL was the place to continue building her and people. “You feel really immersed in Europe at EMBL, and thescientific career, so she applied to the Cell Biology and friendships that you build during your PhD stay with you long afterBiophysics Unit. There she pursued her PhD in the modelling of you leave the lab,” he says.spindle positioning in the C. elegans embryo using computersimulations. “Although I had worked as a summer student and As a PhD student at EMBL, Giuseppe felt encouraged to pursue hisundergraduate in several institutions, EMBL was the first place intellectual curiosity and push boundaries. His research focused onwhere I found everybody – from masters students to the heads establishing a mouse model of an acute form of leukemia and led toof labs – to be truly dedicated to basic science,” she says. “It was the breakthrough development of a new approach for thevery motivating to be among an international group of people engineering of the mouse genome. This project gave him the toolswho are united by their interest in understanding life. For a PhD with which to pursue his current work on the differentiation ofstudent, being among people in the pure pursuit of knowledge is embryonic stem cells.very important in learning to ask the right questions. That’s whyI’m very glad that I was at EMBL at the PhD stage of my Giuseppe also took an active role in the laboratory’s ‘Science andscientific career.” Society’ activities. He helped to open the dialogue between science and the public, and pursued the social implications ofCleo also enjoyed her EMBL experience outside the lab. “As a biotechnology through reading clubs, study sessions, conferences‘hybrid’ myself (I’m half Japanese, half Polish), I felt really and workshops, while doing postdoctoral research in Dresden.comfortable in the international environment,” she says. “I also This involvement led him to start a similar initiative while intruly enjoyed my time in Heidelberg, and visiting the Dresden, where he chaired the Dresden Forum on Science andsurrounding beautiful German villages.” Society at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. For his interdisciplinary project on the legal and ethical framing of cloning and stem cell research in different political cultures, he was awarded the prestigious Branco Weiss Fellowship ‘Society in Science’ in 2003.8
Straight from the students:What’s the best thing aboutdoing your PhD at EMBL?“The predoc course was great course gives them a good idea of young, dynamic and informal– getting to know all of the problems facing molecular environment. This open andstudents was the best way to biologists. Students are guaranteed collegial atmosphere encouragesstart my PhD” – Jelena Erceg, close contact with EMBL group students to share their opinionsEMBL PhD student from leaders, giving them a chance to and ideas. They feel that what theyCroatia. learn more about their research say really matters.Every year, EMBL accepts about 50 and expertise. And perhaps moststudents into its International PhD importantly, the students get to Students are given guidance andProgramme. These students will know each other during the supervision by group leaders, butwork at any of the EMBL sites, courses and in the many social are encouraged to looktaking up positions in Hamburg, events that are organised for and by independently for expertise andGrenoble, Heidelberg, Hinxton, or the new predocs. EMBL students collaborative projects in their areaMonterotondo. But before they have a wide social network in the of research. Students arestart working in their labs, the lab, which often leads to fruitful encouraged to take their projects instudents are brought together in scientific collaborations. the direction that interests themHeidelberg for a two-month core most.course in molecular biology to get “What struck me is thatan overview of the research at people actually listen to what “Great science done byEMBL and to hear about new areas you have to say” – José great scientists. And it’s easyof science. Students learn where to Afonso Assunçao, EMBL PhD to find people to discussgo if they need help on a certain student from Portugal. your next experiment over aproblem or technique during their When it comes to science and cup of coffee” – JosephPhD. They also participate in research, there are few molecular Foster, EMBL PhD studentpractical activities, journal clubs biology institutes that can be from the UK.and discussions. compared to EMBL. The fact that EMBL gives students exposure to many group leaders are also the most exciting research inMany of our students come from beginning their scientific careers molecular biology. With experts inphysics, mathematics and and only stay at EMBL for a limited the fields of bioinformatics, genechemistry backgrounds and the number of years guarantees a expression, cell biology and 9
Straight from the students: What’s the best thing about doing your PhD at EMBL? biophysics, developmental biology, The EMBL International PhD diving, climbing and waterskiing, structural and computational Symposium is organised by offer special rates and even trips to biology and mouse biology, students from beginning to end. exotic locations. Throughout the students have a wealth of They decide the topic, select and year, parties bring all the knowledge from which to draw. invite the speakers, and secure departments together to enjoy the Because the institution has a funding. Previous symposia have mix of cultures at EMBL. In training mentality, EMBL scientists dealt with a variety of January, the Scots throw a are easily reachable to discuss interdisciplinary themes, such as traditional ‘Burns’ night’, the scientific projects, hear about a ‘From Genes to Thoughts’, Germans celebrate ‘Oktoberfest’ in student’s work or develop ‘Evolution’ and ‘Design of Life: the autumn and the Greek collaborative projects. Learning from Nature’. Every year, community has been known to Doors are always open, questions this event brings together hundreds bring all nationalities together for welcome and help available when of students and the feedback from great food and traditional dancing. you need it. The relaxed the participants and the speakers atmosphere in the lab enables easy has been very enthusiastic. “All the EMBL sites offer communication with scientists and superb scenery and access to provides many opportunities to “Life at EMBL stretches far great European cities” – make connections and establish beyond the laboratory bench” Romain Gibeaux, EMBL PhD collaborations. – Orit Hermesh, EMBL PhD student from France. student from Israel. Whether it be skiing on the local “Organising the PhD EMBL’s Staff Association hills in Grenoble, enjoying the symposium broadened my generously supports different classic student town of Cambridge, knowledge and offered activities outside the lab. The music biking through the forest in inspiration” – Alex De Marco, club organises concerts for EMBL Heidelberg, strolling along the EMBL PhD student from Italy. scientists who enjoy playing or famous Hamburg harbour, or PhD students are also given a very singing to share their music with touring around Rome, students get unique opportunity – to others. The movie club shows to know and enjoy the beautiful independently organise their own recent films each week, and the European locations of EMBL. conference. various sports clubs, including10
EMBL Graduates A fusion of physics and biology for a developmental blueprintOpening doors to a careerin scienceMarina Ramirez-Alvarado Philipp KellerNationality: Mexican Nationality: GermanMarina was the first student representative at EMBL and Philipp graduated from EMBL in 2009 and is now a fellowgraduated in 1998. She is now an Assistant Professor at at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Farmthe Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Research Campus.“Doing my PhD at EMBL opened “It’s much more important to think about what youevery door for my career.” really enjoy doing, rather than making a decision based on what you might or might not achieve.”Now an Assistant Professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota,Marina is studying diseases associated with misfolded proteins. Philipp started out as a physicist, but found himself becomingHer interest in protein structure began at EMBL. She was drawn interested in a fusion of biology and physics after gettingto the lab by its world-class facilities, interdisciplinary involved in practicals at Heidelberg’s Max Planck Institute forenvironment and international staff. Medical Research. “When I was deciding where to do my PhD, someone suggested that I check out what the groups at EMBL“EMBL trained me to exercise my creativity and to believe in were doing. I looked at the website and was really interested inwhat I do. It gave me the confidence to set my goals high and EMBL’s multidisciplinary projects – I found they were exactlythe knowledge to reach those goals.” the kind of topics I wanted to pursue.”Marina’s PhD work at EMBL involved the design and During his PhD, Philipp achieved a groundbreaking result – thecharacterisation of different peptides using a variety of first complete developmental ‘blueprint’ of a vertebrate – withspectroscopy. The work of Marina and her colleagues was an his reconstruction of zebrafish embryonic development using aimportant first step towards understanding the beta-sheet Digital Scanned Laser Light Sheet Microscope. The resultingstructure of proteins, which plays a key role in Alzheimer’s and video gained huge interest from the media and was named oneother diseases. After finishing her PhD, Marina went to Yale of the top ten ‘breakthroughs of 2008’ by Science. “TheUniversity to do postdoctoral research – to study how infectious technology we developed at EMBL was the key to producing theproteins form very stable beta-sheet structures called amyloid. data needed to achieve this,” he says. “But from a scientific pointAt the Mayo Clinic, she is studying the molecular mechanisms of view, all my projects were just as invaluable in helping meunderlying a rare amyloid disease called light chain develop my skills.”amyloidosis. Philipp was impressed by the possibilities offered at EMBL. “IIn addition to her work at the lab bench, Marina enjoys pursued several projects during my PhD, which allowed me toteaching courses in molecular biology to graduate students at explore entirely different areas of biology and find out for myselfthe Mayo Clinic. what I might want to continue with in the future,” he says. “The amazing thing about EMBL is that you can just go to a lab next door or down the hall and start a collaboration in whatever area interests you. It’s also great to come to EMBL at the beginning of your career and to be exposed early on to all the different topics, and to be involved in research at the cutting edge of science.” 11
EMBL Research Units EMBL science covers a wide the researchers. For example, functions of key genes; data from spectrum of themes in basic EMBL’s pioneering role in the field physical measurements lead to research. The focus ranges from of bioinformatics has led to a mathematical simulations that can the study of sequences and fruitful integration of suggest experiments in cells and structures of single molecules to computational scientists with those organisms; gene expression studies their functions in cell structures that work at the bench. And the are allowing scientists to create new and behaviour and their influence staff of the core facilities develop hypotheses about ‘missing links’ in on the development and lives of new methods as they help users evolution. EMBL has created organisms. Increasingly, many learn to use advanced instruments scientific ‘centres’ to further research groups are combining and techniques. encourage such cross-disciplinary their multidisciplinary skills in a Recent years have seen a dramatic work. systems biology approach. increase in interdisciplinarity The following summarises the Research is organised into units at within molecular biology: activities of the research units at the five EMBL sites. Technical and researchers looking at embryonic EMBL. To find out more about support groups interact heavily development are rapidly learning specific research projects, visit with and participate in the work of about the biochemical and cellular www.embl.de/research_general.12
50 students are acceptedinto the programme each yearEMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK BioinformaticsJanet Thornton Graham Cameron As a hub of bioinformatics in Europe, EMBL’s EuropeanDirector Associate Director Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is a world leader in the bioinformatics revolution: it provides data resources in all theEMBL Heidelberg, Germany major molecular domains and has a diverse and thriving research base. It also provides training and industrialJan Ellenberg support. Its mission is to provide freely available data andHead of Unit bioinformatics services to all facets of the scientific community in ways that promote scientific progress; to contribute to the advancement of biology through basic investigator-driven research in bioinformatics; to provide advanced bioinformatics training to scientists at all levels, from PhD students to independent investigators; and to help disseminate cutting-edge technologies to industry. The EBI grew out of EMBL’s pioneering work in providing public biological databases to the research community. Its comprehensive range of databases includes EMBL-Bank, Ensembl, ArrayExpress, UniProt, the Protein Data Bank in Europe, InterPro, IntAct and Reactome. Cell Biology and Biophysics The Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit concentrates on understanding the molecular mechanisms and physical principles that give rise to cellular organisation and function, in particular membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal networks and chromosomes and the nucleus and their role in mitosis and meiosis, as well as in development. New directions are being explored at the interface between cell and developmental biology to understand how the cellular organisation and collective cell behaviour lead to organ formation. Physicists and chemists work together with biologists to try to elucidate the fundamental rules that govern dynamic cell organisation and function while developing new instruments and tools. Novel developments in microscopy and computer simulations are a particular strength of the unit. 13
Developmental Biology EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Developmental Biology is concerned with how the body patterns Anne Ephrussi of multicellular animals are designed and constructed. The life of Head of Unit a multicellular animal starts from a single haploid cell, the egg, which shortly after fertilisation begins to divide to make the EMBL Heidelberg, Germany embryo. Groups in the Developmental Biology Unit seek to understand how the genetic information is used to make the many different types of cells in the embryo and organise them in a coherent body plan. Research in the unit is aimed at elucidating the basic principles and mechanisms underlying fundamental developmental processes: cell fate-specification and polarity, tissue morphogenesis, organogenesis and growth control, developmental timing, and the evolution of developmental strategies. Using animal and plant model organisms, groups in the unit combine genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, high-throughput genomics, proteomics, and live imaging to understand how cellular and molecular processes evolved and are coordinated in living organisms. Genome Biology The genome encodes the genetic blueprint that coordinates Lars Steinmetz Eileen Furlong all cellular processes. The Genome Biology Unit takes a Joint Head of Unit Joint Head of Unit systems biology approach to unravel the tightly regulated, complex processes of gene expression at transcriptional, EMBL Monterotondo, Italy post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. We are particularly interested in understanding how the genome is utilised to give rise to specific phenotypes and how genetic variation results in phenotypic diversity and disease. A particular strength of the unit is its ability to address questions at different scales, from detailed mechanistic studies to genome-wide studies, to understand the processes leading from genotype to phenotype. The synergy between computational and wet-lab groups provides an interactive and collaborative environment to yield unprecedented insights into how genetic information is ‘read’ and mediates phenotype through molecular networks. Mouse Biology The EMBL Mouse Biology Unit based at the Monterotondo Nadia Rosenthal outstation near Rome is a basic research centre of excellence Head of EMBL and innovation in mouse genetics and functional genomics, Monterotondo the premier model for mammalian development and human diseases. New opportunities and applications of genetic manipulation are captured through alliances with other EMBL research units, neighbouring facilities in the European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA) and Italian national research (IBC-CNR) groups, as well as other European centres. The unit participates in several Europe-wide initiatives to establish an international research and information network, linking advances in genetics, phenotyping, physiology and biomedical features.14
Peer Bork Christoph Müller Structural and Computational BiologyJoint Head of Unit Joint Head of Unit Structural and computational biology research at EMBL aims to bridge the world of small biological entities (proteins, nucleic acids) to the world of larger ones (cells and organisms). The Heidelberg Structural and Computational Biology (SCB) Unit consists of twelve research groups using structural biology techniques including X-ray crystallography, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and EM (electron microscopy) as well as covering a number of bioinformatics areas such as genome analysis, network biology and tool development. Biochemistry, chemical biology and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and integrative aspects of computational biology complement these activities and are applied to a wide range of research areas from single molecules to cellular systems leading to a comprehensive description of biological function. Stephen Cusack EMBL Grenoble has a very active research programme in Head of EMBL structural biology of cellular processes (e.g. transcription, translation, Grenoble RNA quality control, viral replication, innate immunity, small non- coding RNAs). Research is facilitated by the wide range of techniques (molecular biology, biochemistry, cryo-electron microscopy and tomography, high-throughput expression and crystallisation robotics, neutron scattering, NMR, X-ray crystallography and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)) available through the Partnership for Structural Biology which links the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Institut Laue Langevin (ILL) and local French structural biology institutes. The outstation also develops new technologies for high-throughput crystallisation and makes significant contributions to the instrumentation and MX and SAXS services at the ESRF, and is part of an international research unit focused on virus-host cell Interactions with the city’s University Joseph Fourier and the CNRS as partners. Matthias Wilmanns EMBL Hamburg’s research programme is highly Head of EMBL attractive to biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers. Hamburg Key activities on challenging projects in structural biology are in the following areas: development of the embryonic immune system, host/pathogen mechanisms leading to tuberculosis, the architecture of muscle sarcomeres, peroxisome biogenesis and transport, mechanisms in protein kinases and phosphatases. In addition, there are research projects to develop methods for automatic interpretation of structural biology data in protein crystallography and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and in synchrotron instrumentation. 15
EMBL sites EMBL Heidelberg The main Laboratory of EMBL is nestled in the forested hills above Heidelberg, Germany. About 960 staff members work closely in its integrated research units, and the central service facilities and administration of EMBL are also located here. The large number of university students contribute to Heidelberg’s young and dynamic flair. The narrow, picturesque streets of the Old Town are filled with theatres, cinemas and countless restaurants and pubs. The famous Schloss (castle) is majestically set above the centre of the city. EMBL Hamburg The city of Hamburg, Germany offers a wide spectrum of activities from art exhibitions, music, theatres, sports and the ambience of a large city. You find water almost everywhere, at the historical port, the inner-city lake Alster, the river Elbe and the nearby North and Baltic seas. The EMBL Hamburg Unit is located on campus of the German photon science research centre DESY, which hosts world-leading synchrotron and laser facilities: DORIS-III, PETRA-III, FLASH and X-FEL. EMBL is constructing a new integrated structural biology research facility, EMBL@PETRA3, which will host three beamlines for applications in structural biology, complemented by facilities for biological sample characterisation and automatic data evaluation. EMBL Grenoble This EMBL outstation shares a campus with the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL) and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. Situated in the heart of the Alpine mountain range, Grenoble is the capital of the French Alps and a lively university town, with students representing one-tenth of the population. Residents enjoy activities such as hiking, mountain climbing, skiing and snowboarding, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing as well as a wide variety of cultural activities in the city. EMBL-EBI Hinxton The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is located on the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton, near Cambridge (UK). The campus provides an exceptionally stimulating environment in which to conduct top-quality research, and is regularly visited by some of the greatest minds in the biomedical sciences. The EBI is housed in modern buildings in a beautiful rural setting and is only a stone’s throw from the historic university town of Cambridge, where ancient college buildings rub shoulders with peaceful meadows. As one of the world’s most important academic centres for almost 800 years, Cambridge has an unrivalled reputation for scientific achievement. Its strength in pure science has spilled over to the region’s commercial sector, which boasts one of the most mature and commercially successful biotechnology clusters in Europe. EMBL Monterotondo The EMBL Monterotondo campus in Italy is situated in a green park, 20 km north of central Rome. The Eternal City is an easy train ride away, and the nearby Lazio countryside features medieval hill towns, spectacular mountain terrain and lakes for hiking, biking, skiing and swimming. EMBL shares the Monterotondo campus with Italian national research groups (IBC-CNR) and the European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA).16
Associate Member State Israel Australia HamburgHinxton Heidelberg Grenoble Monterotondo40 different nationalitiesare currently represented bythe student body 17
EMBL Graduates A chance to inspire science teaching in schoolsThe EMBL philosophy:open doors and collaborationAntonio J. Giraldez Elena SeiradakeNationality: Spanish Nationality: GreekAntonio graduated from EMBL in 2002 and stayed as a Elena graduated from EMBL in 2006 and was the firstbridging postdoc until February 2003. He’s now an EMBL recipient of a Marie Curie E-STAR fellowship toassistant professor at Yale University in New Haven, defend her thesis. She is now a postdoc in the DivisionConnecticut. of Structural Biology at Oxford University’s Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics.“I know of no other institute quite as special as EMBL,both as a place to do science and a place to have fun.” “The things that make EMBL such a great place are the excellent scientific facilities and the open minded,“From the PhD interviews onwards you’re exposed to dozens of dynamic and multicultural people.”different nationalities at EMBL,” says Antonio, who studies howRNAs shape embryo development. “Arriving as a student in a As a recipient of a Marie Curie Early-Stage Training inforeign country – something that could be intimidating – Advanced Life Science Research (E-STAR) fellowship, Elenabecomes a fantastic experience, because fifty other students are was offered opportunities to learn extra skills to complementin the same boat. It’s the perfect recipe for firm friendships and her scientific research. One such activity was a ‘Learning Lab’camaraderie, as well as a great breeding ground for scientific for teachers, organised by EMBL’s dedicated education facility,collaborations and networks.” the European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS).Antonio spent a summer internship in an EMBL lab before “The teachers were very eager to learn about our work, and thisapplying to the PhD programme. “I found myself in one of the really increased my regard for our own research,” says Elena.scientific centres of the world,” he says. “I got exposure to The experience of communicating science to non-researchersamazing science both from my colleagues and from the was so positive that she became involved in other such events,numerous lectures and courses run by world leaders in their including Grenoble’s Science Teaching Festival.fields.” When not communicating science, she found her work at theAntonio admires the tremendous motivation of everyone at bench very rewarding too. “Besides giving me an excitingEMBL. “After leaving, I came to realise the wisdom of those that project, my supervisor found the perfect balance between givingplayed a fundamental role in shaping the EMBL philosophy of advice and allowing freedom in the lab,” she says. “The freedomopen doors, communication and collaboration,” he says. “Most motivated me by making me feel responsible for my project, butimportantly, I owe some of my best friends, and even my wife, whenever I got stuck I could always ask him for help.”to my time at EMBL.” 8 weeks are spent in Heidelberg during the Core Course in Molecular Biology18
Our Partner UniversitiesBoth, EMBL and its International partner of the universities in its currently bilateral between EMBLPhD Programme strive to con- Member States. Based on EMBL’s and specific universities, will growtribute to the European academic authority to grant PhD degrees, we into a network for the optimallandscape by establishing bonds have initiated a Partnership recruitment, training and careerwith national education systems. Programme with some of the most support of its PhD students. We areWe are committed to meeting the highly respected universities in happy that the universities listedhighest standards for the Europe. An important aspect of below have already become EMBL’seducation and training of PhD this initiative is that EMBL PhD partner universities, and lookstudents in the molecular life students can obtain joint PhD forward to more universitiessciences and to seeking innovative degrees from us together with our joining in the future. Please seesolutions to further improvements. partners. www.embl.de/training/eipp/partnerIn its mission, the EMBL Our long-term ambition is that _universities/index.html for theInternational PhD Programme these partnerships, which are latest update.sees itself as a strong and loyalEMBL International PhD Programme Partner Universities (as of January 2010):Belgium Germany NorwayKatholieke Universiteit Leuven Ruprecht-Karls-University of University of Bergen Heidelberg University of OsloCroatia Ludwig-Maximilians UniversityUniversity of Zagreb of Munich Portugal Universidade Nova de LisboaDenmark Greece Universidade de LisboaUniversity of Copenhagen University of CreteTechnical University of Denmark Russia Hungary Lomonosov Moscow StateFinland Eötvös Loránd University UniversityUniversity of HelsinkiÅbo Akademi University Iceland SpainTurku University University of Iceland Universidad Autónoma de MadridFrance Ireland SwedenUniversité Joseph Fourier de University College Cork University of StockholmGrenoble Karolinska InstitutetUniversité Louis Pasteur de ItalyStrasbourg University of Milano SwitzerlandUniversité Paris 7 – Denis Diderot University of GenevaUniversité Paris 6 – Pierre et Marie NetherlandsCurie Radboud University Nijmegen United Kingdom University of Dundee, Scotland 19
Quick guide to the programme Are only students from Can I apply for the PhD When do I need to submit member states eligible to Programme before I receive my application form? apply? What about students my degree? The application deadlines and all from non-member states? Yes. Applications can be submitted relevant information are published Highly qualified students of all before obtaining the degree, well in advance on the PhD nationalities may apply for the though you must be scheduled to Programme website (www.embl. EMBL International PhD complete your degree by the start de/training/eipp/index.html). Programme (EIPP). of your contract at EMBL. Please note that the entire application procedure is now What type of degree will Do I need to choose and online. There are two rounds of I need when I apply? contact a specific group applications each year. PhD applicants must hold, or leader with whom I want to anticipate receiving before work before applying to the What is the format of the enrolment, a university degree EMBL International PhD interviews? that would formally qualify them Programme? Firstly, each candidate will be to enter a PhD or equivalent No. It is neither necessary nor interviewed during the Initial programme in the country where recommended to contact group Admission Assessment (IAA) the degree was initially obtained. leaders individually. Students interview. This is a 15 minutes All applications are evaluated wishing to apply for the EMBL pass interview and is the solely on the basis of qualification International PhD Programme prerequisite to be eligible to join and scientific potential. will find all necessary information the EIPP. General knowledge regarding research projects of questions will be asked taking the various units on the EMBL the applicant’s background into website. On the application form, account. Everybody who passes the student may choose one or two this interview is, in principle, units as well as selecting from a list eligible to enter the EMBL of research keywords and, if International PhD Programme, invited, is interviewed by all group and will be interviewed further leaders of either or both of the in one-on-one chats with group units. Note that not all group leaders from the chosen units. leaders accept students each year.20
23 is the average age of anincoming PhD studentWill I receive feedback about whom EMBL has close ties. The Do I need to register with amy application even if I am effort of making a good application university before I start mynot invited for an interview? to the EMBL International PhD contract?The very large number of Programme can therefore bring No. Students must register withapplications to the programme extra benefits. a university during their first yearmakes it impossible for us to give in the EMBL International PhDspecific feedback regarding the If invited for interview Programme.merits of each application. will EMBL cover my travelHowever, our online application expenses? Is there help with findingsystem allows us to offer EMBL covers reasonable travel accommodation?something unique even to those expenses and will reimburse those Yes. EMBL has guesthouseapplicants who are not invited for during the interview week. All apartments which can be rentedinterview: the Shared Applicant claims necessitate receipts. for the first few months after yourPool. A question on the arrival, giving you time to findapplication form asks whether If I am accepted for the EMBL suitable accommodation. Thethe applicant would like his/her International PhD Programme, EMBL housing service hasapplication to be made available when can I start? apartments from local landlordsto other interested colleagues, in Successful applicants can on offer as well.case he/she cannot be admitted commence their PhD any timeto the EMBL International PhD after the interviews and should How will I finance my PhDProgramme. So, with the click of ideally start by October at the studies?a button, our applicants are given latest of any given year. Starting EMBL provides a competitivethe opportunity to be considered dates are decided upon in stipend judged by internationalfor PhD positions in an even larger agreement with the respective standards including broad healthgroup of top-quality research group leader. care benefits. Actual stipend rateslaboratories. These include our are published on our webpagePartner Universities and other www.embl.de/training/eipp/excellent research groups with index.html. 21
Quick guide to the programme I have my own funding. Does other advisors (typically one What type of degree will I this guarantee a place in the additional EMBL group leader receive? programme? from the same unit, one from a In December 1997, in recognition All applications are evaluated solely different unit and a non-EMBL of the high quality of its on basis of qualification and scientist from the student’s International PhD Programme, scientific potential. All invited university, who guide the student EMBL was granted the right to candidates must successfully pass during thesis work. After the first award its own PhD degrees. EMBL the interview procedure in order six months, students prepare a became the first international to be eligible. written outline of their thesis institution providing training in project and discuss it with the molecular biology in Europe with What is the predoctoral committee. At the end of the first, this capability. Currently, EMBL course and do all students second and third years, students students obtain their degree from have to take it? write an annual report on their a national university or jointly The predoc course is compulsory work, give a seminar, and discuss with EMBL. for all EMBL PhD students. This the report and seminar with their course, called the “Core Course Thesis Advisory Committee. How long does it take in Molecular Biology,” is taught students to complete by EMBL faculty and is held at the How is the PhD thesis their PhD? beginning of the first academic evaluated? Students enrolled in the EMBL year (i.e. October to December) This will be affected by the International PhD Programme at the main lab in Heidelberg. The requirements of the university at must complete their degrees course covers all scientific areas which you are registered. In within 3.5 to 4 years. represented at EMBL and includes general, the thesis is evaluated in lectures, practicals and student terms of scholarly criteria by each seminars. member of a Thesis Examination Committee. One criterion is the Who will supervise and mentor likely acceptability of the thesis me during my studies? work for publication in In addition to the day-to-day international peer-reviewed supervision by a group leader, each journals. A decision is delivered EMBL PhD student has a Thesis by the Chair of the Thesis Advisory Committee, consisting of Examination Committee on the the group leader and up to three basis of the committee members’ written reports.22
Contact informationFor more information, please contact:EMBL International PhD ProgrammeEMBLMeyerhofstraße 169117 HeidelbergGermanyTel. +49 6221 387 612Fax +49 6221 387 [email protected]: Course participant and Alexandra Manaia (photo by Maj Britt Hansen, EMBL);page 2: EBI campus (photo by Marietta Schupp); page 3: EMBL Heidelberg (photo byMaj Britt Hansen, EMBL-EBI, EMBL Hamburg (photos by Marietta Schupp), EMBLMonterotondo (photo by Udo Ringeisen), EMBL Grenoble (photo by ChristinePanagiotidis); page 4: Matthias Hentze, Anne Ephrussi, Lars Steinmetz and HelkeHillebrand (photo by Marietta Schupp); page 5: Iain Mattaj (photo by EMBL Photolab),ELLS LearningLAB (photo by Hugo Neves); pages 6–7: Text books (photo by Maj BrittHansen); page 8: Cleopatra Kozlowski (photo provided by Cleopatra Kozlowski),Giuseppe Testa (photo by Christine Panagiotidis); pages 9–10: Christine Panagiotidis,EMBL; page 11: Marina Ramirez-Alvarado (photo provided by Marina Ramirez-Alvarado), Philipp Keller (photo by Christine Panagiotidis); page 12: glasses (photo byUdo Ringeisen); page 13: Janet Thornton (photo by Marietta Schupp), GrahamCameron, Jan Ellenberg (photos by Maj Britt Hansen); page 14: Anne Ephrussi, EileenFurlong (photos by EMBL Photolab), Lars Steinmetz (photo by Marietta Schupp),Nadia Rosenthal; page 15: Christoph Müller, Peer Bork, Matthias Wilmanns (photos byMarietta Schupp), Stephen Cusack (photo by Christine Panagiotidis); page 16–17:European Map (graphic by Petra Riedinger); page 18: Antonio Giraldez (photoprovided by Antonio Giraldez), Elena Seiradake (photo by Aris Karastergiou); page 20:DNA Chip Slide (photo by Maj Britt Hansen); page 22: Beamline Board (photo by MajBritt Hansen) 23
2011Optics and PhotonicsGlobal Salary Report
2011Optics and PhotonicsGlobal Salary ReportSponsored bySPIE Career Centerspie.org/salaryThe International Society for Optics and PhotonicsSPIE International HeadquartersPO Box 10 | Bellingham WA 98227-0010 USATel: +1 360 676 3290 | Fax: +1 360 647 1445 | [email protected] | SPIE.orgSPIE Europe2 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Cardiff, CF24 2SA, UKTel: +44 29 2089 4747 | Fax: +44 29 2089 4750 | [email protected] | SPIEeurope.org
IntroductionIn April and May of 2011, SPIE conducted a Global Salary Survey of the optics and photonics community—the largest survey of its kind. The goal of the survey was to capture the full breadth of employment andcompensation patterns across regions, disciplines, and types of organizations.SPIE sent survey invitations via email to its global database. Questions addressed professional focus, level ofeducation, type of employer, earnings level, and much more. Over 6,800 valid responses were gathered, with 96%of participants located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Respondents from Latin America/Caribbean, Oceania,and Africa provided the balance of data. Ninety-three countries are represented in the sample.1This report summarizes the survey’s main results. It also updates an earlier version of the report by adding asection on gender and a country-by-country breakdown of median salaries. Students have been excluded inthis update. For complete survey methodology, please see page 12. SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 1
Key Findings• The median salary for survey respondents is $80,000,2 with a very wide distribution.• The factors most associated with higher salaries are North American location and non- university employment.• Median salaries are 33% higher for men than for women, with the largest gap in the corporate sector, and the smallest gap at government employers.• The highest-paid discipline is aerospace engineering/research, with a median income of $110,000.LocationNorth America and Oceania (Australia/New Zealand) stand out as the regions with the highest salaries, with medianearnings well above those of all other areas. North American median incomes are 68% higher than Europe, doublethose of Latin America/Caribbean, and more than four times greater than Asia’s. This data does not account forPurchasing Power Parity (PPP). Median Salary by Location North America (n=3,388) $105,000 Oceania (n=82) $97,200 Europe (n=1,848) $62,350Latin America/Caribbean (n=160) $51,494 Asia (n=1,279) $23,142 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 Africa (n=46) $13,265 $0 $20,000 $40,000A large portion of regional income gaps is explained by the level of economic development of countries within eachregion. Splitting European and Asian countries into “higher-income” and “lower-income”3 subcategories narrows thegap between North America/Oceania and higher- income subsets of Asian and European countries. Asia’s wealthiercountries’ median income is 18% below North America’s, with Europe at 46% below.2 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Median Salary by Location, with Asia and Europe by Income Level North America (n=3,388) $105,000 Oceania $97,200 $89,104 (n=82) Asia, higher income (n=231) Europe, higher $72,000 income (n=1,495) Latin $51,494America/Caribbean (n=160) Europe, lower income $17,985 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 (n=353) Asia, lower $15,470 income (n=1,048) $13,265 Africa (n=46) $0 $20,000When broken down on a country-by-country level, most results are unsurprising—countries from the highest-earning regional groups dominate the top of the list; lower-income countries are clustered at the bottom. There is,however, a high degree of diversity within regional groups. For instance, high-income European countries range fromItaly at a median salary of $49,300 to Switzerland at $119,982. Median salary by country Switzerland $119,982 United States $107,000 Australia $100,710 Japan Israel $99,004 Germany $88,500 Canada $87,000 Sweden $83,200 Belgium $81,923 Austria $79,750 Finland $72,500 Netherlands $72,500 United Kingdom $70,990 France $66,640 Brazil $65,250 Singapore $64,134 Korea, South $63,506 Spain $60,665 Italy $58,000 Taiwan $49,300 Mexico $40,000 Romania $34,418 Russian Federation $16,530 India $14,318 China, Republic of $13,224 Iran $12,376 $10,800 Table includes all countries with sample size of 30 or more. SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 3
In comparison to broader populations within surveyed countries, the optics and photonics community fares quitewell. For instance, the average earnings of United States survey participants is $107,000 versus the averagepopulation at $52,507. For Poland the gap is narrower, at $19,624 in the survey versus $18,380 in the country asa whole.4 2010 Average Gross Wages by Country (full-time year-round, from Wikipedia)4$60,000$50,000$40,000$30,000$20,000$10,000 $04 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Employer TypeThe median salary of employees at universities and research institutes is less than anyother employer segment. This relationship holds across all geographic regions: people working in industry andgovernment earn more. In lower-income Asian countries, median wages atnon-academic employers5 is more than double that of universities and other research institutes.Conversely, in Latin America and the Caribbean, the salary premium is only 9% at non-academicorganizations. Median Salary by Employer Type$100,000 $52,944 University/research institute (n=2,805) $100,000 $92,110 Civilian government (n=488) Company/corporation (n=3,170) $96,000 Self-employed/consultant (n=71) Military/defense (n=269) Median salary and premium, by location, for academic and non-academic employersAfrica Academic Non-academic Premium for Non-Asia, lower income Employers Employers academic EmploymentEurope, higher incomeNorth America $10,730 $26,723 149%Oceania $13,923 $28,651 106%Europe, lower income $61,653 $81,127Asia, higher income $85,000 $111,400 32%Latin America and the Caribbean $89,640 $110,700 31% $17,782 $21,477 23% $79,204 $92,816 21% $51,307 $55,947 17% 9% SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 5
Salary by DisciplineAerospace engineering/research, sales, and systems engineering/research are the disciplines with the highestmedian earnings, averaging $103,000. Civil/environmental engineering/ research, biomedical engineering/research,and computer science/software engineering/ research fall at the opposite end of the spectrum, with an averagesalary of $54,904.Median Salary by Primary Discipline Aerospace engineering/research (n=258) $20,000 $33,450 $110,000 Sales (n=255) $40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $100,000 Systems engineering/research (n=222) $99,502 Marketing (n=150) $90,0 Manufacturing engineering/research (n=243) 00 Optical systems engineering/design (n=655) Interdisciplinary engineering/research (n=168) $90,0 00 Chemical engineering/research (n=119) Illumination engineering/research (n=48) $88,500 Mechanical engineering/research (n=208) $87,000 Materials engineering/research (n=273) $86,550 Laser engineering/research (n=368) $85,000 Optical design (n=144) $84,000 Other (n=631) $82,760 Electrical engineering/research (n=564) $80,560 Nanotechnology engineering/research (n=247) $80,000 Photonics engineering/research (n=442) $79,750 Physics (n=826) $72,645 $71,640 Computer science/software engineering/research (n=469) $66,681Biomedical engineering/research (n=427) Civil/environmental $66,011 $65,250 engineering/research (n=86) $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $0Salary gaps between disciplines are partly explained by their distribution across academic and non-academicinstitutions. The highest-paying disciplines are most prevalent in non-academic organizations, with the top threedisciplines represented by 619 non-academic organization respondents versus 116 working at academic institutions.Conversely, the three lowest-earning disciplines are represented by 581 respondents at academic organizationsversus 401 atnon-academic employers.Within non-academic organizations, the range of median salaries is $84,000-$115,046. For academicorganizations, the range among employees is $23,375-$85,550. The relationship between higher-pay and non-academic employment holds across all disciplines.6 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Country income level also has an impact on median salaries of different disciplines. In the lowest-paid category,civil/environmental engineering/research, only 48% of respondents work in higher-income countries. In contrast, 88%of the aerospace engineering/research workers are located in higher-income countries.Within higher-income countries, the range of median salaries across disciplines is $75,100-$116,000. Within lower-income countries, the range is $10,056-$35,883. The wage gap between higher- and lower-income countries is consistent across all disciplines.Median salary by discipline for country income level and academic/non-academic employersAerospace engineering/research Higher- Lower- Non- AcademicSystems engineering/research income income academic EmployersOptical systems engineering/design Countries Countries EmployersInterdisciplinary engineering/research $116,000 $15,470 $115,046 $78,500Electrical engineering/research $107,000 $27,783 $107,630 $65,000Illumination engineering/research $102,000 $15,470 $101,300 $50,000Sales $101,250 $35,883 $108,000 $50,400Chemical engineering/research $101,240 $20,523 $55,780Marketing $101,000 $34,094 $98,851 $54,660Mechanical engineering/research $100,500 $28,636 $92,500 $85,550Manufacturing engineering/research $100,000 $32,552 $100,000 $46,254Laser engineering/research $100,000 $20,837 $100,000 $48,000Optical design $98,750 $22,443 $100,000 $56,283Materials engineering/research $97,600 $23,205 $100,000 $27,407Other $97,575 $15,470 $96,000 $47,000Photonics engineering/research $94,000 $22,341 $98,800 $35,298Nanotechnology engineering/research $93,625 $34,728 $91,700 $47,780Computer science/software $93,000 $20,138 $100,000 $66,217 $87,300 $17,583 $90,000 $49,996 engineering/research $86,500 $15,470 $93,500 $57,097Civil/environmental engineering/research $99,000Physics $86,000 $20,056 $52,000Biomedical engineering/research $84,153 $10,056 $84,000 $23,375 $83,000 $17,666 $85,577 $56,000 $75,100 $19,000 $100,225 $52,900 $100,000 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 7
GenderMen earn 33% more than women, with median salaries of $83,200 versus $62,400. Men also outnumber women inthis survey, composing 87% of the sample.6 The wage gap between genders varies greatly across locations,employer types, and years of employment. The largest wage differences are most associated with high-income Asiancountries, employment in a company/corporation, and employment duration of 26-30 years.Geographically, income disparities are most pronounced in Asian higher-income and Latin American/Caribbean countries,with gaps of 87% and 81%, respectively. Oceania falls at the opposite end of the spectrum, with women out-earning menby 7% in this small sample (n = 74).The regions with the highest number of survey respondents fall at the middle of the wage- disparity range, with a 34%salary premium for men in North America and 25% in higher-income Europe.The wage gaps discussed here are consistent with findings in other surveys of workers in scientific fields, includingNature’s global survey of scientists.7 Nature found that “Men’s salaries were 18% to 40% higher than women’s,”depending on the country sampled.Median salary by gender and locationAsia, higher income Men Women Premium forLatin America/Caribbean $92,816 $49,502 for MenAsia, lower income $57,463 $31,727 87%North America $17,421 $12,376 81%Europe, higher income $110,000 $82,000 41%Europe, lower income $72,500 $58,131 34%Oceania $18,379 $15,034 25% $98,010 22% $105,300 –7%Categories with sample sizes below 10 have been omitted.8 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Wage gaps between men and women also vary greatly depending on the type of employer. Women working inmilitary/defense and civilian government earn wages that are nearly equal to men at similar employers. The bulk ofsurvey respondents, however, work at employers where median salaries are greater for men, with a 38% gap in thecompany/corporation category and a 17% difference at universities/research institutes. Combined, these two largercategories account for 88% of respondents.Median salary by gender and employer typeCompany/corporation Men Women Premium forUniversity/research institute $103,250 $75,000 for MenCivilian government $55,000 $47,200Military/defense $92,110 38% $92,818 $100,000 17% $100,000 1% 0%Categories with sample sizes below 10 have been omitted.For additional content, including breakdowns of gender by primary discipline, visitspie.org/salaryWage gaps driven by years employed are smaller than those associated with location or employer type. Over the first 10years of employment, male employees’ median wages are 14% greater than women’s. The largest gap occurs in the 26–30-year segment, with men out earning women by 25%. The narrowest gap is in the 11–15-year period, with only a 6%premium for men.For instance, inequality is higher in North America than in high-income Europe, with North American men earning 15%more for the first 5 years and 26% more over years 5-10. In contrast, men in high-income Europe earn 8% more thanwomen for the first five years, then only 1% more during years 5-10.Median salary by gender and years employedLess than 5 years Men Women Premium for5 to 10 years $46,411 $40,000 for Men11 to 15 years $65,000 $56,000 14%16 to 20 years $90,000 $84,500 14%21 to 25 years $100,000 $84,100 6%26 to 30 years $110,000 $87,250 16%More than 30 years $115,720 $87,000 21% $120,000 $96,500 25% 20% SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 9
Other Factors Influencing SalaryOther factors that influence salary include job title, years employed, and size of organization.Unsurprisingly, top organizational leaders enjoy the highest salaries while technicians anchor the bottom of therange. Seniority also tracks well with salary levels, although the relationship between organization size andincome is uneven. Median Salary by Job Title Director/Executive (n=615) $142,400Academic Dean, Director, V.P., Provost (n=69) $130,000 $104,293 Supervisor/Manager (n=916) $99,004 Lead/Senior level (n=1,816) $88,454 $60,900 Full Professor (n=527) $47,850 Staff (n=1,581) $39,150 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 $160,000 Assistant or Associate Professor (n=965) Technician (n=314) $0Median Salary by Years EmployedMore than 30 years (n=821) $120,000 26 to 30 years (n=701) $115,000 21 to 25 years (n=742) $108,750 16 to 20 years (n=728) $99,000 $88,400 11 to 15 years (n=1,103) 5 to 10 years (n=1,300) $62,400Less than 5 years (n=1,389 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 $0Median salaries are highest at the largest organizations, those with more than 5,000 employees, followed by thesmallest organizations, those with less than 10 employees. Unsurprisingly, these categories of employers are highlyconcentrated in higher-income countries.10 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Median Salary by Size of OrganizationMore than 5000 employees (n=1,953) $100,000 Less than 10 employees (n=295) $83,238 2501 – 5000 employees (n=883) $81,000 51 - 100 employees (n=396) $78,150 11 - 50 employees (n=651) $78,000 101 – 250 employees (n=645) $70,000 251 – 1000 employees (n=1,118) $67,683 1001 – 2500 employees (n=862) $66,768 $0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000Percentage of organizations located in higher-income countriesLess than 10 employees 88%More than 5000 employees 86%11 - 50 employees 79%2501 – 5000 employees 77%51 – 100 employees 76%101 – 250 employees 70%1001 – 2500 employees 68%251 – 1000 employees 66% SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 11
MethodologyIn April and May of 2011, SPIE sent email survey invitations to its global customer database. Surveys were completed onlineusing Vovici’s enterprise survey tool. Results were filtered to yield 6,803 valid responses. Response was voluntary and open.An iPad raffle and early access to this report were offered as incentives to encourage participation. Any response lackingsalary data was removed, as were duplicates and responses from students. Microsoft Excel and SPSS were utilized to createsummary statistics and related disaggregations. An earlier version ofthis report was released in August 2011. The exclusion of students from the current, updated, version accounts for anydifferences in summary statistics.Notes:1. Sample countries, with number of respondents per country: United States (3371), China, Republic of (534), Germany (372), United Kingdom (299), Canada (225), France (196), Italy (196), Spain (172), Japan (158), Russian Federation (143), India (134), Korea, South (106), Netherlands (105), Taiwan (102), Israel (92), Australia (80), Singapore (78), Brazil (76), Sweden (57), Belgium (56), Switzerland (55), Mexico (47), Austria (45), Iran (39), Finland (37), Portugal (36), Romania (36), Turkey (33), Czech Republic (30), Ireland (28), Ukraine (27), Denmark (26), Malaysia (24), Chile (23), Pakistan (22), Greece (21), Poland (21), Egypt (20), Norway (19), Armenia (18), Lithuania (14), Argentina (13), Colombia (11), Saudi Arabia (11), South Africa (11), Hungary (10), Belarus (9), Bulgaria (8), New Zealand (7), Slovenia (7), Latvia (6), Slovakia (6), Thailand (6), Algeria (5), Kuwait (4), Croatia (3), Estonia (3), Ethiopia (3), Iraq (3), Jordan (3), Kenya (3), Lebanon (3), United Arab Emirates (3), Azerbaijan (2), Bangladesh (2), Bosnia (2), Ecuador (2), Georgia (2), Iceland (2), Indonesia (2), Liechtenstein (2), Malta (2), Moldova (2), Morocco (2), Nepal (2), Nigeria (2), Peru (2), Philippines (2), Qatar (2), Serbia (2), Uzbekistan (2), Bahrain (1), Costa Rica (1), Cyprus (1), Dominican Republic (1), Monaco (1), Mongolia (1), Solomon Islands (1), Sudan (1), Swaziland (1), Tunisia (1), Uruguay (1), Yemen (1).2. U.S. dollars are used throughout. Local currencies were converted in July 2011 using market exchange rates. Salary figures include total yearly compensation, both base pay and bonuses.3. The higher-earning regions, North America and Oceania, are composed of countries with similarly high per capita gross national income (GNI) levels. Europe and Asia are composed of a much broader mix of income levels. For example, the survey sample for Asia includes Pakistan, China, and Japan, with per capita GNIs of $1050, $4260, and $42,150 respectively. Similarly, Europe includes Ukraine, Poland, and Denmark, at $3010, $12,420, and $58,590. Subcategories were created by using the per capita GNI of New Zealand as the lower boundary of the higher-income subcategory, at $29,050. New Zealand has the lowest per capita GNI in the North America and Oceania groups. This $29,050 per capita GNI threshold is used throughout this report when referring to “higher-income” and “lower-income” countries. For information on per capita GNI, see http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/world-bank-atlas-method4. Average is used for comparison because median wage data is unavailable for most countries. The average wage data is drawn from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage, retrieved 18 November 2011.5. The category “non-academic employers” is composed of company/corporation, military/defense, self-employed/consultant, and civilian/government. “Academic employers” is composed of university/college and other research institute.6. The sample size for gender is smaller than for other variables due to narrower availability of responses. The gender sample of 6366 represents all valid responses for which gender is available.7. Gene Russo, “For Love and Money,” Nature, June 2010, pp. 1104-1107. 12 SPIE 2011 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
Statement of PurposeSPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light.About the SocietySPIE is the international society for optics and photonics founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving approximately 180,000constituents from more than 170 countries, the Society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange,continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth.SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America,Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.In 2011, the Society provided more than $2.3 million in support of scholarships, grants, and other education programs around the world.SPIE publishes the SPIE Digital Library, containing more than 313,000 research papers from the Proceedings of SPIE and the Society’s 9 scholarlyjournals with around 18,000 new papers added each year, and more than 120 eBooks from the SPIE Press catalog. SPIE Press publishes printmonographs, tutorial texts, Field Guides, and reference books. SPIE also publishes a wide variety of open access content.Membership includes Fellows and Senior Member programs. The Society has named more than 900 SPIE members as Fellows since 1955,and implemented its Senior Member program in 2008.The SPIE awards program serves to recognize outstanding contributions from individuals throughout the scientific community regardless ofmembership status.Sponsored bySPIE Career Centerspie.org/salary
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В 2009 году в Барселоне группой инженеров и ученых был создан портал Открытыхинноваций Innoget с целью объединения ресурсов и потенциала компаний иисследователей. Посредством Innoget компании организуют сотрудничество смеждународной сетью ученых, инженеров, научных организаций и высокотехнологичныхкомпаний, связанных с различными сферами знаний: бионауки, химия, физика,информационные технологии, инжиниринг и технологии. XXI век - век инноваций Открытые инновации главным образом основаны на идее, что в мире, где знания широко распространены, компании не могут позволить себе зависеть только от их собственных исследовательских возможностей. Напротив, у них есть возможность получить разработанные процессы, изобретения или исследования от других компаний (например, патенты). Кроме того технология, разработанная определенной компанией, но не используемая ей самой, может быть предложена рынку посредством лицензий, совместных предприятий или дополнительныхдоходов (spin-offs). Некоторыми из компаний, которые уже испытали Открытые инновацииInnoget, являются IBM, Procter & Gamble и Nokia.Как это работает? Предлагаемая информационная платформа позволяет отделам R&D находитьответы на требования инноваций в пределах научного сообщества, публикуя своитехнологические требования. Кроме того, Innoget предлагает два инструментальныхсредства: для компаний, имеющих спрос на технологии для своих потребностей, (такназываемый Innovation Box-in), или готовых продать разработанную или готовуютехнологию (так называемый Innovation Box-out). Сектор Red Innovation Center включаетVodafone Spain, Grupo Damm, Affinity Petcare, Indo, Fluidra, Bicentury, Oryzon Genomics, которыеявляются некоторыми из компаний, которые уже присоединились к платформе Innoget.Доступность для каждой компании независимо от размера и расположения Возможности Innoget покрывают потребности в инновациях для компаний,вкладывающих капитал в долгосрочные проекты, радикальные новшества и тех, которыеосуществляют краткосрочную инновационную политику с расчетом на дальнейший рост.Новаторы уже регистрировались в разнообразных областях технологий, представляющихинтерес (ученые, инженеры, исследовательские организации и компании,разрабатывающие новые технологии). Сейчас в базе присутствуют более 3000зарегистрированных участников, и можно рассчитывать на их рост до десятков тысяч.
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