The Social Programme of “la Caixa” awards the first 40 fellowships to undertake an International PhD in biomedicine in the four leading biomedical research centres in Spain: the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), the Center for Genomic Regulation, the Spanish National Cancer Centre, and the Spanish National Center of Biotechnology. The award ceremony was chaired by the minister of Science and Technology, Cristina Garmendia, and the director general of “la Caixa, Juan María Nin. The director and adjunct director of IRB Barcelona, Joan J. Guinovart and Joan Massagué, respectively, also accompanied the students during the ceremony.

These fellowships aim to incorporate the most outstanding young talents into leading research groups that develop biomedical programmes in Spain. Last September IRB Barcelona selected 10 students from Italy, Germany, Spain, Serbia, Chile (2), the Netherlands, Ireland, Russia and Turkey.

By the end of 2011, IRB Barcelona will have 40 PhD students funded by “la Caixa”.