Project coordinator Prof., Acad. NASU Anna Elskaya 16 May 201 2 Kyiv, Ukraine

1. FP7 ERA-WIDE ProjectIMBG NASU“STRENGTHENING COOPERATION IN MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE between EU and UKRAINE”COMBIOM (294932) Project coordinator Prof., Acad. NASU Anna Elskaya 16 May 2012 Kyiv, Ukraine

2. Activity ERA-WIDE 2011 Call title: Reinforcing cooperation with Europe's neighbours in the context of the ERA • In: FP7 Capacities Work Programme 2011 • Activities of International Cooperation • • Call identifier: FP7-INCO-2011-6 • • Date of publication: 20/07/2010 • • Deadline: 15/03/2011, at 17.00.00, Brussels local time • • Indicative budget: EUR 15.00 MILLION • Funding scheme: Coordination and Support Actions • The objective of this action was to reinforce the cooperation capacities of research centres in the ENP countries to improve the research activities of their highest quality and/or promising centres in a scientific field addressed by the thematic priorities of FP7. • The ERA-WIDE activity does not support directly research work but contributes to improve the centre's capacities in a given research area.

3. Project full title: STRENGTHENING COOPERATION IN MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE between EU and UKRAINE Project acronym: COMBIOM PROJECT PARTNERS: 1 (Coordinator) IMBG Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine http://www.imbg.org.ua/ 2IGR Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology (France) http://www.igr.fr/ 3 IIMCB International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (Poland) http://www.iimcb.gov.pl/

4. WHY molecular biomedicine? Biomedicine is a broad field of study that concerns itself with the theoretical aspects of medicine. Biomedicine draws from research and history in the fields of human and veterinary medicine, as well as a number of related disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, genetics, pathology, zoology, botanical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology. Where traditional medicine is concerned with the direct practical application of medical knowledge, biomedicine involves itself in new research to push the limits of what medicine is able to accomplish. The main effort are aimed at disclosing molecular mechanisms of widespread and dangerous pathologies, search for specific targets and markers, developing new methods of diagnostics and therapy, in particular, molecular, cellular and nanomedicine.

5. This project is devoted to the development of the operational network of EU and Ukrainian scientists based on the different approaches to solve the problem of deciphering the molecular mechanisms • of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. • Initial Scientific Meeting of the partner’s organizations • MOLECULAR EVENTS • IN Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases • May 15-18, Kyiv 2012

6. IMBG NASU • Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (IMBG) of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) is one of the leading Ukrainian institutions in life science of high level research, especially in molecular biomedicine area. • Over 4500 scientific articles were published by the scientists of the Institute, out of which nearly 1000 articles were published in renowned foreign journals including Science, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Human Genetics, Human Mutation, Proteins, Nucleic Acid Research, Journal of Biological Chemistry and others. • 10 IMBG scientists are among 100 Ukrainian researchers who have the highest ( 20 and more)Hirsch index in Ukraine (by SCOPUS) • IMBG NASU is on the 5th place among the best research centers in Ukraine (by SCOPUS) • The Institute is very active in international cooperation with Germany, France, USA, Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Greece, Japan, Russia, Belarus and other - about 80 countries in total. At present, IMBG is involved in 3 FP7 projects: "Improving Diagnoses of Mental Retardation in Children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia through Genetic Characterization and Bioinformatics/-Statistics" (FP7-HEALTH, SICA), "Nanosensors based on nanomaterials" (FP7-PEOPLE, IRSES), and "Transnational Access to NMR" (FP7 East-NMR programme). We have also other international grants including those of CNRS, NATO, STCU etc. – about 30 grants every year are being conducted. • Strong long-time bilateral relations IMBG has with the institutions of CNRS and Polish Academy of Science.

7. Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology (France) • Institut Gustave-Roussy specialises in research on and the treatment of all types of cancer. • Institut Gustave-Roussy pioneered the multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of cancer. It is an undisputed expert in all the conceptual and technical fields related to cancer. • IGR's activity is centred on rapidly transforming progress in basic research into clinical applications for the benefit of patients. • In addition to treatment and teaching, research is one of the IGR's main missions. Closely linked to treatment and research units, researchers and clinicians work to improve our in-depth knowledge and produce diagnostic innovation as well as promoting therapeutic aspects in cancerology. • By improving our understanding of cancer and through innovation, we shall be able to provide better treatment, prevention and screening. • Research activities take place in both clinical departments and twelve research units, CNRS, INSERM, University… More than 600 scientists and 400 publications in international journals with review committees.

8. IGR-IMBG cooperation • There is a long history of close bilateral relations between IMBG and IGR in the frames of NASU-CNRS Agreement on scientific cooperation as well as before creation of the Agreement, based on personal contacts. In 90th years of last century several French institutions gave an essential support providing individual grants for Ukrainian scientists and inviting them to perform the research in laboratories of France on cooperative basis. Then such “acute care” developed into tight scientific collaboration between IGR and IMBG in the frames of the NASU-CNRS bilateral cooperation. During these 20 years IMBG had several CNRS grants such as ECO-NET, “Dnipro” (MESYSU-CNRS programme), PICS project and so on. Now IGR together with IMBG are involved in scientific cooperation in the frames of the French-Russian-Ukrainian International research group "Early Events in Human Diseases (EEHD)", GDRI. Several scientific conference were organized,in 2009in Kyiv, on this project, where Ukrainian scientists created new contacts with their IGR colleagues. Our present purpose is to develop farther bilateral relations, coordinate them with the ERA priorities and widen scientific collaboration in order to be more involved into European research community.

10. IIMCB Poland • On the initiative of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) and supported by the State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN), in 1995 an international agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and UNESCO was signed establishing the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB). The Institute began its independent scientific activity on 01/01/1999. • The principles of organization of the Institute also differ from other research institutes in the country: an important body of the Institute is the International Advisory Board, acting as the Scientific Council; the leader of each research team of the Institute is selected in an international competition; group leader’s initial employment is limited to a five-year contract; three years after beginning the research work, progress of research is assessed by the International Advisory Board. • The International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology is directly subordinate to the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences who nominates members of IAB and the Institute’s Directors. • Therefore, the IIMCB is a new ambitious scientific institute with novel infrastructure excellent for carrying out the grant based research.

11. IIMCB-IMBG collaboration Leading researchers from IIMCB and IMBG meet every 2 years during Polish-Ukrainian Parnas conferences on biochemistry and molecular biology (in August 2011, 8th Parnas conference was held in Warsaw, Poland). Closer bilateral relations between IIMCB and IMBG were established in 2008 due to the initiative of Director of IIMCB Prof. Jacek Kuznicki. During the round table “Research organization in the 21st century: experience and achievements of IIMCB”, organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Prof. Kuznicki proposed the IIMCB experience to be used by Ukrainian scientific institutions. He was invited to IMBG and the ground fo fruitful cooperation was created. In 2009 the IIMCB organized Polish-Ukrainian scientific conference in the frames of NASU-PAN bilateral agreement. 20 scientists from IMBG participated in the conference. It was a big step ahead for closer cooperation between the Institutes. Besides, the IIMCB international cooperation infrastructure was demonstrated: International Advisory Board of the Institute, International Cooperation and PR units, impressive number of the EU funded projects showed the best way to fit nowadays challenges of successful making science in the ERA.

13. PROJECT ACTIVITIES determined by the call • Twinning with the best European research centres in Member States • or Associated Countries in view of • exchanging knowledge and good practices, • disseminating scientific information, • identifying partners and setting up joint experiments • through short-term visits or exchange of staff, meetings, seminars, and similar activities; • 2. Developing training modules to build competency and facilitate the participation of the best Ukrainian research centres in FP7; • 3. Developing the Ukrainain research centres’ strategy in order • to increase their scope and visibility (regional coverage, activities), • to develop comparative advantage and to improve their competitiveness by enhancing their responses to the socio-economic needs of their country and of the region.

14. OUTCOMESof the project planned • contribution to RTD capacity building and management in the Ukraine, • enhanced participation of Ukraine in the Seventh Framework Programme and future programs,increased visibility and scope (regional coverage, subjects, activities) of the centres withincreased linkage with economic and social environment, • networking with other research centres in Member States or Associated Countries(mobilising the human and material resources existing in a given field, disseminatingscientific information as well as the results of research, facilitating communicationbetween the centres having similar scientific interest), • increased job opportunities in Ukraine, in particular, foryoung scientists, measures to avoid 'brain drain' phenomena: better career opportunities,better work conditions, access to research infrastructures.

15. WP1. Strengthening the scientific collaboration with the European partners - twinning Objectives • Increasing the research potential through strategic partnerships based on existing international contacts • Scientific information exchange for improving the research quality • Formation of the basis for long term scientific partnership of mutual benefit • Development of the scientific cooperation capacities • Dissemination of new methods, techniques and knowledge • Design of joint experiment programmes • Promotion of young research staff • Raising awareness of IMBG as a top research centre in Ukraine on molecular biomedicine Description of work • The first WP is aimed at achievement of the coherence and complementarity of the project partner’s strategic research plans in molecular biomedicine - the basis for formation of successful international cooperation ensemble. The WP consists of short-terms visits of 56 IMBG scientists (among them 32 young scientists) and 21 researchers from IGR and IIMCB in complementary research fields forming the scientific training, experience exchange to create scientific twinning between IMBG and EU partners, and sharing new methods, techniques and knowledge, using high modern technological bases of EU countries for developing own highly efficient technological standards for research in Ukraine.

16. WP2. Building capacities for successful participation in European collaborative research Objectives • International cooperation experience exchange • Raising awareness of IMBG researchers of the potential beneficial impact of S&T cooperation with EU • Elucidation of the best practice on successful participation in ERA • Increasing the IMBG collaborative research capacities through improving of the Institute’s infrastructure • Learning of FP7 project proposal preparation issues, the rules and conditions of FP7 participation • Training of IMBG researchers and administrators on complementary skills • Training of IMBG administrative on fundraising for scientific collaboration projects Description of work • This work package is designed so as to develop the best training modules for the Ukrainian participant in order to build competency and facilitate its further successful involvement into ERA. Intensified cooperation and research exchange with European scientific centers will result in widening of the ERA - further submission of multiple FP7 project proposals and engagement of new participants in increased number of successful projects.

17. WP3. Development of the IMBG Biomed Research Strategy in cooperation with EU partners Objectives • Elucidation of the key directions of collaborative research in molecular biomedicine for IMBG and EU partners • Planning of joint research work in terms of involvement into ERA and in accordance with strategically ERA valuable priorities • Search for additional partners for participation in FP7: development of potential IP FP7 project consortium • Elucidation the role of IMBG research in molecular biomedicine in European Research Area • Raising of the competitiveness of Ukrainian biomedical science in Europe • Meeting of the needs of the stakeholders: biomedical research users (medical institutions and patients) and potential industry partners Description of work • The aim of this WP is to develop the strategy of the biomedical research of IMBG in cooperation with European partners in sense of further playing a visible role in European research area, which will lead to increasing opportunities for cooperation with potential European partners, enhanced competitiveness of Ukrainian biomedical science, raising of participation in European collaborative research programmes. • Formation of IMBG Biomed Research Strategy will serve also as the fundament (in the meaning of frames and conception) of future large-scale Integrating FP7 Project (IP FP7) on molecular biomedicine research.

18. WP4. Promotional activities and dissemination of knowledge Objectives • Raising awareness of the COMBIOM ERA-WIDE project in Ukraine and EU • Promotion of participation in FP7 among the Ukrainian stakeholders for ERA widening • Information dissemination on biomedical research results in Ukraine and EU • Popularization of knowledge arising from research in molecular biomedicine area Description of work • INCO ERA-WIDE activity is extremely important for Ukraine in terms of improving EU-Ukraine S&T cooperation and enhancing of Ukrainian participation in FP7. Effective promotion of COMBIOM project will serve for involvement of more potential Ukrainian participants – the best scientists and innovative SMEs into 7th EU Framework programme, raising competitiveness on European research area and facilitate partner search in Ukraine for potential European partners. From the other hand, dissemination of information on successful implementation of COMBIOM project can raise importance of IMBG role as one of the leading Ukrainian biomed research centers and make it visible on European level.

19. WP5. Management of the consortium This type of FP7 projects is unique – Ukrainian partner SHOULD be the Coordinator of the project! Objectives • Raising awareness of the COMBIOM ERA-WIDE project in Ukraine and EU • Promotion of participation in FP7 among the Ukrainian stakeholders for ERA widening • Information dissemination on biomedical research results in Ukraine and EU • Popularization of knowledge arising from research in molecular biomedicine area Description of work • This work package will be fulfilled mainly by IMBG. • IMBG will be in charge of the legal, financial and administrative management of the project, as well as internal and external communication and dissemination, thus ensuring the proper implementation of the project. • EU partners will provide advice to the project running through participation in its management structure and will contribute to the interim and final reports and adopt them together with IMBG.

20. IMBG Advisory Board IMBG Advisory Board will be created at the Initial Scientific meeting of the project (Task 3.1). For this purpose internationally well recognized scientists who have extensive experience in project management and organization and S&T policy experts are invited: • 1.  Prof. Olga Favorova, Russian State Medical University, Russia2.    Prof. Ivan Gout, University College London, UK3.    Prof. Oleg Kryshtal, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Ukraine4.    Prof. Jacek Kuznicki, IIMCB, Poland5.    Prof. Michel Tararine, Head of CNRS Office in Moscow6.    Prof. Marc Mirande, Laboratory of structural enzymology and biochemistry, CNRS, France7.    Prof. Sergey Razin, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia8.    Prof. Yegor Vassetzky, Institut Gustave Roussy, France9.    Dr. Marie-Laure Yaspo, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Germany10.   Prof. Alicja Zylicz, IIMCB, Poland.11.   Dr. Yegor Dubynskyi First Secretary Mission of Ukraine to EU12.   Prof. Vitaliy Maksymenko, D.Sc., MD Head of Biomedical Engineering department National Technical University of Ukraine “Kiev Polytechnic Institute” Scientific Deputy Director of M. Amosov Institute, Ukraine. The aims of the Advisory Board activities are the following: • Supervising the IMBG Biomed Research Strategy development and peer review of its drafts • Verifying IMBG Biomed Research Strategy final version. • To success in these purposes, IMBG Advisory Board will have 3 meetings (month 6, 18 and 35). • Agreements within the IMBG Advisory Board will be reached based on a simple majority principle.

21. BUDGET Total Direct costs 425 700,00 € Indirect costs 85 140,00 € EC contribution of Indirect costs 29 799,00 € EC contribution total: 455 499,00 € Management 34 000,00 € (Overall and daily management of the project)

22. BUDGET (1) WP1 Strengthening the scientific collaboration with the European partners – twinning - 173 550,00 € • Travel and subsistence costs for 56 IMBG researcher`s (among them 32 young scientists) visits to two EU partner organizations and visits of 21 researchers from EU partner organizations to IMBG. • Justification: The purpose of the visits is to strengthen scientific collaboration, to exchange scientific information, to introduce novel methodological approaches, to set up further joint experiments or to run consultations on future joint participation in FP7 calls. WP2 Building capacities for successful participation in European collaborative research - 80 750,00  € • Travel and subsistence costs for 26 visits of the IMBG scientists and administrators which will be trained in IIMCB on science complementary matters including international projects management and costs for organization of trainings. • Justification: several trainings of IMBG staff will show the way of improvement of IMBG infrastructure for the purposes of increasing international cooperation, and will build the fundament for such increasing in future, teaching young scientists to make science on the international level in cooperation with EU colleagues and administrators – to manage international collaborative project in a proper way, available for ERA.

23. BUDGET (2) WP3 Development of the IMBG Biomed Research Strategy in cooperation with EU partners - 97 200,00 € • Costs of organisation of 3 IMBG Advisory Board meetings (9 900,00 € each), and 2 scientific meetings: Initial COMBIOM meeting (6 300,00 €), and Final Scientific conference (13 500,00 €). There are also costs for the meantime activity on the IMBG SWOT analysis and Biomed Research Strategy development. • Justification: Development of the IMBG Biomed Research Strategy, which will be started during Initial meeting with analysis of scientific points of mutual interests and SWOT analysis of state of biomed research in IMBG and finished by the Strategy adoption during Advisory Board meeting (month 35), will lead IMBG and its partners to formation of IP consortium for active participation in the competitions of the 7th Research Framework Programme. WP4 Promotional activities and dissemination of knowledge - 41 200,00 € • Costs for dissemination and promotion activities performed through the project and IMBG websites updating, publishing the abstract of COMBIOM scientific conferences and popularisation of COMBIOM project and biomed research results for the stakeholders and public. • Justification: IMBG Scientific Information Department using its experience in conducting PR and science popularization activities will make COMBIOM a visible event in Ukraine and will introduce IMBG as high-level potential research centre to the European research community.

24. Initial Scientific Conference COMBIOM May, 16-17 2012 It is the first COMBIOM event - a kick-off Initial Scientific Meeting of the partner’s organizations, during which the key priorities, common points of interests in molecular biomedicine will be elucidated, so as the obstacles for joint research perspectives should become visible, the rules behind this project will be communicated and necessary structural units will be established. The aims of the meeting are: • to introduce the partners, to present their state of the research capacities and cooperation potential in molecular biomedicine (scientific information exchange on signalling pathways in cancerogenesis and neurodegeneration), • to propose synergies, to identify areas of mutual interests which could be developed into the future joint research plan -(selection of research priorities of mutual interest in the molecular biomedicine area between the project partner organizations). - Formation of IMBG Advisory Board and its First Meeting

25. For additional information • www.imbg.org.ua • www.combiom-fp7.org

26. Thank you for your attention !