Each affiliated European Matrix Biology Society will hold its own competition to select a nominee for the Award. Names and details of the nominee should be notified by each Society to the Conference Organizer (Prof. Nikos Karamanos) by March 31^st 2016. Applicants working in European Countries that do not have an affiliated FECTS/MBE Society can apply directly to the Conference Organizer. The host Organizing Committee will select one applicant from these other applications to participate in the main competition. The Conference Organizing Committee will then appoint a neutral chairman of the Young Investigator Awards Committee and 2 other judges (from the international speakers) to consider each nomination and select the 6 strongest for presentation during the Young Investigator Award Session of the Conference. Nominations that are not included in final competition Session will be given an oral presentation in an appropriate Workshop. The Awards Committee will then select the winner of The Dick Heinegard MBE Young Investigator Award based on the overall quality of the science and the oral presentation.

Candidates for this Award should have no more than 5 years postdoctoral research experience as of 1^st October 2015. Candidates should apply by sending their CV including publications and an abstract of the work to be presented at the MBE/FECTS Conference to the relevant Society.

ISMB provides support (up to 1000 euros each) for young scientists (graduate students or postdocs up to 5 years after Ph.D.) in the form of international travel grants to allow them to attend major meetings in Matrix Biology anywhere in the world. To apply for a travel grant, please send your application to the ISMB secretary (), including a letter giving details of the meeting, the amount requested and a detailed justification for support, as well as the abstract of your poster/short talk, your curriculum vitae and list of publications.

Please, apply several months in advance of the MBE 2016 meeting, i.e. before one of the following deadlines : January 1 or April 1. Candidates should be members of the ISMB (see membership page for details). Grants are for international travel only and will be awarded on the basis of scientific excellence and relevance to Matrix Biology. Successful candidates will be notified no more than one month after each deadline. Following the meeting, awardees will be expected to send to the ISMB secretary a certificate of attendance as well as a short report (to appear on the ISMB web site with some selected for the ISMB newsletter) in the form of a personal perspective on their experience at the meeting.

Further information can be found on the ISMB web site (http://ismb.org/travel-grants-2).

Nominations for this Award come from ISMB members and the awardee is chosen by ISMB Council. ISMB will present a cheque for 2000 € to the awardee at the Meeting. Regarding his/her registration, travel and accommodation costs, these are included in the ISMB funding for the Meeting.

ISMB Council has elected Dr. Alexander Nyström (Molecular Dermatology Lab, Department of Dermatology, Medical Center – University of Freiburg Germany) as the Rupert Timpl awardee for 2016.

Dr. Alexander Nyström will give the Rupert Timpl Award Lecture entitled "Delineation of disease modifiers allows for treatment of basement membrane-linked skin disorders".