How to become an independent scientist

One of the core aims of the newly formed FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence is to offer guidance and support to young scientists in the transition to independence.

As the first of a series of perspective articles discussing various issues along this path, Johannes Letzkus, Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Brain Research, teamed up with other scholars from the network to publish an opinion on the ins and outs of the hiring process for Principal Investigators (PIs).

The article aims to provide a personal perspective from young European PIs who have recently obtained their positions, and covers various aspects ranging from getting ready for the application to successfully negotiating a lab package and was published in the latest edition of the European Journal of Neuroscience.