EMBL was established in 1974 and Denmark was one of the 10 founding members. Since then, the number of member countries has increased to 27 today. EMBL consists of a main laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, and a number of specialised outstations around Europe, including Cambridge in England, Grenoble in France, Hamburg in Germany and Monterotondo in Italy.
The value of Danish membership
Through the membership of EMBL, Danish researchers have access to the facilities, databases and specialised tools operated by EMBL, which are difficult to fund and operate effectively solely on a national level. Danish researchers also have the opportunity to join specialised training activities.
The majority of EMBL research and training programmes are carried out in Heidelberg, Germany, and are aimed at PhD students, postdocs and guest researchers. The programmes include dedicated courses, conferences and workshops that are often co-organised with EMBL’s sister organisation, The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
As one of the world’s leading research laboratories within the field of biology, EMBL is a significant asset to the Danish pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. In 2013, the Lundbeck Foundation through a partnership with Aarhus University funded a Danish EMBL partner node for neuroscience, named DANDRITE, in order to strengthen collaboration between Denmark and EMBL.
In 2013, Denmark joined the Nordic EMBL partnership for molecular medicine. Through a joint investment between the Lundbeck Foundation and Aarhus University, a dedicated Danish research centre specialised in neuroscience was founded: DANDRITE. The partnershiphas led to the establishment of a research and education collaboration between EMBL and Denmark.
Danish contribution to the membership
The annual budget of EMBL is approx. DKK 1.85 billion of which approx. one quarter stems from the member countries' contributions and the rest from external sources. The budget is used to conduct research as well as establish and operate numerous related tools and infrastructures.
The Danish contribution to EMBL amounts to DKK 14.9 million annually – roughly 1.82 per cent of the total contributions from the member countries. Member countries contribute to EMBL proportionally to their National Net Income (NNI).