Local Einstein can win $4000

Realising the importance of innovation for the long-term development of the countries in which Merck operates, including South Africa, they have concluded that research is the seed of future innovations and want to give due recognition to bioscience research excellence.

The Merck Young Scientists Award is open to South Africans who are post-graduate students in their final year of MSc or early PhD studies, enrolled at a South African university.

To qualify, papers must be published or accepted for publication in a scientific journal or submitted for a thesis during 2007/08 in one of the following research fields: Proteomics / Protein Expression, Cancer, Diabetes, Inflammation, Obesity or Neurodegeneration.

With a tradition of 340 years, Merck is the world's oldest chemical/pharmaceutical company; operating in 61 countries with research and development and production facilities spread across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

The award is co-sponsored by USA based EMD Chemicals Inc., also a member of the Merck group, which produces the Merck range of bioscience research products under the Calbiochem, Novagen and Novabiochem brands.

Entrants should note:

· Their paper must cite at least one product from the Merck Biosciences range: Calbiochem, Novabiochem, Novagen

· The paper must be submitted together with an official Merck Young Scientists Award 2008 entry form, by post to Merck Chemicals (Pty) Ltd or via e-mail to mwood@merck.co.za. An entry form can be downloaded from: www.merck.co.za

· The deadline for submissions is the 31 March 2009. Incomplete forms, late entries or candidates that do not meet the entry requirements will not be considered.