Support
The Zágon Family Foundation (ZA) was established in 2019 with the aim of contributing to research related to incurable neurological diseases and promoting the identification of new drug targets, while offering a predictable professional career path for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in Hungary. To achieve its goals, the Foundation established Innoscience Hungary Kft. (Innoscience) based on the infrastructure of the former Proteomics Laboratory at ELTE. The ZA–Innoscience research community currently consists of ~10 members. Innoscience also participates in industrial collaborations, including joint professional projects related to Richter Gedeon Zrt.’s innovation ecosystem.
Why is support needed?
Domestic research funding is often cyclical and difficult to plan: there may be periods when a temporary funding gap arises due to the time between applications, payments, or the lack of new calls for proposals. During these months, young researchers are particularly vulnerable: lost positions and talent are difficult to replace later on. In recent years, the Foundation has ensured the continuity of its operations and the incubation of Innoscience from its founding capital; our goal is to make an increasing proportion of our operations sustainable from our own revenues and grants, while at the same time involving external supporters to ensure stability.
What do we use the support for?
– Research equipments and technological developments. Modern, reliable infrastructure is a basic requirement for reproducible and internationally competitive research. We can use the funding to purchase the equipments needed for new technologies, and we also accept donations of equipments (e.g., transfers of corporate assets).
– Bridging salary and operating costs. Between grant funding periods, we ensure that researchers’ work and livelihoods are not jeopardized and that projects are not interrupted.
Our main goals:
– Exploring the molecular and systemic mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric diseases by integrating genomic, proteomic, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches.
– Retaining young researchers and supporting their careers: predictable funding, a competitive professional environment, and modern research infrastructure.