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E-G-G: Empowering Jonas Zaman to build his career in science
Big celebrations have shaped the last twelve months of Jonas Zaman’s life. He won the prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel award for outstanding international research. And he earned a full-time position as a professor of psychology at Hasselt University, Belgium, too. “But I would not still be working in science today without the E-G-G,” he says. “It triggered a cascade of opportunities for me to explore new lines of research into pain that formed the basis of my next applications for jobs and funding, and the next, and the next… I am incredibly grateful for this outstanding grant programme.”
The EFIC-Grünenthal-Grant (E-G-G) is a truly unique opportunity for early-career researchers in Europe. Since 2004, it has awarded almost €1.8 million to innovators in more than 14 countries and supported 70 pioneering projects that drive progress for patients with chronic pain. Jonas won the E- G-G in 2019. “I had only finished my PhD two years earlier,” he says. “It is quite unusual to be considered for such a large grant at such an early point in your scientific career.”
Jonas’ winning project explored how fear affects people’s perception of pain severity – and how pain influences feelings of fear. “I am fascinated by how emotions, learning and perception interact,” he says. “Pain was quite uncharted territory for this research and some treatment possibilities got overlooked because of this gap in our understanding. I wanted to improve patient outcomes from therapy by finding ways to extend existing treatment methods or by opening up new approaches.”
The quick and easy application process for the E-G-G enabled Jonas to submit his project without taking up his limited time and energy as an early-career researcher. He also contacted previous winners of the grant to ask questions and pick up tips. Those insights helped him develop his winning entry.
“The E-G-G stands out because there are not many grants for early-career researchers,” he says. “You get a substantial budget with almost no strings attached, so you are free to use the funding in the best way to pursue your ideas. And you also get to build your network and connect with leading pain scientists by attending the biennial EFIC® Pain in Europe Congress to share the outcomes of your research.”
Looking ahead, Jonas is continuing to follow additional pathways for his research within his new full- time academic role. He is also intrigued by the potential to develop tools based on his findings and apply them in a clinical context – to optimise treatments for pain patients. “I want to implement concepts that make a real-world impact on people’s lives,” he says. “My research has helped to deepen our understanding of the relationship between our emotions and the way we perceive our body. Now, I feel excited about leveraging this understanding to make life better for pain patients.”
“I would not still be working in science today without the E-G-G.”
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