European Commission awards approximately €6 million under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, recognising Fondazione Telethon’s leadership in advanced cell and gene therapy research and training.
Fondazione Telethon has launched BEYOND (Broadening Expertise for YOung Researchers iN aDvanced Cell & Gene Therapies), a new European postdoctoral training program in advanced therapies, co-funded by the European Commission with approximately €6 million under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND scheme, the European Union’s flagship program for doctoral and postdoctoral training. Over five years, the initiative will support 35 postdoctoral fellowships, each lasting 36 months.
Coordinated by Fondazione Telethon together with its institutes, the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) in Milan and the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Pozzuoli, and developed in partnership with the Lund Stem Cell Center at Lund University, the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute at the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, BEYOND will recruit 35 postdoctoral researchers through two calls. Of these fellowships, 20 will be hosted at Fondazione Telethon institutes, while the remaining positions will be distributed among the other partner institutions: 6 at Lund, 5 at Cambridge and 4 at Ljubljana.
“BEYOND reflects our commitment to training researchers who can navigate the entire pathway from scientific discovery to therapeutic application,” said Ilaria Villa, General Manager of Fondazione Telethon. “The European Commission’s support is a recognition of Fondazione Telethon’s leadership and the scientific strength of its institutes in the field of advanced therapies: of the ten gene therapies currently approved and available in the European Union, three gene have originated from our research, and for two of them the Foundation is also responsible for commercialization — a unique case not only in Europe, but worldwide”.
Building skills across the full ATMP development pathway
Aligned with the EU strategic priorities outlined in the “Future of European Competitiveness” (Draghi Report), BEYOND aims to address the shortage of critical skills in the field of the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP).
The initiative is designed to train a new generation of researchers able to work across the full ATMP value chain, from cutting-edge basic research through translational development, manufacturing, regulation and patient access. By integrating fundamental and translational research with real-world applications, BEYOND will help build a highly skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, strengthening Europe’s leadership in advanced therapies and reinforcing its broader biomedical ecosystem.
A strong network across academia and industry
Associated partners from the non-academic sector - including Federchimica Assobiotec, the Italian Association for the Development of Biotechnology, and Medicon Village, one of Europe’s strongest life science clusters - together represent a network of more than 200 biotech companies and will offer training in innovation and entrepreneurship, secondments, and intersectoral career development opportunities.
In addition, the associated partner European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (EATRIS) will provide foundational training on ATMPs, while Schiller & Mertens, experts in researcher development, will contribute transferable-skills training tailored specifically to scientists.
Each fellowship will provide a minimum gross monthly remuneration of €4,700, while Fondazione Telethon and its partners will contribute additional resources to cover research costs, training and travel, ensuring that fellows benefit from a comprehensive, high-quality development pathway.
“Selected through the highly competitive MSCA COFUND 2025 call, in which 31 projects were funded out of 136 proposals, BEYOND is the only programme coordinated by an Italy-based organisation, explains Aida Paniccia, Head of SR-Tiget Research Office and BEYOND Program Coordinator “The program will offer fellows a truly integrated training experience combining research in leading laboratories, cross-institutional scientific exchange, transferable-skills development, dedicated ATMP training and tailored career support. This includes exposure not only to fundamental and translational science, but also to the broader ecosystem needed to move innovative therapies from the laboratory to patients. BEYOND fellows will gain a well-rounded, translational mindset equipping them to drive therapeutic innovation and unlock diverse career opportunities within and beyond academia.”
A recognition of Fondazione Telethon’s leadership
More than a funding award, the European Commission’s support for BEYOND represents a significant endorsement of Fondazione Telethon’s scientific standing, translational expertise and international leadership in advanced therapies. In one of the most competitive and strategically important areas of biomedical innovation, Europe has identified Fondazione Telethon and its institutes as key players not only in producing high-impact research, but also in training the talent needed to drive the next generation of cell and gene therapies.
This new award also builds on Fondazione Telethon’s previous European training experience with RAREFIND, a COFUND doctoral training program in advanced therapies co-funded with about 2.6 million euros, further strengthening the Foundation’s position as a reference point in advanced therapy education across multiple career stages.
With its strong international dimension and its focus on the full ATMP development pathway, BEYOND aims to foster lasting collaboration across institutions and sectors while strengthening Europe’s ability to translate scientific discoveries into advanced therapies with meaningful impact for patients. The first call for applications will open on 1 May 2026. Full details on eligibility criteria, application procedures and the program structure are available on the BEYOND website.
