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"ChemoinformaticsPlus": an Erasmus Mundus Master degree in Chemoinformatics Double diploma MSc Bioorganic Chemistry NOVA – Chemoinformatics Strasbourg

Updated flyer: brochure_mundus_2023.pdf

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree "ChemoinformaticsPlus" opened to its first student's edition in September 2022 offering 20 scholarships to selected students and 25 places per edition. The Erasmus Mundus label is awarded by the European commission to transnational Master programs that contribute to excellence and internationalization of Higher Education in Europe. NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT-NOVA) is involved in this program with the Master degree in Bioorganic Chemistry.

Chemoinformatics is a major discipline in theoretical chemistry, using artificial intelligence and data sciences to tackle current social and innovation challenges in Chemistry. It concerns the development, creation, organization, storage, dissemination, analysis, visualization and use of chemical information. Within the last 20 years, Chemoinformatics has become a cornerstone for the chemical industry.

Chemoinformaticians are first and foremost chemists, with an experimental practice of Chemistry. Therefore, this Master program combines high level training in Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry and Chemoinformatics, Computer Sciences and Data Sciences and requires good skills in Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Structural Chemistry. The program includes lectures and tutorials on Chemoinformatics, Molecular Modeling, Quantum Chemistry as well as Software Programming and Database Management. Recent developments in Statistics and Machine Learning, specifically Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, are also addressed.

The consortium includes seven Universities: the University of Strasbourg (France), the University of Paris (France), the University NOVA of Lisbon (Portugal), the University of Milan (Italy), the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), the University of Bar Ilan (Israel) and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiyv (Ukraine). Associated partners are the University of Vienna (Austria) and the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University (Azerbaijan). ChemoinformaticsPlus is supported by several national and international scientific societies and by over 30 industrial actors.

Within this two years' program of study, students choose among the following seven study tracks including one year in one university of the consortium and one year in another one:

1. In Silico Design of Bioactive Molecules (Milan - Paris – Strasbourg)
2. Chemoinformatics and Physical Chemistry (Milan – Strasbourg)
3. Chemoinformatics for Biophysical and Computational Chemistry (Ljubljana - Strasbourg) 
4. Chemoinformatics for Organic Chemistry (Lisbon – Strasbourg)
5. Ultra Large Chemical Library Design and Virtual Screening (Kiyv – Strasbourg)
6. Chemoinformatics and Materials Informatics (Bar Ilan – Strasbourg)

Each track includes training in an academic laboratory or in the industry. In the end, the graduates obtain a double diploma of the involved institutions.

From September 2022, the ChemoinformaticsPlus program offers about 20 Erasmus Mundus scholarships and 25 places per edition. The amount of these highly competitive students' grants is 1400 euros per month during the duration of the project. The partners endeavor to propose regular Erasmus+ or third party financed scholarships to self paying students.

The ChemoinformaticsPlus degree opens professional perspectives to the graduated students in various fields. As chemoinformaticians, they can start an academic career in research or teaching through the doctoral schools of the members of the consortium and prepare a PhD. They can also work as data and software engineers, specialized in chemical applications. Typical jobs are researcher, teacher, application scientist, software developer, data scientist, software quality controller, project manager, consultant or sales representative.

Teaching Curriculum

1st year : Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

Semester 1

• Analytical Bioorganic
• Entrepreneurship
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Asymmetric Organic Chemistry I
• Physical Organic Chemistry
• Introduction to Programming

Semester 2

• Structural Bioorganic Chemistry
• Laboratory Quality Control
• Applied Computational Chemistry
• Asymmetric Organic Chemistry II
• Applied Organic Synthesis
• Databases

2nd year : Université de Strasbourg

Semester 3

• Chemoinformatics  I, II and III
• Data mining methods
• Drug discovery
• Structure based drug design
• Structural biology and molecular modeling
• Molecular dynamics simulation
• Quantum chemistry
• Internet Technology

Semester 4

• Master thesis

(in addition to this alternative path, the Master degree in Bioorganic Chemistry also offers the course exclusively carried out at FCT-NOVA, without a double diploma in Chemoinformatics, which consists of a  first year with 12 curricular units and a second year dedicated to the dissertation).

Scholarship applications for 2024/2025: Interested students must apply via the online form and contact mbo.coordenador@fct.unl.pt urgently. Applications will be accepted until 15 March 2024. Applicants may submit their applications before finishing the 3rd year of the 1st cycle degree (“Licenciatura”). Before the program starts students must have a degree in an area of natural sciences or technology. Preferably, candidates will have a degree in Chemistry or a related area, and basic computer skills. Informations concerning registration, selection procedure and application procedures are available at https://masterchemoinfoplus.chimie.unistra.fr/en/application/

Independently of the scholarship application, students must also apply to the MSc in Bioorganic Chemistry at FCT-NOVA in July. Students that are not selected for a scholarship may still apply for the double diploma MSc Bioorganic NOVA - Chemoinformatics Strasbourg as self-funded students.