The Josep Carreras Institute (IJC) and the Sant Boi City Council have joined forces to create the "Manel Esteller Award for Initiation into Biomedical Research", a clear commitment to young researchers. The purpose of this award, initiated by the Sant Boi City Council, is to promote biomedical research through the incorporation of a pre-doctoral researcher to IJC, where he/she will start his/her scientific career under the direction of Dr. Manel Esteller. The award will finance the first two years of the doctoral thesis with the collaboration of local sponsoring companies.

Dr. Manel Esteller, director of the Josep Carreras Institute, welcomed the idea of creating this award "to give a first push to young people in that difficult moment when they finish their degree and start their first year of research". "We cannot lose talent for lack of economic resources," he said. The researcher from Sant Boi is recognized worldwide for his fight against cancer and has received more than 40 prestigious international, European and national awards. In 2002, the Sant Boi City Council named him honorary citizen of the city.

The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, chaired the launch ceremony and described this new award as "a transformative initiative to awaken the scientific vocations of young people", promoted by a city that has been part of the Innpulso Network of Cities of Science and Innovation since 2010.

The mayor of Sant Boi, Lluïsa Moret, stressed that the award is the result of Sant Boi's alliances and commitment "with a long history linked to health" and "with innovation as a strategic axis". The mayor explained that "the award aims to promote biomedical research to accompany young scientific vocations in a sector that generates economic activity and jobs in the city".

The IJC will soon launch the Manel Esteller Award, which will be delivered every two years. Candidates for the award must hold a master's degree or have enrolled in the 2021-22 academic year in an official university master's degree that gives access to a doctoral program, so they must have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits at the time of acceptance of the scholarship.

The jury of the award will be formed by Dr. Manel Esteller, as honorary president; the mayor of Sant Boi, Lluïsa Moret, as president; a researcher of recognized prestige in the field of Biomedicine; the councilor of Health of the City Council of Sant Boi and the president of the Mental Health Cluster of Catalonia.