In addition to Tallinn University of Technology, other outstanding persons and institutions have contributed to the scholarship fund such as the company Icosagen Cell Factory OÜ led by academician Mart Ustav, the co-founder of Metro Capital OÜ Mr. Sulo Nigul, the academician Mart Saarma, who is member of Tallinn University of Technology Board and professor of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki, the entrepreneur Toomas Arike and the entrepreneur Riivo Sinijärv, former ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

The scholarship contests for the students of Master and Doctoral programmes shall be announced  by the Tallinn University of Technology Development Fund in spring 2021. The target group for the scholarships are smart and dedicated future natural scientists whose professional preparation includes active participation in science activities and in research conferences; the potential candidate is a true promoter of their field of research, whose goal is to become one of the top scientists in their field.

Erkki Truve was an outstanding molecular biologist, who founded the Institute of Gene Technology and was one of the initiators of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences after Estonia regained its independence in the 1990s. Under his lead, the educational provision of molecular biology and gene technology started in Tallinn University of Technology. Since 1997, Erkki Truve worked in Tallinn University of Technology as a professor. From 2010 until 2015, he was the Vice Rector for Research in Tallinn University of Technology. His main field of research was the molecular biology and virology of plants. Prof Truve was also an excellent science popularizer. Erkki Truve’s work as a Vice Rector of Tallinn University of Technology was outstanding and improved the quality of Estonian science.

The scientific conference in memoriam Erkki Truve took place on October 9th in the TalTech Mektory conference hall. The conference was organized by the School of Science of TalTech.