First annual Digital Discovery Emerging Investigators collection

Digital Discovery is committed to supporting and recognizing the excellent work of early career researchers. We are thus proud to present our first annual Emerging Investigators collection. The collection showcases research carried out by internationally recognised, up-and-coming scientists in the early stage of their independent careers who are making outstanding contributions to their respective fields. Each contributor was recommended by an expert in their field for carrying out work with the potential to influence future directions. The collection encompasses the entire scope of the journal.

We would like to invite you to read through the collection where you will find fascinating science ranging from self-driving labs, automated chemical synthesis, to generative drug discovery as well as Bayesian optimization, graph-based prediction and data-driven workflows. The variety of the themes covered in the Emerging Investigators collection represents the inclusiveness and broad range of the journal scope. Our emerging authors are clearly the breaking wave of creative new science and applications, and it is a privilege to be a part of their journey.

Looking forward, we have invited a new cohort of authors for an Emerging Investigators collection that will be published in 2026. These collections will run annually, and the community are encouraged to nominate eligible colleagues by contacting the journal’s Editorial Office at digitaldiscovery-rsc@rsc.org. To be considered, a scientist must be a research group leader (or equivalent) with less than 10 years of independent research experience. The timescale is flexible in cases of career breaks and personal circumstances.

Congratulations to all the featured researchers on their work. Join us in celebrating their contributions!

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