The editorial team of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS, ISSN: 1422-0067) is pleased to announce this open call for Special Issue proposals to provide a group of authors with the opportunity to work on an interconnected set of papers on an innovative topic. We are looking for high-quality proposals which will be evaluated through a competitive procedure on a rolling basis throughout the year.

In order to ensure that the topic of your proposal is within the scope of IJMS, please read the aim and scope of IJMS via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/about.

Please click on the following link to submit your proposals: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/ijms.

The following information must be provided in a proposal:

• A 150–200-word summary rationally explaining the significance, novelty, technical advancement, and adherence to the scope of the journal of the proposed topic;
• 5–15 keywords on the topic;
• An anticipated deadline (we normally run a Special Issue for 6–8 months);
• A list of at least eight confirmed submissions (if you have not collected eight planned papers, please send your proposal to ijms@mdpi.com, along with a list of at least 40 potential authors in related research fields);
• A brief resume of the proposed Guest Editors, together with their information (title, name, email, affiliation, personal website, and keywords of their research interests).

The benefits of being a Guest Editor are as follows:

• Special discounts will be offered to your submissions and any articles you invite from other authors;
• Expanding your network by engaging with experts in the field;
• Keeping up with developments in the field;
• Increasing your own influence;
• Recognition by the promotion evaluation committee;
• If 10 or more papers are published in the Special Issue, the Special Issue can be published as a printable book, and each Guest Editor will receive a complimentary hard copy.

The responsibilities of being a Guest Editor are as follows:

• Refining the Special Issue title, scope, and schedule, and providing the required information to set up the Special Issue’s website;
• Inviting submissions;
• Promoting the Special Issue within your networks on social media, personal websites, relevant networks, and any attended conferences when possible;
• Pre-checking, making decisions, and overviewing the process of manuscript submission;
• Writing an editorial when the Special Issue is successfully published.

The Editorial Office will take care of setting up the Special Issue’s website, arranging the promotional materials, and assisting with invitations for paper contributions, as well as taking care of the rest of the administrative tasks associated with the peer review process, including inviting reviewers, collating reviews, contacting authors, and professional production before publication.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office (ijms@mdpi.com) for further details and clarification. 

We look forward to receiving your proposals.