It is increasingly difficult to attract interest young physicians in academic medicine. One of the major obstacles is the very long training in both basic science and clinical medicine and the limited career perspectives in academia. Therefore, we designed the “co-investigator program” to accelerate the career path of promising young physician-scientists. We believe that early independence combined with clearly defined mentorship will attract capable young physicians to a scientific training program and support their development to independent investigators. Two outstanding individuals, Dr. Soeren Lienkamp and Dr. Elke Neumann-Haefelin, have clearly distinguished themselves from their peers. As a student, Dr. Lienkamp co-authored a paper published in Oncogene and received the Pfizer prize for outstanding doctoral thesis. After a doctorate in a basic science department (Prof. Bukau, Biochemistry), Dr. Neumann-Haefelin joined Prof. Baumeister (Biology) for a two-year postdoctoral training program in C. elegans that was jointly funded by the “Forschungskommission” (Medical Faculty), the University Hospital (Department of Medicine), and the Faculty of Biology (Prof. Baumeister). These two talented young scientists will receive departmental funds to participate as full-time co-investigators for a two-year period within the first three-year funding period. Established investigators will mentor these two junior scientists (Prof. Baumeister and Prof. Gloy). Young investigators lack the typically publication record of established group leaders, but we are confident that these two scientists will function as independent investigators during the second funding period. Two other scientists, Dr. Tomasz Wegierski and PD Dr. Tobias Huber will combine efforts in an exciting and evolving field of research, the role of abnormal mTOR signalling in polycystic kidney disease. These junior investigators will examine how deregulation of mTOR activity affects autophagy and progression of polycystic kidney disease.