Awards

The aim of this scheme is to support research meetings, which aid the initiation or development of interdisciplinary research projects and networks in PID. The workshops should be directed at researchers at all levels of qualification from doctoral students to established scientists. The core of the applicants should be ESPID scientists of good standing, yet reaching out to scientists with other specializations (e.g. epidemiologists, microbiologists, immunologists) is encouraged.
The Collaborative Research Meeting Award is available for already established and funded networks, but it is focused on those at an early stage of development, or where wider collaboration across Europe and beyond is being sought. In order to assure sufficient interest in the research topic, which is essential for forming fruitful international collaborations, the application should be signed by researchers from at least three countries.

A typical award will be for Euro 2 - 5,000 (e.g. for a 1 day meeting +/- 1 night for 5 - 15 delegates) with larger awards only for meetings of an unusually large or complex nature. Details of all other income support for the proposed meeting (e.g. from grants, sponsorship and registration payments) should be included in a detailed budget proposal included in the application. Evidence of efforts to raise additional funds towards the meeting costs and to use economical venues (e.g. University or Hospital facilities) will enhance the likelihood of ESPID support.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: ALWAYS OPEN

The awards are designed to be flexible and rapidly processed – we will aim to respond to all applications within four weeks.
It is intended that the awards will provide support towards essential costs of the meeting, which might include administration costs, hire of premises and equipment, travel, subsistence and accommodation costs for scientists. Unusually expensive costs will reduce the likelihood of funding.

If you plan to offer any reimbursement to the individual attendees, the Society are not able to administer and process these reimbursements as we are only supporting the costs, not the co-ordination. As the meeting organiser, the applicant is expected to make the necessary arrangements around the reimbursement with each attendee individually. If you are going to offer re-imbursement of travel fees we would recommend that each attendee is offered this after the meeting has taken place (to ensure they did attend) and they should provide a receipt of the travel amount paid within a strict timescale, after the meeting, to the meeting organiser to process. If the receipt is less than the amount you offer as a reimbursement, you would offer the attendee the receipt amount (the lesser amount). Payment to any venues/suppliers should be co-ordinated by meeting organiser.  You may wish to communicate this to all attendees when they first make contact with you.

50% of the award will be made upon receipt of the agenda/programme.

50% of the award is made after receipt of a final report and budget.

As we are unable to pay applicants or venues/suppliers directly we suggest the applicants institution receives the award amount to manage.

ESPID will only support one award relating to any one project. If you feel you have a project which more than one award would cover you should select and apply to only one ESPID award. If you have other awards/grants which are pending or have been recently funded, you must indicate this in your application and clearly state what support has been requested/agreed and when a decision is expected.

• Must be “good standing” ESPID member at the time of the deadline(click here to download the ESPID "good standing" member criteria) and membership fees must be paid up in full before the application.
  
  
• Final reports and budgets must have been received and approved by ESPID before any further application from any previous applicant or from another applicant on behalf of a group, society, institution or organisation which received a previous award will be processed.

• If you were previously successful in receiving this award and wish to re-apply for a second year, re-applications will be accepted once only. 

• Must be directly relevant to paediatric infectious diseases
  
  
• Would normally be held in a European location to minimise costs – meetings elsewhere should be carefully justified
  
  
• Participation should be open to interested ESPID members, yet the organisers may limit access based on the evaluation of individual applications.
  
  
• Must have clearly defined scientific and structural objectives.

A clear and specific proposal, including specific objectives, a list of delegates who have expressed a written interest in attending (copy emails required) and a detailed budget will be required.

Procedure for processing and making awards

Applications received by the ESPID Secretariat will be checked to ensure they fulfil all the required eligibility criteria and include all required elements. Incomplete or incorrect applications will not be considered further and applicants will be informed to this effect. Complete and correct applications will be forwarded for approval to the members of the ESPID Research Committee, which will usually reach a decision within four weeks. Applicants will be informed of the decision as soon as possible after this.

Payment of the award will be made 50% upon receipt of finalized programme, and 50% after receipt of a final report and budget (see below) by the ESPID Secretariat and approval of the final report by the Committee and the final budget by the Treasurer. These will be processed within 3 weeks of receipt of the report and final budget by the ESPID Secretariat, but payment will only be made if they are complete and correct (see below). No payments will be made to individuals. You application and any support documents should be in English.

Applicants are required to submit a satisfactory final report and budget of the course or workshop. This should be submitted using the online awards system . Please note if you made your application prior to May 2021 then your report and budget should be submitted to ESPID Secretariat at admin@espid.org after completion of the course. All the documents should be in English. Any applicant or organization, who does not do so will be disqualified from further ESPID awards of all kinds until these are received and have been approved.

The final report should include a list of delegates who attended, the final programme as delivered including details of scientists involved. It is required that the outcomes of the meeting (e.g. formation of a network or other developments) should be submitted for presentation to one of the two subsequent ESPID annual meetings, typically as a poster.

The finalized budget of expenditure and income (including supporting documents for all major items of expenditure greater than 1000 Euro) must include full details of all other income (including registration payments), grants and sponsorship agreed and/or received for the course or workshop.

In the event that the meeting generates a surplus this should be returned to ESPID.

Payment will not be withheld on the grounds of perceived low quality of the final programme, lower than expected attendance or because delegate feedback is critical. It is sufficient that the requested information is provided and that the budget provided is judged to be correct and complete by the ESPID Treasurer. However, the apparent quality of the course or workshop will be taken into account in the assessment of any future application from the applicant or organisation.

Comments on the award procedure and administration by ESPID are also encouraged.

ESPID Collaborative Research Workshop Award Scheme will be subject to regular review. The regulations for awards may be altered in the future without prior notice.