Discover the new Educational Ambassadors Program Leaflet
Educational Ambassador Program_Leaflet
(pdf, 181.4 KB)
General Information Educational Ambassadors Program
As of January 2009 the “ISN Educational Ambassadors” replaces the previous Visiting Scholars Program.
The program was redeveloped in order to further enhance ISN renal educational services by providing a new format with the potential of immediate and tangible impact on the renal health care services in emerging countries.
Through the program centers in the developing world can request an expert to join them onsite for the provision of very specific training (examples would include acute and chronic dialysis programs, renal pathology, CKD management in a local setting and others) or to initiate and develop community based research and screening programs.
Qualified ISN members can also request to be listed as available experts. The requirements of the applicant centers are to be assessed by the respective ISN GO Regional Committee in order to ensure relevance and feasability. The program then works to engage the requested expert or matches the request against a database of qualified and approved experts in the field of required training. ISN supports the available Educational Ambassador to deliver high quality and relevant training for a period of 1-4 weeks.
The Educational Ambassadors Program aims to advance nephrology in the developing world through very concrete progress enabling the impact to be well monitored. The program also provides ISN members and younger nephrologists with an invaluable opportunity for personal involvement in the societies’ educational programs while enhancing the sense of global solidarity and awareness in the renal world.
ISN invites applications from emerging centers as well as potential Educational Ambassadors.
Program Format and Timeline
May:
- May 1st is the deadline for the submission of final applications from emerging centers wishing to invite an Educational Ambassador in the following year. These applications must be pre-endorsed by the respective regional committee (www.nature.com/isn/society/outreach/isn_20095.html).
- The applications are processed and sent to the Education Committee along with a list of all qualified trainers registered in the Database if needed. The applications are reviewed and ranked competitively; the Education Committee recommends a short-list of the most suitable Trainers.
June:
- ISN Headquarter staff contacts potential Educational Ambassadors to check availabilities going down the shortlist; if the trainer accepts he/she is placed in contact with the applicant emerging center to make arrangements and travel plans.
September:
- All arrangements are finalized and communicated to the ISN; a budget is established.
- ISN sends formal confirmations regarding dates and budgets to all involved providing sufficient time for VISA application procedures and flight reservations.
Post-training:
- A training report is to be submitted by both the trainer and the emerging center.
- The regional Committee follows up to assess concrete impact.
- The Educational Ambassador receives a certificate of appreciation after a successful visit.
Application and Selection Procedures for Volunteer Educational Ambassadors
Eligibilty criteria for individuals who wish to volunteer to become an ISN Educational Ambassador are:
- Active ISN membership
- Expertise in a defined area of renal medicine documented by publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Active faculty appointments at accredited institutions
- Willingness and ability to serve for at least 1 and up to 4 weeks teaching in a developing nephrology center.
Application forms are welcomed throughout the year and are assessed by the Education Committee as they are submitted. Acceptance as an available ISN Educational Ambassador will be communicated within a month. If a request is matched with an approved and available trainer, initiation of arrangements can be expected each September with visits taking place during the following calendar year.
ISN Global Outreach Programs invite all members to volunteer to be an Educational Ambassador by submitting the below Volunteer Application Form
Application Form for Volunteer Educational Ambassadors
(xls, 274.5 KB)
Application and Selection Procedures for requesting centers
Emerging centers who wish to apply for an expert to deliver specific training between January-December of the following year:
- Applications must be endorsed by the respective regional Committee. To ensure a timely process, applications should be sent to the regional committee with copy to the ISN Office in Brussels before-mid April at the latest.
- The annual deadline for receiving finalized and endorsed applications is May 1st. Please note that exceptionnally this year the deadline has been extended until 30 June 2010!
- Applications are competitively ranked by the Education Committee and the matching process for an appropriate and available Educational Ambassador begins.
- Once identified, the Trainer and the center must agree on final arrangements which are to be communicated by September.
Applications from emerging centers can be submitted via the below application form.
Application Form for Emerging Centers
(xls, 276.5 KB)
Funding
The Educational Ambassadors Program is a small program with a limited budget; it expects to cover about 10 Educational Ambassadorships per year.
- A standard visit is considered to be 2 weeks with a range of 1 to 4 weeks.
- The emerging centers are expected to assist with providing appropriate accommodation, meals and local transport.
- Qualified Educational Ambassadors from within the region will be selected when possible but applicants may identify any individuals on the list of approved experts who have volunteered to serve in the program.
- Only economy class travel will be reimbursed.
- A standard 2 week visit is funded at 3000 USD but this amount may vary on a case by case basis.
- The calculation model is based on distance of travel, duration of the training, local cost of living and provisions.
- The visit must take place in the year that it has been budgeted; it can not be rolled over to a following year.
Education Committee
The Educational Ambassadors Program falls into the scope of the ISN Education Committee chaired by Saraladevi Naicker (South Africa).
Staff Contact
Ms Sophie Dupuis
ISN Global Outreach Programs Manager
[email protected]
Ms Samantha Rens
ISN Global Outreach Programs Coordinator
[email protected]
ISN Global Operations Center
22-24 Rue du Luxembourg
1000 Brussels, Belgium
