The SRC program consolidates and nurtures the relationship by providing a framework and certain benefits for the sister centers which depend on the C, B or A level status of the centers. The benefits are products of the synergized efforts between all other ISN GO Programs, activities and overall strategies.

Sister Pairs jointly enter the program at Level C (currently 21 pairs) for a period of 2 years. Level C centers receive U$1,500 of annual support from the ISN to help develop and support training links. They are eligible for an upgrade to a Level B position if the progress/activity reports are satisfactory. There are currently 11 Level B centers which each receive an annual budget of U$13,000 from the ISN to support initiatives such as training exchanges, CME courses and visits to the emerging center. Level B centers can apply competitively for a upgrade to Level A after 2 years; these upgrades are reserved for those few pairs whose emerging sister centers show the most promise of development towards centers of excellence in their region. Failed upgrade requests from C to B and from B to A become Honorary C or Honorary B and have one additional chance to apply for an upgrade.

The graph below provides an overview of the validity and eligibility levels in the SRC Program:

The ultimate goal is for Level A centers to graduate and become true local centers of excellence for regional training and support. The SRC Program has devised a new SRC Trio Program which encourages graduating pairs to develop a combined supporting role for a new emerging center within the same region as the graduating emerging center. This new Trio system is designed to build on the six years of joint activity and development by the graduating SRC pair and translate that experience and knowledge to a new emerging center. All graduating SRC A pairs are seriously encouraged to consider this option and build further on their excellent work (see figure).

In this system, the recently graduated Emerging Center would form a new pair with another local renal center and would act as the joint supporting center  with their original supporting center in the new trio.

The graduated Supporting Center in facts supports the newly formed SRC pair by providing guidance and other possible means of support.

The applications from SRC trios will be reviewed in the same competitive process as all other applicants and be subject to the consideration of balanced regional distribution.