Professional Exchange Programmes (PEP) - Spring 2023 Call for Applications

We are pleased to announce a Call for Applications for a limited number of IFCC Professional Exchange Programmes (PEP) awards to support training of young scientists and continuing education of other laboratory professionals at clinical laboratory centres and IVD facilities around the world.

As part of this new expanded programme, IFCC has developed a list of clinical laboratories willing to host visiting scientists for a period of 1-3 months (https://www.ifcc.org/media/480014/ifcc-pep-hosting-labs.pdf). A host laboratory is eligible to sponsor/host no more than 2 applicants in each Call for Application cycle (Spring or Fall of each year).

However, applicants are free to select other hosting laboratories pending prior acceptance and approval by the host. The purpose of PEP is to promote international co-operation between laboratories, facilitate the exchange of laboratory scientists between IFCC member societies, share high level scientific or management skills and introduce new or improved scientific or management skills to the applicant’s laboratory. Applicants should be nominated by their own national societies. The PEP consists of two distinct programs:

  • Professional Scientific Exchange Programme (PSEP) to exchange or develop high-level scientific information or skills.
  • Professional Management Exchange Programme (PMEP) to develop appropriate quality management skills to improve the performance and quality of service offered to patients by the base laboratory.

Applicants for an IFCC professional exchange programme will:

  • Be a member of an IFCC Full Member or Affiliate Member national society
  • Haven’t received funding from IFCC for other PEPs
  • Have a specific project to complete in a designated host laboratory
  • Have the written support of:
    o The head of department in which he/she is based
    o The head of the host laboratory to be visited
    o The national society of which he/she is a member

Successful applicants will be entitled to receive:

  • Economy return travel expenses from his/her home base to the host laboratory.
  • Subsistence at the rate of 1500 Swiss Francs per month for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of three months

Applicants are required to complete the attached application form. The completed application and the supporting documents should be sent by email to the IFCC Office (ifcc@ifcc.org) by no later than May 5th 2023.

For additional information on PSEP and PMEP, please click on this link:
https://www.ifcc.org/ifcc-education-division/pep-professional-exchange-programme/