ESCMID Study Groups

1. Objectives

One of the main missions of the Society is to foster the development and co-ordination of scientific Study Groups for the purpose of advancing knowledge, e.g. through collaborative research projects and the development and dissemination of professional guidelines in the fields of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

The Society supports the activities of ESCMID Study Groups by:

1. reviewing proposals for symposia / workshops to be included as part of ECCMID scientific programmes and providing logistic and financial support
2. providing promotion of and partial financial support to scientific meetings organised by Study Groups
3. hosting an annual Study Group assembly of members during the annual ECCMID, in which the previous and future activities of each group are discussed
4. providing competitive start-up grants for selected scientific projects
5. providing annual funding to help cover administrative expenses
6. supporting postgraduate education and teaching courses as well as technical workshops organised by individual Study Groups or in collaboration with other organisations
7. publishing announcements and reports of Study Group activities in the Society’s newsletter and on its website
8. publishing guidelines and consensus and research papers in the Society's journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

An ESCMID Study Group is a group of scientists who organise themselves under the auspices of ESCMID with the main objective of studying one particular aspect of medical microbiology and/or infectious diseases. The specific aims of the Study Groups are:

• promote, foment and divulge the research in the topic of the Study Group
• disseminate their achievements to other health professionals
• contribute to the preparation of the annual ECCMID and other scientific meetings and conferences
• advise public health authorities as well as other organisations about the aspects concerning the topic of the Study Group
• establish links with other scientists and scientific societies in similar fields.

To be established, a Study Group must obtain the approval of its proposed name, research aims and statutes, composition of the steering committee and scientific programme by the ESCMID Executive Committee. It should then elect an Executive Committee and formally adopt its statutes during its inaugural assembly of members.
Applications for new Study Groups must be submitted to the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer (with copy to the ESCMID Managing Director) and consist of the following:

1. name of the Study Group (should include ’ESCMID’ as part of the name, i.e. ESCMID Study Group for/of...)
2. rationale and objective of the group
3. draft statutes of the Study Group, specifying aims, membership guidelines, mode of election, composition and terms of office of the Executive Committee
4. list of members of the steering committee of the Study Group and their expertise in the field
5. added value to ESCMID
6. activity plan and budget outline for the first two years
7. publication strategy.

Members of the Study Group Executive Committee must be ESCMID members. The statutes should define the conditions and procedure for individuals who wish to join the Study Group as members. They will be granted the status of associated ESCMID members. A wide representation of different European countries is encouraged.
 
The Study Groups should elect an Executive Committee, composed of at least a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. Terms of office should be at least two years and at most four years. The maximum duration of office should not exceed eight years. Election by the group’s members can be held during the assembly of members, which must take place annually, preferably during ECCMID. The members of the Executive Committee should be professionally active.
 
The Study Groups function autonomously; therefore each Study Group has its own arrangements for the election of officers, membership administration, organising activities, etc. The Study Group informs the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer about all major activities, such as the organisation of meetings, courses, workshops, development of guidelines and consensus papers and the production of printed material, especially if using the ESCMID logo.
 
An annual activity report, budget and accounts should be prepared by the Executive Committee following the structure described in Annex I, and forwarded to the ESCMID Scientific Officer with copy to the ESCMID Managing Director. It is due one month prior to the annual ECCMID meeting. Publication of the annual report on the ESCMID website is mandatory.

3.1 Support of Symposia/Workshops Hosted by Study Groups at ECCMIDs

The ECCMID Programme Director will invite the chairpersons of the Study Groups approximately twelve months prior to each ECCMID to submit proposals for 2-hour symposia and/or 1-hour workshops to be staged during the said ECCMID. These proposals should focus on new findings and developments in the Study Group’s field. Special attention should be paid to prevent redundancies of speakers in consecutive meetings. The Programme is to be approved by the ECCMID Programme Director and the Scientific Affairs Officer.

3.2  Support of Scientific Meetings, Postgraduate Education Courses and Technical Workshops by ESCMID Study Groups

Scientific meetings
Study Groups are encouraged to organise scientific meetings. ESCMID can provide assistance with the distribution of announcements and posters. Based upon a request that includes the scientific programme and a detailed budget submitted to the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer (copy to the ESCMID Managing Director) no later than six months prior to the event, ESCMID may contribute a grant of up to 5'000 EUR to be used for attendance grants. An additional loan of up to EUR 5'000 can be granted as a deficit guarantee that must be returned if the final accounts allow.
 
Postgraduate education courses and technical workshops
Study Groups are expected to submit at least one proposal for organising an ESCMID Postgraduate Education Course and Technical Workshop every two years. Proposals must be submitted to the ESCMID Education Officer (copy to the ESCMID Managing Director) at least six months in advance of the course (please refer to the Guidelines for ESCMID Postgraduate Education Courses).

3.3  Support for Research Projects

Study Groups may request grants from ESCMID for the following purposes.

1. Start-up of research projects: The purpose of these grants may include the honorarium for a scientist on a short-term basis (maximum two month full-time) to prepare a grant application for submission to a funding agency (e.g. to the European Commission), or for the organisation of investigator meetings to develop a research project.
2. Support of research projects: by making a grant available ESCMID can contribute to developing and conducting a research project led by a Study Group. This project can be a small, independent project or a distinct sub-project of a larger project.

Funds may not be used for internal institutional research projects. Funds are intended to support collaborative research projects.
Requests for grants must be submitted to the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer (with copy to the ESCMID Managing Director) and include the following:

1. title of project and funding sources sought
2. rationale and brief review of literature
3. outline of research plan and deliverables
4. detailed budget
5. short CV of principal investigator
6. date for submission of detailed research proposal.

Applications will be accepted throughout the year but final decisions regarding approval will be made at the end of April and at the end of October. The evaluation of the research proposal is the responsibility of the Scientific Affairs Officer who will present his/her conclusion to the Executive Committee for approval. He/she is assisted in the evaluation by the members of the Scientific Advisory Committee and other experts from the Society, if needed.
 
The overall annual support by ESCMID for research projects by Study Groups is EUR 50’000. Each Study Group may submit only one project per year; the maximum support for a single project is limited to EUR 10’000. Applications not accepted for funding may be resubmitted the following year. Study Groups which have not been supported during the preceeding two years will be favoured when in competition with applications from Study Groups which have received support during this time period. A financial agreement between ESCMID and the principal contractual partner of the Study Group will be signed stating that the grant will be paid to the Study Group after the detailed proposal has been approved. Any research publication arising from funded projects must acknowledge ESCMID’s financial support.

3.4  Funding of the Administrative Costs of Study Group Activities

Study Groups complying with these guidelines are entitled to receive 500 EUR per year in support for their administrative duties.

Study Groups are strongly encouraged to publish their research findings in the Society’s journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) in preference to other journals of similar scope. They are to be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief for peer review as is the case with other research papers. Clinical and laboratory guidelines and consensus papers that have the support of ESCMID must be published in CMI. Manuscripts on guidelines and consensus papers must also be submitted to the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer for consistency review with the Society's policy and related guidelines.

The ESCMID logo is to appear on each document, announcement and brochure published by an ESCMID Study Group.

Study Groups may be terminated either by a majority vote of members or by a decision of the ESCMID Executive Committee if there is a documented violation of the present guidelines. In such cases, remaining funds from Study Groups should be transferred to ESCMID to support further research projects. In addition, the Study Group can also be dissolved by the ESCMID Executive Committee when its scientific output measured by publications, contributions to scientific meetings, consensus documents, guidelines, scientific workshops, educational courses and/or collaborative research projects during a two-year period is considered poor.

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