Funded Observerships

To qualify for an ESCMID funded observership, please make sure you meet the eligibility criteria:

• Be an active ESCMID Young Scientist member or ESCMID LMIC member
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme or hold a postgraduate degree related to Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology or related fields
• Apply to only one active ECC per application cycle
• Have not participated in any ESCMID Observerships within the last 12 months from the application deadline
• Observers from outside of Europe can apply for a funded observership only at a European ECC
• Observers from Europe can apply for a funded observership at any ECC, except those in their home country
• Be informed of the visa requirements and application timeline for the country of your desired ECC and dates. Please note that neither ESCMID nor the ECC can guarantee flexibility in changing visit dates in case of visa processing delays
• Provide the mandatory documentation
• Receive official approval from ESCMID and meet the requirements post-visit to be reimbursed

To apply for an ESCMID funded observership, please follow these steps.

1. Select an ECC and reach an agreement: 

• Select and decide on an ECC using the «ECC search» function
• Contact the ECC via the email address listed on its profile webpage, outlining your motivation for visiting and including your CV for review.
• Agree with an ECC on a clear purpose and dates for your observership. The ECC should confirm both the purpose and dates in the official endorsement letter that will be provided to you upon agreement
• Request one endorsement letter at a time and keep the ECCs informed in case no application is submitted. The ECCs will provide endorsement letters according to their capacity and no later than 1 week before the application deadline. Please note that only the official endorsement letter provided by the ECC representative will be considered for the application process.
• Upon agreement with your selected ECC, receive your endorsement letter stating both the purpose and dates of observership

2. Send an official application to ESCMID:

• Connect using your ESCMID member login details
• Click the ‘Apply now for observership’ link at the top of the ECC profile page
• Select funded observership
• Complete and submit your application through the ESCMID platform including the mandatory attachments: official endorsement letter, current CV, proof of position, letter of support

3. After submitting your application: 

• The ESCMID Professional Affairs Subcommittee will evaluate your application and make a decision
• The ESCMID Executive Office will notify you of the evaluation results approximately 8 weeks after the application deadline has closed
   

Submitted applications will be evaluated based on a specific range of criteria:

• Applicants must provide a clear and well-defined set of objectives for their observership, detailing what they aim to achieve during their stay. These objectives must be verifiable by the supervisor or head of department and stated in the letter of support
• Applicants must justify their choice of the host ESCMID ECC, demonstrating how their expertise, resources and opportunities available there align with their professional development goals
• The application should outline the applicant’s primary professional interest and explain how the observership will enhance their knowledge and expertise in the field
• Applicants should describe their research interests, including any ongoing research projects that may benefit from the observership
• Applicants must submit all the mandatory documents, including contact information, educational qualifications, work experience, and any relevant academic achievements

For funded Observerships, ESCMID supports the travel costs according to the regulations described below.

Intra-European Observership visits

For ESCMID members based in Europe, visiting an ECC in Europe:

• A maximum of 500 EUR to cover your travel expenses to and from your home country (flight tickets, train tickets, and car expenses at 0.3 EUR/km)
• 70 EUR/day for a maximum of 10 days to cover any expenses onsite during your visit (accommodation, food, public transport, etc.)

Intercontinental Observership visits

ESCMID members from outside Europe visiting an ECC in Europe, or ESCMID members based in Europe visiting an ECC outside of Europe:

• A maximum of 1.3K EUR to cover your travel expenses to and from your home country (flight tickets, train tickets, and car expenses at 0.3 EUR/km)
• 70 EUR/day for a maximum of 10 days to cover any expenses onsite during your visit (accommodation, food, public transport, etc.)

A list of countries and respective geographic regions can be viewed here

• After completing your observership, you will need to submit an official evaluation form, including a report, to be published on the ECC website or in any other ESCMID publication. By accepting an ESCMID Observership, ESCMID has the right to share your name when publishing your report publicly
• The report submission is a condition to claim the funded observership reimbursement