Policy regarding donations and grants

Policy regarding donations in connection with the organization of workshops, conferences and symposia and policy regarding grants

Policy regarding grants

Grants for trainee researchers and lab technicians
Members of the Society who are temporarily engaged to conduct research for a PhD or who are working as lab technician and have been members for at least one year may apply for grants to fund their attendance at conferences, symposia, workshops and short working visits (this applies specifically to analysts). These events must take place within nine months of submitting the application. To apply, the applicant must fill in the appropriate application forms completely and include all the information requested. These forms can be downloaded from our website. Applicants must be able to show that they have submitted abstracts for presentations in the form of a poster or a lecture for the conference in question. Incomplete applications will not be considered. On the basis of the application the Society may undertake to provide a specific maximum amount. This commitment entails an obligation on the part of the applicant to submit a short summary for the newsletter. The grant will be paid after the summary has been submitted, along with an expense statement accompanied by receipts for travel and accommodation expenses. Expense statements must be submitted within one month after the meeting or working visit. Statements submitted later will not be paid. The maximum amount for a grant is EUR 500. A member is eligible for a grant once during a period of five years.

Grants for working visits
Members of the Society who have been engaged temporarily to conduct research for PhDs or as postdocs and who have been members of the Society for at least one year may apply for grants to fund working visits to research groups abroad. The visit in question must take place within nine months of applying for the grant. To apply, the applicant must fill in the appropriate application form completely and include all the information requested. This form can be downloaded from our website. There must be evidence in writing that the applicant is welcome to visit the receiving group and that the working visit will be helpful in connection with the applicant's research project. Incomplete applications will not be considered. On the basis of the application the Society may undertake to provide a specific maximum amount. This commitment entails an obligation on the part of the applicant to submit a short summary for the newsletter. The grant will be paid after the summary has been submitted, along with an expense statement accompanied by receipts for travel and accommodation expenses. Expense statements must be submitted within one month after the working visit. Statements submitted later will not be paid. The maximum amount for a grant is EUR 1,250. A member is eligible to receive this grant once.

Policy regarding donations, advance payments and guarantees in connection with the organization of workshops, conferences and symposia

In principle organizers of scientific meetings in the Netherlands may request support from the Society. The Society's aim in giving this support is to make an active contribution to scientific communication in the field of immunology. The following forms of support are possible:

- A single donation of EUR 500. The Society makes a standard sum of EUR 500 available as a donation for meetings which, in the opinion of the Committee, meet the requirements.
- A guarantee with or without an advance payment of up to EUR 2,500. If the organizers need financial resources or guarantees during the organizational stage preceding the meeting, they can apply for a guarantee with or without an advance payment. The amount of the guarantee and/or the advance payment can be determined in consultation with the Committee of the Society (up to EUR 2,500). The advance payment must be paid back within three months after the meeting.
- Guarantee with or without advance payment exceeding EUR 2,500. In the case of a contribution, guarantee or advance payment exceeding EUR 2,500 the Committee of the Society will appoint an independent monitor as a member of the organization committee. The monitor will also present a report at the Annual General Meeting. The monitor will make recommendations to the organizers, upon request or otherwise, and will provide regular feedback to the Committee of the Society. The most important objective of this arrangement is to ensure that the Society does not incur costs exceeding the contribution originally agreed to. (NB: a guarantee is not a contribution).

General terms and conditions for guarantees and advance payments

- In all cases in which the Society makes funds available, the organizers must submit a written final financial statement to the secretary of the Society within three months after the meeting has taken place
- If a meeting results in a cash surplus and the Society has agreed to make a contribution, then a pro rata amount of this surplus (depending on the prefunders) will be paid back to the Society as agreed in advance (revolving fund with interest)
- All contributions, advance payments and guarantees exceeding EUR 2,500 must be included in the Society's budget and approved at the Annual General Meeting in December.

An application for support will be assessed in relation to the following criteria:

- For all forms of support the meeting (workshop, symposium, conference) is required to be open to all members of the Dutch Society for Immunology
- In order to notify the members of the meeting, after the standard Society form has been submitted to the secretary of the Society the meeting will be included in the agenda of conferences, symposia and workshops in the Society's newsletter. To ensure that the meeting is open to all members of the Dutch Society for Immunology, the deadline for registration of participants must be at least 14 days later than the publication date of the next newsletter
- The subject must be of importance to a reasonable number of Society members; the Committee of the Society will judge whether this is the case
- The support must be applied for by means of the standard Society form with all its appendices, at least three months in advance for the EUR 500 contribution and in all other cases in time for the application to be discussed at the Annual General Meeting in December.

In view of the possibilities and the Society's previous experience with organizing (bid book etc.) and holding conferences, it is recommended that applicants contact the Committee of the Society at a very early stage.