EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange Programme

Objective

EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange Programme is an integral part of the long-term sustainability of EATRIS and its individual nodes and member institutions. It is designed to stimulate interactions between the nodes and all EATRIS members institutions.  The aim of the exchanges is to foster a shared culture of research and innovation, supporting individual learning, best practice and knowledge exchange in the areas of infrastructure operations, technical development (laboratory work), and stakeholder management.

The participation of developing nodes is especially encouraged.

Who is eligible to apply?

Researchers, managerial and technical staff from all EATRIS Institutions.

Hosts

EATRIS C&S Office in Amsterdam, all EATRIS nodes and institutions in all member countries.

Programme Details and Application Process

  • Applications are accepted on a quarterly call basis, and the exchange must be carried out before 31st of December 2023 
  • Grants up to €1.500 of actual costs* 
  • All applications are reviewed by the EATRIS-Plus project team 

* For longer exchange visits where the total cost would exceed the €1.500, the host and the employer’s organisations should co-sponsor the exchange visit.

The application is a 2-step process where the applicant themselves first contacts the host organisation directly to agree on the details and the objective of the visit. Upon the host organisation’s confirmation, the applicant submits the application package to the EATRIS-Plus project team to apply for the programme. If you want to do an exchange visit, but need assistance in identifying potential host sites, please contact the EATRIS-Plus Project team with preliminary information on the background and (research) interests of the visitor as well as a proposed duration and timeline of the visit.

Application package: applicant must submit the following documents in order to be considered for the EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange Programme:

  • Completed electronic application form here, including:
  • CV (upload)
  • Letter of Support from applicant’s employer organisation (upload)
  • Acceptance Letter/ confirmation email from the host organisation (upload)

Upon return: applicant must submit the following documents within 3 months of the return: 

  • Complete electronic return form here, including: 
  • A brief report from the exchange visit including main outcomes, description of the activities/ visit
  • Completed reimbursement (see below for more detail)
  • Optional: Any photos/videos that could be used for social media and the Staff Exchange website for promotion and dissemination  

Reimbursement of the costs of the Staff Exchange Programme

It is important to note that the Staff Exchange Programme reimbursement process is different depending on whether the participant belongs to an organisation that is an official beneficiary of the EATRIS-Plus project, or not. Different procedures apply and are described in detail in the document Travel and Reimbursement Guidelines for EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange Programme Participants. Please familiarise yourself with the guidelines before making any travel arrangements, and also forward the info to your institute’s grants/finance/travel department. 

Scope and Examples of Exchange Visits 

  • National Coordinators visiting each other and EATRIS C&S Team to exchange best practices (i.e outreach strategies and practices to various stakeholders, node sustainability planning, internal communication with institutes etc.) 
  • Member Institutes’ researchers visiting each other to collaborate on projects and learn new technical skills. Staff Exchange visits could be related to a wide variety of areas, but some potential examples are provided for guidance purposes only as follows.  (Exchange of best practices on using cutting-edge technologies (single cell sequencing, imaging techniques, mass cytometry, ddPCR, etc., Hands-on genomic data analysis of e.g. exome sequencing or RNA Seq and evaluating the model used for genomic data analysis; iPCS as a model for drug development; Biobanking – what to consider when planning a biobank – visiting a facility and experiences of establishing their biobanking system; etc.,)

Stories

PhD students from Luxembourg visit Norway as part of EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange Programme

EATRIS-Plus Staff Exchange paving way to collaboration in organ-on-chip technology between Luxembourg and Spain

Contact

Eliis Keidong
Member Engagement Officer
Coordination & support office

EATRIS-Plus Project Manager