IPSF Development Fund 2017-18
Student Exchange Programme (SEP) Grant – Call for Applications
The IPSF Development Fund Committee and IPSF Student Exchange Committee are pleased to announce that the call for applications for the 2017-18 Student Exchange Programme Grant is now open. This grant is designed to financially assist an individual in participating in the Student Exchange Programme to learn about pharmacy education, research, and practice outside their home nation. Guidelines This is the official call and application form for the 2017-18 Student Exchange Programme Grant. The accompanying information should be read in conjunction with the official application form, and the committees will consider only properly submitted applications. Through the Student Exchange Programme, more than 1,000 students worldwide receive the opportunity of working in community, hospital, industrial, administrative, or academic pharmacy sectors in other countries to learn about pharmacy education, research, and practice outside their home nation. The programme also enables cultural exchange among pharmacy students around the globe. Individuals who wish to apply must: 1. Be currently studying for their first pharmacy degree OR a recent graduate (up to four years after the date of their graduation) 2. Be an IPSF member through an IPSF Member Organization (Full Member or Member in Association) or as an Individual Member For applicants participating in Winter SEP (October-March), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form is either marked as placed or successful in the SEP database. For applicants participating in Summer SEP (April-September), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form is marked as placed in the SEP database. The awarded grant will allow a pharmacy student with limited financial resources an opportunity to participate in the IPSF Student Exchange Programme, and will cover the Student Exchange Programme fee and part of the travel expenses (bus, train, or flight tickets) from the applicant’s home country to the country in which the exchange will take place. Completed application forms with signatures must be submitted to the Development Fund Coordinator (df@ipsf.org) AND Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) as a word document or PDF by May 15, 2018 at 11:59pm GMT+0. Applications must be sent to both the Development Fund Coordinator and Chairperson of Student Exchange to be included in the selection process. When sending your application, please rename the file to specify the Student Exchange Programme grant and your name: “Student Exchange Programme Grant - Insert Name”. All applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision by June 30, 2018.
Ms. Safiye Çağansel IPSF Chairperson of Student Exchange 2017-18 sep@ipsf.org Ms. Tiffany Lee IPSF Development Fund Coordinator 2017-18 df@ipsf.org International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation www.ipsf.org
1. Background The main aim of the IPSF Development Fund is to give each and every pharmacy student an equal opportunity to fully participate in IPSF activities. This opportunity is also intended to help students promote IPSF within their schools of pharmacy and countries. Currently the IPSF Development Fund Committee releases a total of 8 grants per year: Associations/Organisation level o Membership grant o Project grant, biannual o Compounding event grant o Training Development Camp grant Members level o World Congress event grant o Regional event grant o Student Exchange Programme grant
2. Qualifications Individuals who wish to apply must: 1. Be currently studying for their first pharmacy degree OR a recent graduate (up to four years after the date of their graduation) 2. Be an IPSF member through an IPSF Member Organization (Full Member of Member in Association) or as an Individual Member For applicants participating in Winter SEP (October-March), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form is either marked as placed or successful in the SEP database. For applicants participating in Summer SEP (April-September), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form is marked as placed in the SEP database.
3. Selection Procedures 3.1 The decision-making committee is comprised of the Development Fund Committee and Student Exchange Committee, which consists of five member representatives from five different countries, the Treasurer, Chairperson of Student Exchange, and the Development Fund Coordinator who chairs the committee. This committee corresponds via email and discusses issues relating to the selection process and ways to optimize the impact of the Student Exchange Programme grant at the local and international level. 3.2 The applicant is an IPSF member, either through a Full Member organisation or Member in Association or as an Individual Member. The applicant is expected to provide accurate information and add any additional information that would be relevant in the consideration of the application form. If selected to receive the grant, a recipient is expected to: Submit the following documentation: o Required travel tickets and other travel documents indicating travel expenses during the exchange, and o A certificate completed by the applicant’s supervisor, indicating their successful completion of the exchange Produce a written report addressed to the Development Fund Committee and the IPSF Executive Committee detailing the applicant’s experiences during their exchange. This report may be published in the IPSF News Bulletin, IPSF Newsletter or on the IPSF website. All documentation and the written report must be submitted no later than 1 month after completion of the applicant’s exchange to the Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) and the Development Fund Coordinator (df@ipsf.org), or the grant may be withdrawn at the decision-making committee’s discretion. All applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision by June 30, 2018.
4. Grant Coverage and Criteria The awarded grant will allow a pharmacy student with limited financial resources an opportunity to participate in the IPSF Student Exchange Programme by covering the Student Exchange Programme fee and part of the travel expenses (bus, train, or flight tickets) from the applicant’s home country to the country in which the exchange occurs. The maximum value of the grant will be 1000 euros. If the actual costs incurred are less than the awarded grant, only the amount of the actual costs will be reimbursed. Priority will be given to individuals who: Are in their final year of studies, Have not received a SEP grant before, Send a detailed and transparent application, and Have a well-structured motivation letter and valid arguments. Please note that special attention will be given based on the ratio of the income and country of the applicant to the money required for the exchange. The total number of grants awarded will be decided after the application deadline, and will depend on the total number of quality applications received and the grant budget available. However, the maximum number of awarded SEP grants per country will be three. The grant will be paid via bank transfer only after completing the exchange and submission of the required documents.
5. Issues to be taken into consideration 5.1 Sponsors Applicants are expected to try and find sponsorship from other bodies apart from the IPSF Development Fund. National, local, and private bodies often have a budget to support these kinds of initiatives. It is advised to reach out to potential sponsors as soon as possible, as it often takes time to receive an answer. You may even be surprised and secure more sponsors than you initially anticipated!
6. Situations and Consequences To avoid any misunderstanding of the procedures, misuse of the grant, or reduction in the grants awarded each year, this section has been added to dissuade potential applicants from hiding any relevant information or from providing incomplete or false information on their application form. It is an applicant’s responsibility to inform the Development Fund Coordinator of any changes in the information stated in the application form as soon as the applicant is aware of any new information. It is recommended that all applicants retain a copy of their application form to remember what has been stated in the application. If any change of circumstances occurs after submission of the application form, please inform the Development Fund Coordinator as soon as possible. Any applicant awarded a Development Fund grant and later found to have misused funds will not be eligible to receive any Development Fund grants in the next five years. If the grant has been paid before the misuse has been identified, then the applicant must pay the grant fully or partly back to the IPSF Development Fund as determined by the Development Fund Committee and the IPSF Executive Committee. The Development Fund Committee reserves the right to withdraw or reduce any grant given to an applicant if any of the following situations arising: Information relevant to the selection process was hidden from the Development Fund Committee by the applicant, Information stated by the applicant is later identified as being inaccurate or false and the applicant failed to notify the Development Fund Committee about the necessary changes required in the application, New information concerning the financial situation of the applicant was not provided (such as a new sponsor, more money available than was originally stated etc.), Failure to submit the required documentation and/or receipts or submission of incomplete documentation, or Other situations at the discretion of the Development Fund Committee.
IPSF Development Fund 2017-18
Student Exchange Programme Grant Application Please read the entire call carefully before completing the application form. Every section of this application form must be completed in order to be valid. An application will only be considered if sections A, B, C, D, and E have been completed, the application electronically signed by inserting the relevant name, and relevant documents sent in. Please email the completed application to the Development Fund Coordinator (df@ipsf.org) AND the Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) as a word document or PDF by May 15, 2018 at 11:59pm GMT+0. Applications must be sent to both the Development Fund Coordinator and Chairperson of Student Exchange to be included in the selection process. When sending your application, please rename the file to specify the Student Exchange Programme grant and your name: “Student Exchange Programme Grant - Insert Name�.
SECTION A. Applicant Details Personal Details Full Name (Mr / Ms / Mrs) Date of Birth Full Address Country Telephone Number Email Passport and Visa Information Current Passport Number Valid until: Visa requirements SEP Details IPSF Member Organization OR Individual Member Number SEP Application Form ID Status of Application Length of Exchange Does not include personal travel arrangements before or after exchange, state the period of internship/placement only Previous SEP experience If yes, country: Study Details Name of School of Pharmacy at which you are studying Address Email Degree to be received Total length of study Date of graduation (expected)
IPSF Involvement Briefly discuss your involvement within your national association and within IPSF (Max: 400 words).
Word Count
SECTION B. Financial Details Please make sure to attach the relevant documents regarding the applicant’s financial status in English and in PDF format: a. Proof of applicant’s income, such as a pay check or statement with the amount of money received per month or per year, if applicable b. Proof of received scholarships, grants, or loans stating the amount of money received per month or per year, if applicable Your National Currency Exchange Rate on 1 Euro (€) Exchange Rate on 1 Euro (€) by Treasurer Monthly Income Income Type Applicant’s Income Scholarship or Grant Money Sponsorship for Exchange Loans Please specify student or other From university, as deducted from tuition fees
[To be completed by Treasurer]
National Currency
Euro (€)
National Currency
Euro (€)
Family allowance Money from family for expenses Other sources of income Please specify:
TOTAL Monthly Expenditures Income Type Tuition Rent or housing Electricity, gas, water Phone and internet Food and groceries Books, stationary, school supplies Clothing, shoes, personal hygiene Other sources of expenditure Please specify:
TOTAL Note: Living expenses are considered as necessary costs for living that are paid by the applicant personally. For example, food, accommodation, electricity fees, and study costs, but not unnecessary costs like holidays. Financial Background Total Family Income
National Currency
Euro (€)
Sources of Family Income Eg. Father, mother, siblings, investments, assets No. of Dependents in Household How many family members depend on your parents’ income Travel Plans Expenses National Currency
Euro (€)
Estimated travel and visa expenses to attend IPSF event Please complete the table below detailing your estimated travel route and the corresponding costs. Please note that only one row will need to be completed for a direct travel option. For a travel plan which involves multiple modes of transportation, each leg of the journey should be listed on a separate row. For example: Row 1: Flight Amsterdam, The Netherland to Cairo, Egypt; Row 2: Bus Cairo, Egypt to Hurghada, Egypt, and so on. Destination Estimated Costs in Route and Means of Source of the Information Each leg of the journey Euros (€) Transportation Website, travel agency, etc. on a separate row Including return travel Please attach electronic document if available.
Sponsorship Details State the names of any bodies in your country which you have already contacted for sponsorship, when you contacted them, and the results of the request(s). If no sponsors were contacted, please explain why. Sponsor Name Date of Contact Response Received and Sponsorship Value Date of Response (Euros)
SECTION C. Motivation Letter Detail your reasons below for applying for the grant (Max: 500 words). Please discuss the following: Why are you an ideal candidate for the grant? What are your reasons for participating in the Student Exchange Programme? What do you hope to gain through participating in the Student Exchange Programme? Why did you choose the country or area you were selected for an exchange in? Applicants should include any additional information that may be relevant. As this section is seriously considered during the selection process, applicants are reminded of the importance of stating clear and realistic reasons for participating in SEP, with a focus on the personal, national, and international impact a SEP experience can have.
Word Count
SECTION D. Letter of Support A letter of support, signed or stamped, from the Dean or Professor at which the applicant is studying must be attached as a separate electronic PDF document. If the applicant is a recent graduate, a support letter may instead be obtained from an employer, or from their alma mater’s Dean or Professor.
SECTION E. Signatures By signing this application, you declare that: 1. The information stated above is to the best of my knowledge, complete and accurate; 2. In the event of any changes in the information stated above, I will notify the Development Fund Coordinator (df@ipsf.org) and Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) without delay in order to prevent the potential withdrawal of the grant (if the application is successful); 3. I have fully read and agree to comply with all the above conditions and guidelines. APPLICANT Signature Name Date Email