IPSF Development Fund 2016-2017
Student Exchange Programme Grant (SEP Grant) 2017 Guidelines for Development Fund Applicants Please read carefully before completing the application form
1. Introduction Thank you for your interest in the IPSF Development Fund SEP Grant, 2016-2017. In this document you will find a brief description of the Development Fund, what documents you will need to send in order to have a valid application and what happens to your application when you have sent it to the Development Fund Coordinator and the Student Exchange Coordinator. If you have any questions regarding the information given below or completing your application, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email to df@ipsf.org or sep@ipsf.org. We will be happy to answer your questions and help you deliver a good application. Remember, the deadline for sending in your application is 15th of May 2017 11:59PM GMT+0. Good luck! 2. 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 promote IPSF within their Schools of Pharmacy and countries. This is the application form for the Student Exchange Programme (SEP) Grant. Through the Student Exchange Programme more than 900 students worldwide receive the opportunity of working in community, hospital, industrial, administrative or academic pharmacy sectors in other countries, in order to learn about pharmacy education, research and practice outside their home nations. The programme also enables cultural exchange between pharmacy students around the globe. These guidelines were designed to ensure that potential applicants are fully aware of the selection process and also accept the expectations, restrictions and consequences of an application. It is essential that applicants understand this grant is given to allow a pharmacy student with limited financial resources an opportunity to participate in the IPSF Student Exchange Programme. The grant is awarded to cover part of the travel expenses (bus, train or flight tickets) from the applicant’s home country to the country in which the exchange occurs and also the Student Exchange Programme (SEP) fee.
3. Eligibility criteria and grant coverage Eligible candidates must be currently studying for their pharmacy undergraduate degree (first pharmacy degree) or recent graduate of their first pharmacy degree (up to four years after the date of their graduation). An applicant may be an IPSF member through an IPSF Member Organization (Full Member or Member in Association) or as an Individual Member (currently undergraduate or recent graduate of their first pharmacy degree). For applicants who participate in Winter SEP (October-March), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form (AF) is either marked PLACED or SUCCESSFUL in the SEP database (http://sep.ipsf.org). For applicants who participate in Summer SEP (April-September), they may only apply for the grant after their Student Exchange Application Form (AF) is marked PLACED in the SEP database (http://sep.ipsf.org). The SEP Grant will cover part of the travel expenses (bus, train or flight tickets) from the applicant’s home country to the country in which the exchange occurs, and the SEP fee. The maximum value of the grant will be 1000 Euro. If the actual costs incurred are less than the awarded grant, the amount of the actual costs only will be paid. The grant will be paid via bank transfer only after completing the exchange and submission of the required documents. In addition to the travel expenses, the student exchange fee of the applicant will be returned to the respective member organization, or to the applicant in the case of an individual member. The total number of grants awarded will be decided after the deadline for receipt of applications, and will be dependent on the total number of quality applications received and on the grant budget available. The maximum number of awarded SEP grants per country will be three. 4. Completing the application form Please ensure the application form is completed accurately, and any other information relevant to the selection process is added to the form. Every section must be completed for the application form to be considered valid. All applicants must provide accurate information and include any information relevant to the application. Please also attach the following documents in English, all in PDF format: 1) Letter of support signed and stamped as appropriate from an authority figure from the student’s Faculty/University (Dean, Vice Dean, Professor) OR from the president of the student’s association. 2) Relevant documents regarding the financial status of the applicant: a. Proof of applicant’s income and outcome stating the average monthly salary per member of the family (the original document and the one in English); b. Proof of received studentships/scholarships, stating the amount of money received per month or per year, if applicable (the original document and the one in English); c.
Proof of pay check/job salary, stating the amount of money received per month or per year, if applicable (the original document and the one in English).
All the English documents must be validated (signed) by an authority figure from the student’s Faculty/University (Dean, Vice Dean, Professor) OR by the Contact Person (CP) of the student’s association. Applicants are advised to provide up to date, accurate and detailed information regarding their financial background. 5. Submission of the application form Applicants should submit an electronic version of the application form. An electronic application form enables the Development Fund and Student Exchange Committee members begin the decision process as early as possible. The electronic version should be e-mailed with the subject [SEP Grant_name_Association_Country] to the Development Fund Co-ordinator (df@ipsf.org) and the IPSF Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) until 15th of May 2017 11:59PM GMT+0. Applications that haven’t been sent both to DF Coordinator and Chairperson of Student Exchange won’t be included in the selection process . Please note that the IPSF Development Fund Committee and IPSF Student Exchange Committee reserve the right to request further information, or contact any relevant persons in order to verify the authenticity of the documents sent.
6. SEP Grant Selection Procedure The decision-making committee, who will consider valid applications, incorporates the Chairperson of Student Exchange, the IPSF Development Fund Committee (consisting of three representatives from three different member countries and the Development Fund Coordinator) and the IPSF Treasurer. This committee corresponds via e-mail and discusses issues relating to the grant selection process at online meetings, give opinions on ways to optimize the impact of the Student Exchange Programme Grant and other Development Fund Grants at local and international levels. Successful applicants will be notified by the DF Coordinator before the 15th June 2017 11:59PM GMT + 0. Priority will be given to students: Who are in their final year of studies; Who did not receive a SEP Grant before: Who send a very detailed and transparent application; Who have a very well structured motivation letter with valid arguments Special attention will be given to the ratio of the income of the applicant/country of the applicant and the necessary money for SEP.
7. Receiving SEP Grant If an applicant is selected to receive the grant, the following documentation must be submitted: Required travel tickets and other travel documents indicating travel costs incurred during the exchange; A certificate completed by the applicant’s supervisor, indicating their successful completion of the exchange; A general report or an article (including 2-3 photos) for the IPSF Newsletter outlining the applicant’s experiences during their exchange (no more than 1000 words). A maximum time period of 1 months will be granted, after the completion of the applicant’s exchange, to submit all the required information and documents to the Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) and IPSF Development Fund Coordinator (df@ipsf.org). 8. Situations and Consequences To avoid any misunderstanding of the procedure, misuse of the grant or reduction in the grants awarded each year, this section has been added to dissuade any potential applicant from hiding any relevant information or from providing incomplete or false information on their application form. It is your responsibility to inform the Chairperson of Student Exchange and the Development Fund Coordinator of any changes in the information stated in your application form as soon as you are aware of any new information. We recommend applicants retain a copy of their application form to remember what has been stated in their application. Any applicant awarded a SEP Grant and later found to misuse funds will not be eligible for any Development Fund Grant in the future. The Development Fund and Student Exchange Committees reserve the right to withdraw or reduce any grant given to an applicant in the event of any of the following situations arising:
Information relevant to the selection process was hidden from the Development Fund and Student Exchange Committees by an applicant; Information stated by an applicant is later identified as being inaccurate or false and the applicant failed to notify the Development Fund Coordinator or Chairperson of Student Exchange about the necessary changes required to the application; Failure to submit the required documentation or submission of incomplete documentation; Any disciplinary problems relating to the SEP or otherwise; Other situations at the discretion of the Development Fund and Student Exchange Committees.
IPSF Development Fund SEP Grant 2017: 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, and the declarations electronically signed by inserting the relevant name. Please complete the application form as a Microsoft Word document and return the form electronically via email to the Development Fund Co-ordinator (df@ipsf.org) AND Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) before the 15th May 2017 11:59 PM GMT+0.
SECTION A PERSONAL DETAILS Full Name
Mr / Mrs / Miss
Date of Birth Full Address
Country Nationality Telephone Number Fax Number Email Current Passport Number Valid until: Visa Requirements IPSF Member Organization OR Individual Member Number SEP Application Form ID Status of Application Length of Exchange (Days) (Does not include personal travel arrangements before or after exchange. State the period of internship/placement only)
STUDY DETAILS Name of School of Pharmacy at which you are studying
Address
Email Website Qualification you will receive Total length of course Date of graduation (expected) Previous SEP experience
Yes ☐or No ☐
Country
INVOLVEMENT WITHIN YOUR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND WITHIN IPSF (Maximum 400 Words)
Word Count
SECTION B FINANCIAL DETAILS Your National Currency Exchange rate on 1 Euro (€) Exchange rate on 1 Euro (€)
[TREASURER TO COMPLETE]
Verified by Treasurer on 15th May 2017
Monthly Income Income Type
National Currency
Euro
Applicant’s Income Scholarship/Grant Money Sponsorship for Exchange Loans, please specify student or other Family Allowance (money from family for expenses) Other sources of income, please specify
TOTAL Monthly Expenditure Income Type
National Currency
Euro
Rent or housing Electricity, gas, water Phone & Internet Food & Groceries Tuition Books, stationary, school supplies Clothing, shoes, personal hygiene Other sources of expenditure, please specify
TOTAL (Living expenses are considered as necessary costs for living that are paid by the applicant personally. For example food, accommodation expenses (flat rent), electricity fees and study costs (books etc.) 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 and Expenses
Estimated travel and visa expenses to attend the IPSF event (state for return journey)
National Currency
Euro
(Please complete the below table as appropriate 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. However for a travel plan which involves a number of modes of transport 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 etc.)
Destination(each leg of the journey on a separate row)
Estimated Costs (including return travel)
Route and means of Transportation
Source of the information (Website/travel agency etc) If you have an electronic document please attach it
SPONSORSHIP DETAILS State the names of any bodies in your country which you have already contacted for sponsorship, when you contacted them and the actual or possible results of the request (s):
SPONSOR
CONTACT DATE
RESULT
IPSF can give advice about approaching sponsors in your home country. Applicants are expected to try and find sponsorship from other bodies apart from the IPSF Development Fund, and to explain why if this has not been done.
SECTION C MOTIVATION In this section applicants should detail their reasons for applying for the grant. They must cover the following topics: -
Characteristics that makes them the ideal candidate for getting the grant
-
Reasons for participating in SEP
-
Explanation of what a student can gain through SEP
-
The main lessons they can take back to their country
-
Justification of the areas and countries chosen
Students must also include any additional information that may be relevant and should state whether if this is their first time applying for Student Exchange Programme. In the event that a previous application has been made for SEP please state the circumstances of such an application. As this section is seriously considered during the selection process, applicants are reminded of the importance of stating clear and realistic reasons for their SEP participation, with a focus on the personal, national and international impact that a SEP experience may create. The length of the motivation should be no longer than 500 words and it should state not only travel interests, but also other motivation related to obtaining the SEP Grant.
Word Count
SECTION D LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM SCHOOL OF PHARMACY To be completed by the Head of School or Dean of the Department of Pharmacy at which the applicant is studying. The Head of School or Dean should confirm that the statements made by the applicant in Sections A and B of this form are complete and accurate – therefore they must have seen a copy of the completed application form. The letter of support should be attached as a separate Word Document.
SECTION E DECLARATION I declare that: 1. I have read the guidelines and both understand their meaning, respect them and I hereby agree to comply to all the above conditions stated. 2. I accept the consequences undertaken by the Development Fund Committee if I fail to respect these rules 3. The information stated is to the best of my knowledge, complete and accurate. 4. I will notify the Chairperson of Student Exchange (sep@ipsf.org) and the Development Fund Co-ordinator (df@ipsf.org) of any changes in the information stated above without delay. 5. I accept that in the event of my application being successful, the Development Fund and Student Exchange Committees reserve the right to withdraw the grant if any of the situations stated in the section “Situations and consequences” of the guidelines occurs. 6. If this application is successful, I will respect the duties and responsibilities of the applicant as stated in the guidelines written at the beginning of the application form. APPLICANT
Signature Name Date
Please ensure you have: a) read the guidelines carefully b) completed all sections of the Application form, in as much detail as possible c) sent an electronic copy of the Application Form to df@ipsf.org AND sep@ipsf.org d) attached all supporting documents such as letters of support and financial documents.