Study Groups

To stimulate and facilitate interaction among European researchers working in specific fields of immunology, thereby helping to create European platforms on a topic-oriented, bottom-up level, EFIS – in collaboration with its Official Journal Immunology Letters (IL) – invites proposals for the establishment of EFIS-IL Study Groups on specific areas of immunology-related research.

Original study group formation discussions in Berlin, 2019. 

About

EFIS-IL Study Groups should have a core of representatives from at least 3 European countries, with one speaker/coordinator nominated from this group with whom EFIS will interact. The core proponents must be members of EFIS-affiliated Societies. Study Groups will have a demographic distribution and gender balance that is as broad and inclusive as possible. The participation of junior scientists should be particularly encouraged. EFIS-IL Study Groups will be established by decision of the EFIS Board, and will initially be established for a period of three years. EFIS supports EFIS-IL Study Groups with a max. contribution of EUR 2.500 per group per year.

At an organizational level, EFIS-IL Study Groups will be expected to meet at least once a year, either at a standalone event, or at a satellite meeting on occasion of a larger event. Participants will be expected to present their ongoing research, be it with an oral or a poster presentation. In any case, an EFIS-IL Study Group meeting should be low-budget, with attendees covering respective participation expenses on their own, and EFIS-IL support being used to offset general organizational costs (e.g., venue-related fees, the participation of external keynote guests, an informal social gathering). Importantly, while Study Groups will likely dedicate the core of funding primarily to cover meeting costs, they may - at their discretion - use the support for other purposes (e.g., short secondments between labs, sharing of reagents, etc.).

EFIS-IL Study Groups will be expected to commit to assembling from among its participants content suitable for a Special Issue of Immunology Letters within the first three years of its establishment.