New for 2011: ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme

Closing date for applications for the IESP Programme 2012: 31 December 2011

Purpose of the ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme (IESP):

The ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme is aimed at promoting the career development of young endocrinologists from around the globe by identifying talented young investigators and offering them an exceptional training experience.

Ideal candidates are post-doctoral endocrinologists with promising leadership skills and at the top rank with respect to intelligence, motivation, prior accomplishments, and English language skills. Once selected, the recipients receive counsel through a unique mentoring programme that helps them find financial support, advice and esteemed training opportunities.
The purpose of the programme is to select highly qualified candidates who wish to gain training for a period of 2-3 years in an outstanding laboratory. Individuals with an MD, PhD, DVM, MD/PhD (or equivalent degree) who have completed at least two but no more than five years of research training after receiving their PhD are eligible; clinically qualified candidates should have advanced or completed training.

The training focuses on laboratory-based research; clinically qualified candidates could have an additional clinical observer status, if relevant. However, clinical training is not part of the program. It is expected that the candidates will return to their home country after the training.

The ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme (IESP) is part of an integrated effort to facilitate collaboration among scientists working around the world and has the long range goal to develop an interactive relationship between the IESP Scholars, The Endocrine Society and the European Society of Endocrinology that continues after the return of the IESP Scholars to their home countries. A key element of this plan is to select Scholars who will later become leaders in Endocrinology in their home countries and internationally.

What the IESP Programme offers:

Successful candidates will be invited to attend both The Endocrine Society and European Society of Endocrinology annual meetings. Travel, registration, accommodation and reasonable expenses to ENDO and ECE will be covered by The Endocrine Society for attendance to ENDO and the European Society of Endocrinology for attendance to ECE.

Upon selection as an International Scholar, the individual receives free membership to The Endocrine Society and the European Society of Endocrinology for a period of three years.

Selected ESE ENDO IESP Scholars will receive an award of €5000 to cover visits to potential host labs. In addition, if the Scholar decides on a host lab in Europe (PI has to be ENDO or ESE member or both), ESE will provide a scholarship award of €25000 as pump-priming for a research period of six months. This money will be released in collaboration with the proposed host institution and after receipt of a two-page research outline and a letter of support from the proposed host Principal Investigator (PI), who has to provide evidence of ENDO/ESE membership.

Note: The scholarship award has to be taken up within 12 months of the ECE meeting during which the award has been presented.

The International Scholar will be invited meet the international IESP selection panel at ECE and ENDO, with an opportunity to present his/her previous work and future research plans. One or two mentors will be provided for each International Scholar during the ENDO and ESE annual meetings. These will assist the International Scholar in the selection of talks to attend and allow introduction to several Society members. 

Successful International Scholars will take part in an interview process at The Endocrine Society annual meeting (ENDO), where they will interview with directors of several laboratories with the purpose of choosing the most appropriate laboratory for training. The International Scholars will have similar opportunities during the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE).

When the International Scholars have been selected, a designated member of the ENDO International Scholars Task force and the two mentors from the ESE ENDO IESP selection panel will send the CV and letters of recommendation to Principal Investigators (PIs) of the several laboratories selected according to the International Scholars’ preferences and areas of research, along with documents fully explaining the ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme. When the PIs respond positively an interview is set up at the ENDO annual meeting using the auspices of the Placement Service of The Endocrine Society. Similarly, the European Society of Endocrinology will assist with setting up meetings with prospective host PIs during the European Congress of Endocrinology.

The International Scholars will be offered positions by the individual laboratory directors and arrangements for starting dates and salaries will be made directly with them. The International Scholars will then choose which laboratory they would like to work in and when they start the position.

It is expected that the training laboratory director will provide assistance in the development of the career of the International Scholar after they return to his or her home country. This will be in the form of providing advice, reagents, help in writing of grants, and agreement to collaborate in research projects.

Application process for the IESP Programme 2012:

Eligibility for application is open to candidates from Europe (as defined by the ESE Byelaws) including the ESE Affiliated Society members and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Eligible candidates should submit the following documents by the deadline 31 December 2011:

  1. A standard IESP CV (MS Word) (221kb)
  2. A short description of the area of his/her research (no more than one paragraph)
  3. A list of the laboratories where the candidate would like to work and the e-mail addresses of the laboratory directors (if possible)
  4. Three letters of recommendation from mentors or supervisors

All documents must be submitted by email to info@euro-endo.org by the deadline stated. Please note that all applicants will be notified whether they have been successful or not. The decision of the ESE ENDO IESP Selection Committee is final.

The ESE ENDO IESP Selection committee will review the applications and select the European candidates who will become International Scholars. The selected candidates will be ratified by the IESP task force of The Endocrine Society.

The ESE ENDO IESP Selection Committee comprises clinical and basic scientists across Europe with active involvement in their respective national societies and the European Society of Endocrinology, with a strong interest in furthering training and career development, a significant level of scientific expertise and experience in training young scientists. The committee membership takes into account geographical consideration to ensure a good distribution of members across different regions, though due to sheer numbers of affiliated national societies it will not be possible to have a member from each ESE member country at any given time.

ESE ENDO IESP Selection Committee:

Wiebke Arlt, UK (Chair)
Felix Beuschlein, Germany
Mihail Coculescu, Romania
Eric Fliers, Netherlands
Sevim Gullu, Turkey
Frances Hayes, Ireland
Ilpo Huhtaniemi, Finland
Peter Igaz, Hungary
Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, Greece
Kristian Løvås, Norway
Marek Niedziela, Poland
Luca Persani, Italy
Marija Pfeifer, Slovenia
Valdis Pirags, Latvia
Vera Popovic, Serbia
Patrice Rodien, France
Manuel Tena-Sempere, Spain
Allan Vaag, Denmark

For further information regarding the ENDO ESE International Endocrine Scholars Programme please contact info@euro-endo.org