It is an expectation that the FCE Directory and/or Associate Directory attend the Annual FOCIS meeting and FCE Directors Meeting on a regular basis and have trainee representation at the Annual FOCIS Meeting. There is no term limit for an FCE Director.
United States or Canadian-based FCEs should be represented at the Director’s meeting at least once every two years, and International FCEs should be represented at the Director’s meeting at least every three years. If United States or Canadian-based FCEs do not attend the Director’s meeting for four consecutive years, the FCE will be considered inactive. If International FCEs do not attend the Director’s meeting for six consecutive years, the FCE will be considered inactive.
FCEs are also required to submit a renewal application every five years. Renewals will be evaluated using the point system summarized below, with the expectation that each United States or Canadian-based FCEs should accumulate 12 points every five years and each International FCE should accumulate 8 points every five years. If a center is below this point threshold, the FCE is considered inactive. The FCE Directory may elect to disband the FCE or to make changes so that the activity expectations are met within two years. At least one point must be generated annually to maintain active status. FOCIS staff will monitor participation on an annual basis and provide an annual summary to each FCE Director.
Annual Participation in FOCIS activities (1 point for each attendee/each program)
- FCE Directory and/or Associate Directory attend the Annual FCE Directors Meeting
- FCE trainees* attend the annual FCE Fusion event at the FOCIS Annual Meeting
- FCE members submit abstracts to the FOCIS Annual Meeting
- One or more FCE trainees* attend the Advanced Course in Basic & Clinical Immunology
- FCE representatives attend a FOCISed Course or FOCIS-affiliated educational activities, such as the Basic Immunology in Medicine course; Cancer Immunity & Immunotherapy course; Interventional Immunology course; Systems Immunology course; European Advanced Course
- Contribute to FOCIS publications
- Collaborated with another FCE in a research or educational activity, this may include activities such as co-submission of grants, co-authorship on publication, participation in multi-center clinical trials
- Other collaborative research activities that provide evidence of engagement in the overall FCE spirit such as sample sharing, fundraising for FOCIS events, or participating in organization and/or teaching in FOCIS-sponsored events
*Trainees include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows (post-PhD), and post-health professional fellows (e.g., medicine, dentistry) conducting research at an academic institution.