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How to submit a successful scholarship application
Careful planning and high motivation are crucial in winning a scholarship grant
Dr. Stéphane Larré
Academic Urology
Department
University of Reims
Reims (FR)
stephanelarre@
yahoo.fr
The European Urological Scholarship Programme
(EUSP) of the EAU offers financial support (€33,000/
year) for talented young urologists wishing to develop
a one-year laboratory or clinical research project in a
leading centre within the European Union.
The aim of the EUSP board is to select high quality
projects to facilitate research, share knowledge and
create a network of research connections in Europe.
Unfortunately, only a few of the projects received were
selected because of insufficient quality. Following a
previous article printed in this newsletter on how to
apply (Ribal, page 2 EUT Oct/Nov 2012), this article
aims to help applicants to produce higher quality
projects and increase acceptance rate by the EUSP
board. The assessment of an applicant’s project by the
EUSP board focuses on three aspects: the applicant,
the project and the host institution (see Table).
The applicant
The applicant should be less than 40 years of age and
should have some experience in research. He or she
must have had at least laboratory experience when
applying for a Laboratory Scholarship, or database
handling and experience in statistics when applying
for a Clinical Scholarship.
Applicants who have previously spent some time in
the host institution to prepare their project produce
higher quality projects and have a better chance to
have their application accepted. Therefore, the EUSP
institution, to guarantee that working conditions are
board encourages applicants to apply first to a short
optimal. To help the applicant choose a centre of
Visit programme of the EUSP (up to €2,000 for a
excellence, the EUSP board will produce a list of
period of three weeks) and to prepare their project
centres of excellence in Europe based on, but not
It is also very important that the applicant has clinical with the host institution. This will also confirm that
limited to, the EAU Section Office’s recommendations.
both host and applicant have engaged in a strong
experience from a university-based urological
residency programme and that he/she is on track with collaboration.
Talented urologists
regards to his/her academic career. The interest in
In summary, scholarship programmes are tailored for
The host
research will have to be confirmed by the home
talented young urologists seeking academic careers
The host must be a European institution outside the
institution, with a precise return career plan that
and who wish to boost their research/clinical skills for
explains how the applicant’s skills, learned during his country where the applicant is currently working. It
a year in a foreign European country. The project must
scholarship, will be of benefit to the home institution. must be an EUSP recognised centre of excellence in
be realistic and clinically relevant and the host
the research field of the applicant and should ideally
institution should be a centre of excellence with
be EBU-certified. The host must have published at
Future research possibilities and a career plan that
experienced supervisors. In some circumstances, this
least five articles referenced in PubMed in the
will be offered to the applicant should be clarified in
one-year scholarship can be extended for another
a letter of recommendation from the chairman of the proposed field of the applicant’s research within the
year when the applicant’s integration and research
last five years.
home institution. Finally, should his application be
work are highly satisfactory (based on publications/
pre-selected, the applicant will be invited to present
reports), and extending the scholarship would be
There must also be a functional laboratory/clinic with beneficial for the applicant, the host and the quality of
his project to the EUSP board. The applicant should
sufficient manpower to supervise the project. Both
produce a compelling English presentation during
the research.A one-year scholarship is a wonderful
host and home institutions must deliver a declaration experience that can boost academic careers,
this interview and be able to adequately respond to
of interest in research programmes. Regarding this
the board’s questions.
knowledge and networks within Europe, aside from
point it is again very useful for the applicant to have
being a superb cultural experience. Don’t miss it
spent some time to prepare the project in the host
The project
before you’re 40 years of age.
The quality of the project is of paramount importance.
It should be a project of excellence with high clinical
Applicant’s Evaluation Criteria
significance and transfer. Your project’s aim should
EUSP Programme Criteria for One-year programmes (S - Lab Scholarship) (CS - Clinical Scholarship)
help the clinician to improve the quality of care. It
(EAU membership and age restriction are the first two conditions)
should be easy to understand, and have a structured
Applicant
Medline Publications (at least 1 PubMed publication as first author- original article)
working plan with clear background, objectives and
Significant English language experience
methods.
same topic as its research project. Indeed, the more
original articles, published as first author, the better it
will be. The potential candidate should also have a
significant English language experience (confirmed by
the ability to write an English paper) and, ideally, also
some knowledge of the host country’s language.
The project must be feasible to implement within a
year and with a credible time frame. Too ambitious or
unrealistic projects have a lesser chance to be
accepted. If ethics approval is required for the project,
As a result, the candidate must have published at
authorisation must be obtained at the time of
least one original article referenced in PubMed as first application. This is because the time needed to obtain
author from his/her previous research experience,
ethics approval could be very long and this could
preferably in an international journal focusing on the seriously hamper your chances to successfully
accomplish your project. Thus, it is very important to
prepare your project with care, and in close
European Urological Scholarship Programme Office
collaboration with the host institution.
Project
Host
Clinical experience in an university-based urological residency programme or future job in academic career
Lab research experience for S, database handling and experience in statistics for CS
Declaration of interest in research programme from home institution
Letter of recommendation from chairman of home institution (including research transfer plan, future academic
career options for applicant)
Return plan – transfer of research to home institution, future research possibilities, career planning
Compelling presentation of programme to EUSP Board
Research project of excellence (S - with clinical significance & transfer)
Structured working plan and ethics approval
Accomplishable working plan with conclusive time frame
Previous preparatory visit in the host centre
Host institution of high reputation in proposed field of research (at least 5 PubMed publications in the last 5 years)
Existing and functional host laboratory/clinic with manpower to supervise project
Declaration of interest in research programme from host institution
EUSP programme: A gift for young urologists
Observation fellowship at Barts provides insights and skills in endourology
Dr. Theocharis
Karaolides
St. Bartholomew’s
Hospital
Dept. of Urology
London (GB)
charikara@
gmail.com
• Numerous operations performed every week,
many of them in complex cases which are
referred by other hospitals;
• International workshops on various endourology
subjects such as PCNL and metallic ureteric and
urethral stents which are regularly held every
year;
• Daily doctor–led ESWL sessions including
emergency ESWL sessions for patients with
symptomatic ureteric stones; and
• Specialised “stone clinic” serving dozens of
patients every week.
As I was nearing the end of my training almost a year
ago, I planned the next steps in my career, and one of Thus, I consider it a privilege to be accepted in Barts
my main priorities was to expand my knowledge and “stone team” and to have the opportunity to
skills in endourology.
participate in all these activities. “We can tell a good
day from the morning,” as we say in Greece. Indeed, I
The truth is if it wasn’t for the European Urological
was also lucky to begin my clinical visit when a
Scholarship Programme (EUSP) programme my
congress dedicated to urolithiasis took place in
options would have been limited within the
London- the 1st Meeting of the EAU Section of
boundaries of Greece. Perhaps, there could not be a
Urolithiasis (EULIS).
better way to start than a clinical visit in Barts Hospital
in London, one of the best endourology departments
“The department has a leading
in the UK. You can imagine my delight when Mr.
Buchholz, head of the department, kindly accepted my expertise in PCNL and has already
application, which in turn was approved by the EUSP.
My clinical visit to Barts Hospital started in September
2011 and for the next two-and-a-half months I had the
opportunity to be involved in all levels of stone
management as performed in this tertiary stone
centre. With two dedicated consultants, a registrar
trainee who has a special interest in stones, two
endourology fellows and a fellow for ESWL, the
Department of Endourology and Stone Services of
Barts delivers ideal services in stone management.
Several activities of the department are difficult to
find in many hospitals globally, such as the following:
European Urological Scholarship Programme Office
4
European Urology Today
developed and published two
special techniques on patient
positioning for this procedure.”
Stone Services of Barts is remarkable. The department
has a leading expertise in PCNL and has already
developed and published two special techniques on
patient positioning for this procedure.
One can only be impressed by the highly organised
team and the effectiveness of the PCNL procedures as
they are performed in Barts.
I would probably never be able to understand so
clearly how the supine position is not only easier but
perhaps also safer for performing PCNL, as I did at
Barts. I saw the advantage of having simultaneous
antegrade and retrograde access when performing
endoscopic intrarenal surgery which allows the
performance of versatile and fascinating endourologic
operations. I was impressed by the number of difficult
cases such as medically obese patients and complete
staghorn stones that require multiple access tracts.
The department has three digital ureteroscopes with
amazing image clarity and advanced ergonomics. I
also learned about the use of the metallic ureteric
stents for strictures or obstruction of the ureters from
extrinsic compression. Many cases are referred to
Barts for this treatment. In Barts this technique has
even been applied with very good results to patients
with transplanted kidneys that have strictures.
With Mr. Buchholz as congress chairman, he exerted
all efforts to organise a meeting that brought
scientists and surgeons together. It was a truly
comprehensive congress that addressed the whole
range of stone disease. Updated knowledge on the
causes of stone formation and the treatment of stones
were presented and for me it was the ideal start to
my clinical visit.
I am very grateful to Mr. Noor Buchholz, Mr. Junaid
Masood, the two endourology fellows and the rest of
the “stone team” who were all very supportive. I
attended all theatre operations and had the
opportunity to scrub and assist in several cases. This
clinical visit is not meant to provide surgical training
but rather to offer theoretical knowledge, observation
of the operations and the chance to learn the details
and secrets directly from the experts. If someone has
basic skills and theoretical knowledge he can
significantly benefit from this type of training.
Without doubt the quality of surgical experience that
is accumulated in the Department of Endourology and
Besides the practical training there is also significant
academic activity in Barts, and I had the opportunity
The two endourology fellows at Barts
to participate in two workshops. I also had the
support and guidance to collect data and write an
article which will hopefully be published soon.
I would like also to express my gratitude to Mr. Islam
Junaid and the other consultants and members of the
Urology Department of Barts who made me feel
comfortable during my clinical visit. I should note
here that a few weeks after my clinical visit the
department changed location and left the historic
Bart’s hospital to move to the new Royal London
Hospital.
This clinical visit gave me the chance to meet people
and have a remarkable experience in London.
Perhaps, and even more important, I was given the
opportunity to “land smoothly” in the working
environment of the British national health system
(NHS), which helped me find working posts in urology
and continue my training.
My unsolicited but friendly advice to any young
urologist who has interest for a specialised centre,
consider applying for fellowship such as those offered
by the EUSP. Knowledge and experience are simply
priceless!
December 2012/February 2013