Intake now open
The ADVANCE programme is chaired by Professor Harm Tiddens and Prof Isabelle Fajac, with the aims to provide expert training and support the development of key competences for cystic fibrosis (CF) specialists in the early stage of their career.
The ADVANCE programme seeks to enhance the scientific and clinical skills of CF specialists, whilst also building an enduring platform for knowledge exchange between current and future leaders in CF, facilitating peer-to-peer collaboration and access to expert opinion.
Up to 20 junior CF specialists from Europe, Middle East and Latin America will be selected to participate in the ADVANCE 2025 programme and it will consist of a virtual introductory meeting on 13 May 2025 and two face-to-face meetings on 17–18 October 2025 and 6–7 March 2026, with a virtual meeting between these. Please ensure that you are available to attend all meetings before applying for the programme.
In order to fully benefit from the programme, successful applicants will be asked to complete various pre-work tasks ahead of each meeting, totalling approximately 3 hours per meeting. This pre-work includes both individual- and group-work, and takes on a range of different formats, including but not limited to: on-demand recordings, short questionnaires, interactive e-learning modules, and pre-reading scientific articles. If you have any questions with regards to the pre-work, please reach out to your local medical team.
To apply to the programme, you must match the requirements listed below and submit an application form, together with the supporting documents, by Friday 31 January 2025.
Should you have any questions or queries about the programme, please do not hesitate to contact the Programme Secretariat on ADVANCEsecretariat@apothecom.com
Requirements
- The programme is open to junior CF specialists from a specialist CF Centre*, with a medical qualification and proven strong commitment to CF care and/or clinical research
- Applicants will also require a letter of support from the Head of their respective CF Centre or Department. Please ensure this is available prior to commencing the application process, as this is a mandatory upload as part of the application
- Please complete the application form online by 31 January 2025. Late entries will not be accepted
- Please note it is advised to complete this application form in one go – please review your application on the summary page and submit
* As per the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) Standard of Care, a specialist Centre should follow a minimum of 100 adults or children with CF. In some circumstances, the geographical location of the specialist Centre or a low disease frequency in certain populations, may mean that the number of patients seen by a Centre is less but never below 50.
Feedback from previous ADVANCE participants
- "Loved the exercises and how we were split into groups, allowing us to meet the different delegates."
- "The faculty are top leaders of opinion."
- "Help with a very important part of our job, which usually we do not receive education about."
- "Feedback in a safe environment."
- "The small group workshops allowed for active participation and faculty mentorship."
- "The meetings were very engaging and clinically applicable with intense and productive discussions."
- "It is rare to be able to spend such valuable time focusing on really important topics and my attendance will undoubtedly benefit my practice."
- "This experience has been truly unique and immensely enriching, being able to learn from incredible faculty members through challenging and engaging activities."