Observership Programme

The ECDC Observership Programme offers early- and mid-career scientists and health professionals the opportunity to visit ECDC in Stockholm and learn about the activities of the Centre, share their knowledge and experiences and engage with other observers and ECDC experts.

The programme typically occurs over five days in the Fall. The programme began in 2013, and over 130 observers from all over the world have attended the programme. The programme is made possible through the invaluable support of partner societies  (The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the European Society of Clinical Virology) who provide funding and support for the observership visits, including overseeing the application and selection process. 

The main objectives are:

• to understand ECDC’s role and responsibilities in supporting European and global public health in the field of communicable diseases;
• to understand the interplay between ECDC and competent bodies in EU Member States, WHO and other global public health actors;
• to acquaint observers with public health microbiology, surveillance, scientific advice and epidemic intelligence at the EU level;
• to share information on ECDC’s activities and key outputs and the way they are produced (e.g. risk assessments, scientific advice, support to laboratory network activities);
• to facilitate networking between ECDC experts and observers.

More information on previous observership visits and future calls is available from the ESCMID and ESCV websites.