International Activities and Opportunities

Young NVvI actively connects young Dutch immunologists to the international immunology community through collaborations with global organizations such as European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) and International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS).

The yNVvI international representative contributes to shaping opportunities for ECRs within these organizations, ensuring that the young Dutch immunologist’s voice is heard internationally, and that members can benefit from training, networking, and visibility on a global scale.

EFIS and Young EFIS (yEFIS)
EFIS unites national immunology societies across Europe and promotes immunology research and education. Its early-career network, yEFIS, connects young scientists across Europe through working groups, mentorship, social media, and meetings at major congresses such as European Congress of Immunology (ECI).

• How to get involved: Any NVvI member automatically belongs to EFIS and can join yEFIS by subscribing here.
• Opportunities: Contribute to yEFIS working groups (e.g. Equity & Diversity, Communication, Education & Career), join webinars, and attend ECR events at ECI. For more information follow yEFIS on social media or subscribe to the yEFIS newsletter.
• Support for ECRs: EFIS actively supports early-career researchers through a variety of funding and award programs. These include travel grants for attending international immunology congresses and summer schools, short-term fellowships for research visits or training abroad, and support for organizing ECR-led meetings. In addition, EFIS recognizes outstanding scientific achievements through prestigious awards, such as the EFIS–IL Lecture Award, EFIS–EJI Ita Askonas Award (for women in immunology), and the EFIS–BioLegend William E. Paul Award for excellence in immunology. For a full overview of opportunities, visit the EFIS Funding and EFIS Awards pages. 

European Journal of Immunology (EJI)
EJI is an official journal of EFIS covering basic, translational and clinical research, ranging from adaptive and innate immunity through to vaccines and immunotherapy, cancer, autoimmunity, allergy and more. Through our close ties with yEFIS, yNVvI members can also contribute to editorial and outreach activities (e.g. special issue on the joint BIS-NVvI annual meeting in 2023: Belgian-Dutch Immunology Highlights: European Journal of Immunology).

• How to get involved: check the EJI webpage, follow EJI on Bsky, or join the yEFIS EJI working group) for open calls and initiatives.
• Support for ECRs: EJI offers guaranteed peer review for manuscripts where an early-career researcher is the first or corresponding author, travel grants for international immunology congresses and summer schools, and awards annually a prize of €5000 for ECR Article of the Year in collaboration with EFIS. 

IUIS and the IUIS Junior Committee (IUIS JC)
As a partner of the WHO and member of the International Science Council, IUIS promotes “Immunology without borders” by advancing research, education, and collaboration across the globe. The IUIS JC represents early-career immunologists from all continents and works closely with yEFIS to promote training opportunities, online courses, and ECR representation within the international immunology community, specifically focusing on low-to-middle-income countries.

• How to get involved: Any NVVv member automatically belongs to IUIS and can join the IUIS JC by subscribing here.
• Opportunities: Contribute to global education and training initiatives through mentorship programmes, help promote diversity, equity and inclusion in immunology, and join workshops and networking events (both virtual and in-person). For more information, follow the IUIS JC on social media or explore their activities here.
• Support for ECRs: IUIS actively supports early-career researchers worldwide through a range of training, networking, and funding opportunities. These include travel grants and fellowships to attend international immunology meetings such as the International Congress of Immunology (ICI), as well as training courses and workshops organized through regional networks and the IUIS Education Committee. For an overview of current opportunities, visit the IUIS website.