Consumer stipends (Note: The deadline for applying was on 25 June 2007)                                                              

The Cochrane Collaboration is committed to the active involvement of consumers and consumer advocates in the preparation and dissemination of systematic reviews and in furthering the aims of The Cochrane Collaboration.

Stipends to help cover the costs of travel and expenses to The Cochrane Colloquium will be made available for a small number of consumers from both developed and developing countries. Funds are, however, very limited, so if people were able to find some or all the money they would need from another source (such as their local consumer or self-help group, or their Cochrane entity), they were encouraged to do so. People interested in applying for a consumer stipend were encouraged to consider the following:

Eligibility
The Cochrane Collaboration defines a health consumer as someone who uses, is affected by, or who is entitled to use a health related service. A consumer advocate or representative is a consumer who is actively involved with other consumers and able to represent the perspectives and concerns of that broader group of people. The Cochrane Consumer Network considers its members to be people who contribute as consumers to The Cochrane Collaboration and who support the aims of the Consumer Network.

Criteria
Applicants should have been involved in The Cochrane Collaboration as active consumers or consumer advocates since at least October 2006. A limited number of stipends were set aside to ensure the participation of newcomers to the work of The Cochrane Collaboration.

Funds are limited, so partial support only will be provided.This is to enable as many people as possible to be supported to attend the Colloquium, although consideration is being given to providing full support in some cases. If requesting full support, people were asked to indicate why this was necessary.

Successful applicants will be expected to attend for the entire Colloquium, and to submit a one-page report afterwards on their experiences.

What costs are covered?
Funds for one or more of the following:
• Travel to and from Sao Paulo, by the most economical return airfare and taxes.
• Ground travel expenses, including from home to the airport, from São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport to the WTC São Paulo.
• Accommodation at one of the Colloquium hotels from Tuesday 23 October to Sunday 28 October.
• Registration fee, including attendance at all sessions, conference materials, lunches and tea breaks from Tuesday 23 October to Saturday 27 October inclusive; also attendance at Welcome Cocktails, the Soccer Tournament or Dance Class and the Farewell Party.
• Visa and US$30.00 towards travel insurance
• US$30.00 per day allowance for public transport in Sao Paulo and meals not included in the registration fee and accommodation.

The Consumer Stipends Committee will notify applicants of the result of their application by Monday 30 July 2007.  Any enquiries about this process should be directed to  stipend.colloquium@bireme.org

Consumer Stipend Committee
Gill Gyte, UK, and Janet Wale, Australia ( Co-Chairs)
Members:
Godwin Aja, Nigeria
Dulce Barbosa, Brazil
Gilson Caleman, Brazil
Flavia Elias, Brazil

Local Organizing Committee Liaison
Vanessa Pedrosa Vieira, Brazil