IPC Industry Engagement

As the peak body for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in the Australasian region, the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) recognises the important role commercial organisations have within IPC and our role in facilitating engagement between our members and industry. Our Engagement with Industry Policy guides how ACIPC engages with commercial organisations in an open and transparent manner. The policy is summarised below and applies to all engagements between ACIPC and commercial organisations.

Conflicts of Interest

Any actual, perceived, or potential conflict of interest should be declared and notified in writing to the Executive Manager, executive@acipc.org.au. Conflicts of interest will arise and should not be considered inherently wrong; they can and do occur without anyone being at fault. However, it is vital they are disclosed and managed effectively so members perform their roles in a fair and unbiased way. Conflicts of interest may arise through personal or financial relationships with organisations or individuals. Managing conflicts of interest openly and transparently ensures the College and individuals are protected.

Variations to Engagements

Any variations or engagements that are not covered by this policy require written approval. Please contact the Executive Manager, executive@acipc.org.au.

ACIPC Annual Conference

ACIPC’s annual conference is our primary forum for commercial organisations to engage with the College and our members.

The conference program is not open to any commercial organisations or speakers from commercial organisations.

• Sponsorship & Exhibition
  The conference sponsorship and exhibition packages provide opportunities to promote commercial organisations to our members and to engage with conference attendees. These packages are commercially focussed and allow commercial organisations to promote their organisation, services and products. The packages available can be found on the conference website. Commercial organisations can discuss participation and the inclusions for different packages with our conference team.
• Not-for-profits and Charities
  The College provides special rates to exhibit at the conference for other not-for-profit organisations registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, Charities Services (NZ) or equivalent.
• Funding Related to Submitted Presentations
  ACIPC recognises the considerable contribution industry partners make to professional and research activities. The College recognises the need for transparency and the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations. All authors and presentations are asked to include a disclosure of all funding sources.
• Commercial Talks and Demonstrations
  Sponsors and exhibitors may be invited to submit a talk or demonstration for presentation in the exhibition hall during a conference. This opportunity gives conference supporters the ability to enhance their profile and showcase products and services. Talks and demonstrations will be scheduled during conference breaks in the exhibition hall. All talks and demonstrations are subject to approval by ACIPC. Visit the conference website for more information.
• Other Opportunities for Engaging Conference Attendees
  After reviewing the conference packages on the conference website, if commercial organisations wish to submit a variation of a package or a new package, they can submit a proposal in writing to the conference team. All proposals will be evaluated in line with our principles for engaging with commercial organisations.

Special Interest Group Support

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide networks for members with a particular interest to develop their professional skills, exchange views and information, and to guide the career aspirations of junior members. SIG membership and SIG events are open to all financial members of the College. Organisations may wish to support a Special Interest Group meeting by providing funding. The value of support may range from $500 to $1,000 AUD per SIG meeting.

Acknowledgement of Support

• The SIG Chair will acknowledge the support at the opening and closing of the event.
• Acknowledgement slides will be displayed at the beginning and end of the event.
• One promotional item may be distributed to attendees during the event.

At the discretion of the SIG Chair, supporters may be provided a trestle table display at the SIG event venue.

Restrictions on Support

Support of a SIG event does not include or permit:

• Speaking opportunities at events.
• Naming rights to events or activities.
• Use of the ACIPC logo or any other intellectual property.
• Exhibition booths or complex displays.
• Hosting or organising of SIG events by commercial organisations including but not limited to dinners, networking functions, or hospitality events.

Paid Advertising

The College produces a monthly A4 PDF newsletter IPC News for our stakeholders with updates on the College’s activities, journal articles, and general IPC news. All paid content will be labelled as ‘paid content’ when published. All content is to be approved by the College. More information is available on our Advertising page.

Awards and Scholarships

The College provides a range of awards and scholarships to recognise and support members. Sponsorship of individual awards and scholarships ranges from $500 to $3,500. More information can be found on our Awards and Scholarships page. If you wish to sponsor an award or scholarship, please visit the conference website and review the sponsorship prospectus.

Funding Course Scholarships

The College offers a range of education and professional development courses across infection prevention and control, aged care, blood-borne viruses, veterinary practice, and IPC during construction, renovation and maintenance in healthcare facilities. Industry partners can fund scholarships to allow members to attend a course at no cost. Funding is based on the applicable per-person course fee. More information is available on our Education page.

Research Funding Partners

The College is committed to supporting innovative and collaborative research to facilitate better health outcomes. To achieve this, organisations, including commercial organisations, may be invited to contribute to a specific grant fund. Funding partners will not be involved in the assessment and selection of projects. Administration and governance of a grant fund will remain solely with the ACIPC Board and, where delegated, the Research, Grants, and Scholarships Committee.

Whilst contributing to research funding is not a commercial opportunity, the College will acknowledge funding partners in the grant documentation, for example, by listing partners and including logos. Contributing to an ACIPC grant fund does not provide any rights or benefits in relation to individual projects that receive funds through the grant fund.

Professional Development Events

The College is sometimes approached to co-host or co-brand IPC professional development events, such as webinars or roadshows. The College will only consider co-hosting or co-branding events that are solely educational and have no sales or product promotion in the program.

Co-hosting or co-branding requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and can be sent to office@acipc.org.au with the following information:

• The title of the proposed event
• An overview of the main topic(s)
• An outline of the educational outcomes expected for attendees
• Details of all presentations and speakers
• A professional profile of 200 – 300 words for each speaker demonstrating their IPC and/or subject matter expertise
• The proposed date and time
• The proposed format – in-person or online
• Whether the session will be recorded for members who cannot attend
• The proposed cost for our members to attend and what is included
• Confirmation that no commercial services or products will be promoted directly or indirectly during the program

Approval

The College will review the material provided and will confirm if we wish to co-host or co-brand the event. No discussion will be entered into if we decide not to co-host or co-brand an event.

Promotion by the College

If the College agrees to co-host or co-brand an event, the organiser will provide marketing collateral to the College, including graphics. We will determine how and when we promote the event to our members, including via our newsletter, email, website and/or social media. All promotion will be at our discretion, including the channels and frequency of promotion. No discussion will be entered into regarding promotion.

Host Requirements

The host organisation is responsible for:

• Marketing collateral required by the College
• Promoting the event through their own channels
• All arrangements and costs associated with the event, including marketing material, taking and managing bookings, venue, online platforms, speakers, catering, course materials
• Certificates of attendance, including confirming any continuing education points or hours
• Public liability insurance for in-person events

Use of the College Name and Logo

The use of our name and logo on all material requires written approval from the College.

Corporate Memberships

The College does not offer corporate memberships. Our individual memberships are open to anyone who has an interest in IPC, which includes representatives from commercial organisations in the IPC industry. Individual members from commercial organisations do not receive any priority, additional benefits, or waivers regarding our policy for commercial engagements.

Endorsements

The College does not provide any endorsements for commercial organisations, products or services. Co-hosting or co-branding events or participation in any event hosted by the College does not imply any endorsement.

IPC Consultancy

The College does not provide commercial IPC consultancy. For example, we do not provide reviews of IPC management plans, outbreak management plans, or policies for commercial organisations. We do not recommend individuals for commercial engagements. It is important to note that not all our members provide IPC consulting services and not all IPC consultants are members of the College. You may wish to refer to our credentialling section to see members who are recognised as Credentialled, Advanced or Expert Infection Control Professionals.

We do not provide contact details for any members. If an organisation is seeking to connect with an IPC expert, we have paid advertising options that can be considered on our Advertising page.

Any College member engaged to provide IPC advice is not representing ACIPC. The engagement of a member does not indicate endorsement by the College. The College does not provide endorsement of individuals providing commercial IPC services.

Member Forums

No commercial material is posted or shared in our member forums, Infexion Connexion or Aged Care Connexion. Any commercial content posted will be deleted and the user may be removed without notice.