IPA-CAPSA: The Inter-Regional Visiting Psychoanalytic Scholars Fund



Resource Document 
The IPA is pleased to announce the continuation of the CAPSA programme under the stewardship of the Analytic Practice and Scientific Activities Committee (CAPSA). Applications are now invited as described in paragraph 8 below. 
The CAPSA programme originates from a concept developed by former IPA President, Cláudio Eizirik. The concept derives from his commitment to the improvement of clinical practice, particularly the development of psychoanalytic theories and techniques derived from the clinical process, and the need for inter-regional exchange of ideas on clinical and related issues. 

The Aims of CAPSA: The Inter-Regional Visiting Psychoanalytic Scholars programme are:
1. 
a) To promote stimulating dialogue across the IPA psychoanalytic regions and the exploration of controversies in order to enhance the analyst's appreciation of the depth and complexity of psychoanalytic work. 
b) To encourage debate on different psychoanalytical cultural perspectives.
c) To enhance the understanding of both the details of clinical process and the broad theoretical issues related to it. 
d) To enable participants in CAPSA-supported events to gain a greater sense of being a psychoanalytic citizen of the world.

What is a CAPSA event?
2. A CAPSA event is one in which the host organization invites one or more analysts from another or both of the other IPA regions to be a visiting psychoanalytic scholar(s) and present and discuss clinical material and perspectives on clinical theory.   An analyst from the same region but on another continent may also be invited.
CAPSA events may take a number of forms, but the presentation and discussion of clinical material will be a part of all events.  All CAPSA events should aim to enable active participation by those attending, rather than just listening.   The Committee recommends the following formats for CAPSA events:
a) The Visiting Scholar presents clinical material, and discusses the theoretical issues related to it.
b) A theoretical debate based on clinical material and/or technique between speakers from the other IPA regions.
c) “Analyst at work” presentations, in which a session or two is presented, followed by discussion from colleagues from the other IPA regions who approach the material from differing psychoanalytic cultural perspectives.
d) Themed events on particular topics, but always involving presentation of clinical material with speakers from the other IPA regions.
e) A mixture of presentations of clinical material and small discussion groups with speakers from the other IPA regions.
f) It is hoped that as many events as possible will be open to the general public, in order to serve outreach objectives. 

What expenses are covered by the IPA-CAPSA grants?
3. The IPA will fund the travel costs for speakers, part of translation costs involved, and publicity up to a defined limit. Determined limits and requirements apply—see paragraph 15 below.

In 2020, in light of travel and safety restrictions caused by Covid-19, the IPA has approved funding for online conference support. In 2021, the IPA further approved funding for online conference support to remain available beyond the pandemic. Determined limits and requirements apply — see paragraph 15 below. 

The host organization is expected to pay for any hotel or subsistence costs.  Honoraria and fees are not offered as participation in the Visiting Scholars program is considered a professional service to colleagues. 
 
What languages will CAPSA events be conducted in?

4. CAPSA events may be conducted in any language.  Inviting organizations will normally be expected to pay for any essential translation costs, but CAPSA will consider supporting translation costs on a case-by-case basis up to a limit of $1,500 per event.  Event organizers are asked to try to avoid the need for this by seeking the assistance of members who can serve as translators. 

How are proposals to be made and how long does the approval process take?
5. The inviting organization is expected to appoint an ‘event organizer or organizers’ to submit the Application Form to the IPA.  All proposals for CAPSA funding should start with an Application submitted by the event organizer/s.  The approval process from receipt of the Application should take two weeks.

Who can apply?
6. Application Forms for CAPSA funding are invited from the following inviting organizations:

o Regional bodies (EPF, FEPAL, NAPsaC)
o Groups of IPA Constituent Organizations, including FEBRAPSI (in Brazil) and CIPS (in the USA)
o Individual IPA Constituent Organizations or IPA Study Groups
o IPA Committees, including the Psychoanalytic Institute for Eastern Europe, and the Latin American Institute
o IPSO in collaboration with IPA Institutes

Restrictions on individual speakers
7. In order to avoid the over-demand on individual speakers, and to allow a wide range of views to be shared, any individual speaker may not be supported for more than one CAPSA funded journey within a 12-month period.  One CAPSA-funded journey may involve more than one CAPSA event.  An individual speaker may not be funded to visit the same IPA region two years running.
The CAPSA committee will view with particular favour applications for funding for a single presenter to give more than one presentation (for example as part of a visit that takes in more than one city in the destination country) and especially where a large audience is expected, for more than one presenter to be funded to present.

To view the list of past CAPSA-funded speakers, please click here

Applications
8. All applications must be made electronically using the CAPSA submission platform. It must be presented in English and include the following information:

a) The name of the event organizer.
b) The name of the inviting organization.
c) The language in which the event will take place and proposals (including estimated costs) for translation, if this is needed, including any requests for IPA support for translation.
d) For applications requesting online conference support, outlined costs (including cost of license and technical support). 
e) The suggested speakers, who must be from other IPA regions, although speakers from the same region may be included but at the event proposer’s expense.  Alternatively, event organizers may seek advice from CAPSA as to appropriate speakers.  (The Co-Chairs will consult any CAPSA Committee members for such advice.) An estimate of costs of speakers’ travel expenses (economy class) is required.
f) A brief explanation of what the event is seeking to achieve, which clearly shows how it will contribute to the aims of the CAPSA programme in 1 above.
g) Plans for advertising the event and whether or not it will be open to the public.
h) Plans for reporting the outcomes of the event to the CAPSA Committee.
i) Details of the event budget, outlining the sources of funding for costs not included within CAPSA funding.
j)       If appropriate, an explanation of how the event evolves from any previous events, whether under the CAPSA programme or not.

Please note that the IPA will not contact the speakers.  This is the sole responsibility of the event organizers. 

Before submitting your application, we advise you email Ana Paiva on [email protected] at the Central IPA office for information on whether your suggested speaker is eligible for funding at the date of your event
 

How much can be applied for?
9. The IPA Board has set aside $40,000 of its income to fund those events, which are most likely to achieve CAPSA’s aims.  Roughly one-third of this funding will be allocated to each IPA region.

In 2021, the IPA Board approved that the annual CAPSA budget may fund online events applied for and approved by the 31st of December of each calendar year, and taking place on or before the 31st of May of the following calendar year. 

a) The CAPSA programme will fund online conference support (e.g. cost of a license and technical support) up to $5000 per application. 
b) The CAPSA programme will fund the economy-class transportation costs only of those speakers invited to CAPSA events.
c) Those organizing the event must fund other costs associated with it, including any hotel and subsistence costs, or other expenses, such as honoraria (if wished), of invited speakers.  
d)     It will also fund translation costs up to $1500 per event. 
e) It will finally fund up to an additional $250, which an applicant may bid for to spend on event publicity, provided that Committee agrees in advance to the proposed publicity activity and its cost in advance.
f) It is expected that each such visit will cost between $750 and $2000 in travel costs, and an event may propose more than one such speaker.  It is anticipated that an individual event may propose up to three invited speakers, costing up to $5000 in travel costs, but each event will be considered on its merits, and this figure will not be considered a limit.

Presenting Application Forms
10. Application Forms for funding in 2024 (or any queries related to them) should be sent to Ana Paiva at the IPA Central Office email [email protected]
All Application Forms will be acknowledged.

Development of an Application Form
11. When received in the IPA Central Office, Application Forms will be sent to the entire CAPSA Committee for a decision.  If necessary, the Chair or regional co-chair will engage in a dialogue with the event organizer with the aim of developing the details for the event, and possibly modifying the Application Form.

CAPSA Committee consideration of Application Forms
12. The Committee will consider Application Forms as they are received and will take one of the following actions:

a) Approve the Application for CAPSA funding.
b) Recommend changes be made to the Application to more adequately satisfy CAPSA programme criteria (see paragraph 15 below).
c) Reject the Application stating the reasons for their decision.
d) Applicants will be informed in timely fashion of the CAPSA Committee’s decision. 

Criteria for selection
13. All Application Forms will be considered by the same overarching criterion, notably the extent to which they are likely to achieve the aims of the CAPSA programme listed in paragraph 1 above.  All proposals must include speakers from other IPA regions.  In particular proposals will be selected:

a) Which contain proposals in which one IPA region invites analysts from another or both of the other IPA regions to attend an event mainly to present and discuss clinical material and related theoretical issues and are likely to contain well considered clinical material.  The CAPSA Committee is allowed exceptional discretion to approve CAPSA events, which are within the same IPA region where the distances are intercontinental, such as between the USA and Japan (IPA North American region) and Europe and Australia or India (IPA European region), or where the journey is between continents, e.g., between Europe and Asia.
b) Which contain innovative, original and interesting ideas likely to be well presented.
c) Which suggest speakers who have recognized contributions to make, and whose views are likely to be different from the audiences they will address.
d) Which are likely to lead to a widening and deepening of understanding so as to enable IPA members to apply new approaches in their clinical settings.
e) Which do not contravene the restriction on individual speakers in paragraph 7 above.
f) Application Forms will also be selected which have the potential to widen knowledge and understanding of psychoanalytic concepts in areas where this may be currently limited.


Approval and funding criteria
14. Approval letters will be sent to event organizers of successful Applications.

15. CAPSA events will only be funded under the following criteria, which will be included in the approval letters:
a) The IPA will not make payments without the corresponding receipt (e.g. for the flight ticket). Reimbursements are only made when the IPA receives a payment receipt for allowable costs.
b) For online events and upon CAPSA approval of an application form, the IPA agrees to reimburse online conference support up to $5000. 
c) Upon CAPSA approval of an Application Form, the IPA agrees to reimburse the travel costs of those invited inter-regional speakers involved in the event in accordance with IPA procedures for travel.  Reimbursement will be made to the individuals or organizations incurring the expense on presentation of appropriate documentation including a correctly completed CAPSA claim form.
d) CAPSA may approve defined translation costs on a case-by-case basis up to a limit of $1,500 per event, and, in addition and where requested and approved in advance, publicity costs of up to $250 per event.
e) CAPSA funds will be available to approved events for up to a year from the date of the approval letter (except online events that must take place on or before 31 May in the year following approval). The funds do not necessarily need to be spent or claimed in the year in which they were approved.
f)     CAPSA funds allocated to approved events which are not spent or reimbursed will not be available for other events which may be proposed under the CAPSA programme.  Any subsequent events will be subject to the presentation of new Application Form. In cases where a speaker has no funds to lay out for expenditure, the IPA will refund travel expenses on the basis of pro-forma invoices, that is documents, which accurately state the sum to be paid for travel and any related expenditure.
g)     No fees may be paid by the IPA to IPA members taking part in CAPSA events. 
h)     The event organizer should comply with any conditions stated in the approval letter, particularly on the reporting of the outcome of events. 
i) The IPA will seek the right to publish on its website only any material produced in the course of the event, subject to receiving necessary consent from the participants, which may not be unreasonably withheld.  The participants retain the rights in material produced and will be free to publish such material as they wish.
j) Only Societies “In Good Standing” in the payment of IPA dues may apply for funding under the CAPSA programme.  Further information on this issue can be provided from the IPA Central Office by writing to [email protected]

k) Any CAPSA event organizer or his/her appointee should be prepared to attend CAPSA meetings held in conjunction with IPA Congresses to participate in discussions and compare experiences, see 20 below.
l) CAPSA events must include mention that they are supported by the CAPSA Committee of the IPA.  If event organizers wish, event literature may include the names of CAPSA Committee members.

Collating and disseminating results of approved projects
16. Event organizers will be asked to submit a brief report in English to [email protected] on each CAPSA event annually. Reports are due within four weeks of the event. A report should include the following information:

 a.  Status of the project if still in planning stages
 b.  Details of the meeting

(1) Speakers.
(2) Content (topics, themes, etc.)
(3) Publicity and outreach efforts and reflection on their success
(4) Audience—who came, how many, how they received the program
(5) Outcome and ramifications for the society and community beyond the meeting itself.
(6) Recommendations for other Societies based on experience.

17. The CAPSA Committee will compile and disseminate the results of events to IPA Constituent Organizations and regional bodies, principally through the IPA website. 

18. CAPSA meetings and presentations will be held in conjunction with IPA Congresses.  These meetings aim to share the experiences resulting from CAPSA funded events so as to spread best practice throughout the IPA.  The CAPSA meetings at Congresses will be open to all IPA members and others and will provide a forum to discuss, compare and learn from the various approaches and outcomes of the different events.

Role of IPA Representatives
19. IPA Board Representatives have link roles in relation to various IPA Constituent Organizations.  These roles include informing Societies about the CAPSA programme and encouraging them to present Application Forms.  In particular, Representatives will be in a position to advise event organizers on how well their proposals meet the aims of the CAPSA programme. A list of current Board members can be found here

Conflicts of Interest
20. The Chair will not accept CAPSA funding to attend CAPSA events.

21. Any other CAPSA Committee members are excluded from commenting on or advising on decisions as to any CAPSA events to which they may be invited.


Change record:
Revisions for 2007 approved by the Executive Committee March 2007.
Minor amendments made by CAPSA Committee February 2008.
Minor amendments made by CAPSA Committee February 2012.
Minor amendments made by CAPSA Committee September 2013. 
Revisions for 2020 approved by the Executive Committee September 2020.
Revisions for 2021 approved by the Board December 2020.
Revisions for 2021 approved by the Executive Committee  February 2021.