Introduction

Meeting each other in-person remains a crucial part of the International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (ISDF). Sharing knowledge and improving care for people with diabetes foot disease simply requires this. However, the travel required for a meeting like ISDF has negative consequences from a sustainability perspective. Air travel is one of the largest contributors to the carbon footprint of conferences and professional events. A single round-trip flight can emit more CO₂ than many of our patients produce in an entire year. As awareness of the climate crisis grows, so does the demand for meaningful alternatives.

Reducing our footprint

With ISDF, we are committed to organize a symposium where we do our best to minimize our ecological footprint. One opportunity for reducing this footprint can be found in changing the way we travel. Rail travel offers a dramatically lower-emission option, often reducing emission of your travels by more than 80%. However, taking the train is still considered challenging, as it is not as simple to book, takes more time, and can be more expensive. That’s where this grant comes in!

The first-ever ISDF sustainability grant

To remove some of those barriers, and to invite our participants to travel with less CO₂-emissions, we offer five sustainability grants. This grant can be used to change the way you travel to ISDF. With this grant, we aim to make sustainable travel an easier choice – and we hope to stimulate you to make this change in your travel, now and in the future.

What this grant covers

The ISDF sustainability grant provides financial support of up to €500, – to reduce the environmental impact from your travels to ISDF.

What are the conditions for applying for this grant?

• Rather than flying, you take the train to travel to ISDF 2027 *
• The total duration of the train ride is >8 hours **
• You provide us with evidence of this train ride, including scheduling, train tickets, reservations, etc.
• You agree to be acknowledged during the conference and on our website and social media to receive this grant

Who can apply

• Anyone with a full registration to attend ISDF, as a regular participant or as a student
• Applicants whose journey would otherwise typically be made by air (e.g., journeys over a minimum 750 kilometers and where a train ride would be > 8 hours)
• Priority may be given to presenters and students

How it works

1. Register for the conference and plan your journey by train
2. Submit a short application to ISDF2027@cap-partner.eu before 1 March 2027 including your intended route and estimated costs.
3. Travel by rail and keep your receipts
4. Submit your tickets and receipts after the conference for reimbursement

*: If you’re not in Europe, but can change a flight required to travel to the Netherlands into a train ride >8 hours and thereby significantly reduce your travel emissions, you can apply;

**: We consider train rides shorter than 8 hours standard traveling practice.