2024 Visiting Scholar Program
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The ACPA Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) selects a cleft and/or craniofacial care provider from a developing country to travel to the United States to learn more about cleft and craniofacial care from ACPA Approved Teams. The mission is to ensure that every healthcare professional can provide quality care for all individuals affected by cleft and/or craniofacial conditions.

Visiting Scholar Program Goals:

1. Expose visiting scholars with specific skills needed for elevating the level of cleft and craniofacial care in various regions of the world.
2. Develop a continuing relationship between ACPA and the visiting scholars.
3. Strengthen the scholars’ understanding of interdisciplinary care through professional development and mentoring.
4. Ensure that scholars have access to current research, best practices, standards of care, and innovative thoughts and ideas.
5. Support the development of the scholars’ clinical and research skills.

The purpose of the Visiting Scholar Program is to give a scholar a first-hand opportunity to see interdisciplinary team-based cleft/craniofacial care and provide them with the knowledge to establish or improve cleft and/or craniofacial care within their home country in a team setting.

The visiting scholar travels to two ACPA Approved Teams in the spring (2 weeks per site) and attends ACPA’s Annual Meeting. Total duration of the scholar visit is approximately 5-6 weeks. 

Applicants must

  • Have the capacity to implement change in their home institution.
  • Reside in a country that is included on the World Bank’s list of low and middle-income countries. Click here to view the list.
  • Individuals in the final stages of their training are welcome to apply. Preference will be shown to more established professionals.

Before beginning the application, please read the below information:

  • Applicants must have three references, including a letter from their current medical/professional director. The ACPA Sponsor is not a reference.
  • Applicants may choose their top three host sites from the list of ACPA Approved Team Host Sites. Applicants should work with their sponsor to select sites that match their specialty and program goals. There is no guarantee that the selected visiting scholar will visit any/all host sites of their choice – final decisions will be made at the discretion of the Visiting Scholar Selection Panel.
  • Note: Application sponsors are no longer required, but recommended. Preference may be given to applicants with a sponsor. An application sponsor is an ACPA Member who will assist with the application, identify objectives and select host sites. For assistance finding a sponsor, contact ACPA at least 45 days before the application deadline.