Terms & conditions

Payment of registration fees

VIB encourages online payments of training registration fees. For payments that are made by bank transfer (only in exceptional cases), all bank transfer fees must be covered by the participant and may not be deducted from the amount remitted. All registration data submitted to VIB will be treated confidentially.
Upon online registration, a confirmation email will be sent automatically to the registrant.
The specific registration fees applicable to each event are listed on the event webpage

Coupons

Coupon codes should be entered during event registration. Coupon codes that are acquired after registration can’t be submitted.

Payment terms

Online registration is subject to the following payment conditions:

VIB must receive the payments for the registration fees as detailed on the event webpage before the registration can be confirmed. Admittance to the event cannot be permitted without prior receipt of payment or valid proof of payment.
Only in exceptional cases (for conferences) can late registrations also be paid onsite.
Credit card payments will be processed via a secure online payment module included in the VIB registration form. Registration fees charged in EUR will be debited in EUR.
Payments may be made through Visa, Master Card & Maestro, or exceptionally via bank transfer.
All participants automatically receive payment confirmation after registering for an event. If you need an invoice, please tick the corresponding box ‘I need an invoice’ during the registration process and add your VAT number. Invoices can be requested up to 4 weeks after an event. After this period, requests will no longer be answered.

Cancellation of registration for training activities by the participant

How to cancel

Cancellations can be made via "My account" on the training registration page. Under "Manage this order", you will find the cancellation option.
For cancellations less than 2 weeks before the course, please notify us by email at trainingandconferences@vib.be.

Cancellations made at least 2 weeks before the training

Cancellation requests received ≥ 2 weeks before the start date will be refunded 100% minus an administrative fee of €20.
This rule applies unless otherwise stated on the website.

Cancellations made less than 2 weeks before the training

Cancellation requests received < 2 weeks before the start date will not be refunded.
For free courses, the same rules apply as for no-shows: a fee of €100 (in-person) or €50 (online) will be charged. For VIB staff, this fee will be charged to the Lab, Unit, or Core Facility.

No-show and partial attendance

For free courses:

A no-show fee of €100 (in-person) or €50 (online) will be charged.
For VIB staff, this fee will be charged to the Lab, Unit, or Core Facility.
2. For paid courses: no refund will be issued in case of no-show.
3. Attending less than 50% of the training counts as a no-show.
4. In case of valid justification (medical attestation in case of illness), there will be no fee charged for free courses, and the paid courses will be refunded 100% minus an administrative fee of €20.

Replacement participants

Another person can replace a registered participant if Training & Conferences is informed upfront.
If the replacement participant also does not attend, the no-show rules above will apply.

Cancellation of registration for a summer school by the participant

How to cancel?

In case you want to cancel your registration, please send a request to trainingandconferences@vib.be. The cancellation of registration is only valid with acknowledgement of receipt by VIB Training & Conferences.

Cancellation fees

All cancellation requests received at least 2 months before the start of the summer school are refunded 100%, minus an administrative fee of €50.
All notifications received between 1 and 2 months before the start of the summer school get refunded for 50% minus an administrative fee of €50.
Cancellation requests received less than 1 month before the start of the summer school won’t be refunded.
No refund will be issued in case of no-show.

Please note that when accommodation is included in the registration fee, any costs already incurred by the organizers, such as non-refundable hotel bookings or late cancellation penalties, will be deducted from the refund amount. The exact amount may vary and will be communicated at the time of cancellation request.

Cancellation of registration for a conference by a participant

How to cancel?

Cancellation fees

All notifications received 2 months before the start of the event are refunded 100%, minus an administrative fee of €50.
All notifications received between 1 and 2 months before the start of the event get refunded for 50% minus an administrative fee of €50.
Cancellation requests received less than 1 month before the start of the event won't be refunded.

Cancellation of registration by VIB

VIB holds the right to cancel a conference, training session, summer school, or other event if it is necessary to protect public health and safety or if the event cannot be held due to insufficient interest. In this case, VIB will reimburse the registration fee of the cancelled event.

Cancellation of sponsorship

In case you want to cancel your sponsorship package, please send a request to trainingandconferences@vib.be. The cancellation of registration is only valid with acknowledgement of receipt by VIB conferences.
Cancellation fees are dependent on the notice given:
All notifications received 4 months before the start of the event get refunded for 50%, minus an administrative fee of €50.
Cancellation requests received less than 4 months before the start of the event won’t be refunded.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance for courses and conferences will only be provided when you are present for 75% or more of the course.

Training or conference participation and personal data

If you are attending a VIB event, we will use your personal information according to VIB policies, read more on “Privacy Policy VIB”. We may also share personal information (other than payment information) of attendees with the other attendees and the trainer or speakers. The purpose of this is to enable attendees to contact each other for networking purposes.

Data presented at the training or conference

Participants are not allowed to capture, transmit, share, or redistribute data presented at the meeting unless the presenter gives explicit consent. For virtual events, this means that you cannot share presentations or data with your colleagues.

Code of conduct

We are committed to making all our events collaborative, supportive, enjoyable, and rewarding for all attendees. We expect all participants to behave professionally, respectfully, and appropriately, and in line with the highest professional standards.

Based on principles of diversity, respect for individuality, and courtesy to each other, all our events target a safe, free, and open space for personal development and scientific exchange. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination in any form. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment that values diversity regardless of characteristics, including:

sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age or working experience, physical or mental challenges, physical appearance, body size, pregnancy, familial status, ethnicity, national origin, race, citizenship, language, socio-economic status, technical choices, experience level, political or other opinions, religious beliefs (or lack thereof), or educational or social background.

We expect participants to display respectful behavior at all times. It is okay to be critical and to provide constructive and actionable feedback respectfully, but we adopt a zero-tolerance approach to harassment, intimidation, or bullying in any form or any circumstance. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the training, conference, or any event with no refund, at the discretion of the organizers.

Application of the Code of Conduct

If you believe the Code of Conduct has not been upheld, speak up. You can directly approach the trainer of your session or the staff of an event (conferences, summer schools, etc). When making a personal report, the organizer will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. You won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we won’t disclose your identity with regard to the report. You can also set a report via email: trainingandconferences@vib.be.

Participants asked to stop any unacceptable behavior as described above are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in any of these behaviors, event organizers or trainers retain the right to take any actions to keep the training, conference, or any event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion with no refund. The VIB training and conferences program also reserves the right to take further action as deemed appropriate.

Whilst reported individuals can get upset, defensive, or deny the report, it is important to remember the following:

Irrespective of the intent, their behaviour has still impacted attendees negatively.
It is not your responsibility to reassure them nor forgive them.
Apologies from the individual reported to the impacted person are not encouraged as they are often counterproductive.

References for code of conduct:

https://elixir-europe.org/events/code-of-conduct#