Sponsorship policy

The Hague, 11 February 2019

Sponsorship is necessary and welcome in fulfilling the International Statistical Institute’s mission to lead, support and promote the understanding, development and good practice of statistics worldwide, by providing the core global network for statistics. Sponsorship is especially sought in the context of the ISIs events, such as the biennial World Statistics Congresses (WSC) and Regional Statistical Conferences (RSC).

The ISI WSC and RSC offer a range of sponsorship opportunities, including the following:

• Funding of participants: 
  The sponsoring organization provides a fund for travel, per diem and registration of sponsored participants. Often this kind of funding is for a specific group of participants or for participants from a specific region, usually less developed countries. This type of funding does not contribute directly to the costs of organizing the congress, but contributes to ISI’s mission and the international reach of the WSC. Normally, the funds are paid to ISI who select the participants according to the desired criteria and make the arrangements and payments to the selected participants. The ISI Office may charge a modest overhead fee for the considerable administration which can be part of this type of sponsorship.
• Sponsoring specific events: 
  The sponsoring organization provides funds in cash or in kind for the organization of special events, such as young statisticians’ events, career markets, author workshops, lunch time events for such as national and regional statistical societies, national statistical institutes and central banks, or other social events for participants and their accompanying persons.
• General sponsorship of the WSC: 
  The sponsoring organization funds the organization of the WSC, usually in return for product promotion, advertising or gadgets. General sponsorship need not always be in cash. In-kind support in the form of helping hands or congress promotion is also welcome. Another example of general WSC sponsorship is sponsoring Wifi access for the WSC.
• Funding awards or prizes: 
  The sponsoring organization funds an award or prize, to be presented at the WSC or RSC. Usually the funding exists of prize money, travel and accommodation for the winner(s), and registration fees.

The purpose of the ISI Sponsorship Policy is to define the relationship between sponsors and the ISI in regards to support for the ISI WSCs and RSCs.

The ISI was founded in London in 1885 by prominent statisticians from governments and academia. The ISI, its seven Associations and its organizational members, covering a range of statistical areas and interests, make up the ISI family with over 4500 members from over 100 countries.

The ISI is unmatched in its global reach among statisticians and those interested in the field of statistics. We are also an association which links with many international and national organizations, including national statistical societies, with special focus on organizations in or supporting developing regions of the world. A majority of the world’s central bureaus of statistics and many central banks are represented within the ISI network of institutional and corporate members.

ISI has had consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 1949. We provide a welcoming environment for advancing statistical knowledge and learning best practices, for sharing state-of-the-art developments and for creating opportunities to network.

The Sponsorship Policy is intended to clarify the role of supporting organizations, including publishers and software companies, related to the scientific content of ISI events and/or outcomes of awards, prizes and funding schemes.

By “ISI” we mean the International Statistical Institute. This policy might apply to its Associations and Committee, to be decided on a case-to-case basis.

By “Corporate sponsor” we mean any institution or organization (for-profit or not-for-profit) that provides financial support to ISI in exchange for value-neutral acknowledgement that does not endorse a sponsor’s products or services.

By “sponsorship” we mean an agreement with any institution or organization (for-profit or not- for-profit) that provides financial support to ISI for one of the sponsored activities mentioned in II, or other agreed sponsored activity.

By “GDPR” we mean the European Data Protection Regulation, i.e. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016.

1. The scientific content of the meeting and/or program will not be influenced by any support through sponsorships, speaker or content selection, or travel support.
2. ISI has the exclusive responsibility and control over the selection of meeting content and speakers.
3. Sponsors are required to know and respect the ISI’s Community principles and the ISI and ISI Associations Conduct Policy.
4. Sponsors are required to adhere to the ISI and Associations Privacy Policy.
5. Corporate sponsors are not entitled to receive information about individual participants, such as names and contact details.
6. Sponsorships provide an opportunity for partners to demonstrate support for the understanding, development and good practice of statistics worldwide.
7. No ISI event can enter into an overall exclusive sponsorship agreement with any entity. ISI events offer only non-exclusive sponsorship agreements.
8. Individual aspects of meeting support can be entered into on an exclusive sponsorship basis with a right of first refusal in subsequent years, for example, congress bags, poster boards, etc., provided ample opportunity exists for other sponsors to be involved as well. This does not include support for the meeting venue as that would be an exclusive sponsorship as in #7 above.
9. Relevant international regulations must be adhered to, especially the GDPR.
10. Through the sponsorship agreement and communications, the ISI acknowledges that the ‘Funding Amount’ for any type of sponsorship is not determined in a manner which takes into account the volume or value of any business otherwise generated between the ISI and the sponsor and shall not obligate the ISI to purchase, use, recommend or arrange for the use of any product of the sponsor.
11. For awards or support of individuals, the criteria can be set in collaboration with the sponsor, but the actual selection of awardees or supported participants is controlled by ISI.

Support for the ISI awards, prizes and funding program is accepted and must follow the ISI Sponsorship Policy outlined above. Awards, prizes and funding support must be consistent with the ISI Mission and our Community Principles and Conduct Policy.

With regard to the review and selection of Award recipients:

1. Members of the awards/prize/funding review committees will be approved and designated by the Executive Committee of ISI.
2. There should be no direct measurable financial benefit to the sponsor in exchange for the receipt of funding support.
3. Awards, prizes and funding will be decided through a fair, open selection process based on clear criteria established by ISI with the sponsor, and well-published.
4. The criteria can be set in collaboration with the sponsor, but the actual selection of awardees, winners or funded participants must be controlled by ISI.

1. The benefits for different types of sponsorship are usually laid down in the sponsorship brochure.
2. Sponsors will be recognised in the congress/conference materials by:
   1. Inclusion of the logo in the website, app, printed materials.
   2. The main sponsors’ logos will be included in the main event’s larger displays (flags, banners, boards, etcetera).
   3. Written messages from the organizers to thank for the sponsorship.