The deadline to submit an application to the ISN - TTS Sister Transplant Centers Program is October 15 of each year
About the Program
The ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centers (STC) Program is a joint partnership set up between ISN and The Transplantation Society (TTS) to create new kidney transplant centers and develop existing kidney transplant programs in emerging economies. You can apply to enter the program for the first time or request an upgrade to the next level.
New sister pairs apply to enter the program at level C. At each level, centers must submit progress reports stating their accomplishments in order to progress within the different stages of the program and acquire more support and benefits. Honorary B Levels are assigned to centers which have failed to upgrade from level B to A. Honorary sister pairs have one extra chance to apply for an upgrade.
Important Notes and Tips
More Information
To apply for the ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centers Program, you must send in the Application Form and the Budget Proposal.
Members of the transplant teams from Nepal and Newcastle, during a clinical observer visit to the UK
Transforming transplant care in Nepal: The impact of the ISN–TTS Sister Transplant Centers Program
Since joining the ISN–TTS Sister Transplant Centers (STC) Program in 2017, the Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center (SDNTC) (formerly known as the Human Organ Transplant Center) in Nepal has undergone a remarkable transformation. Its partnership with the Freeman Hospital in the UK has strengthened clinical skills, expanded services, and improved kidney transplant outcomes across the country.
Transformation in numbers:
Annual kidney transplants rose from 132 in 2017 to 186 in 2023 — the highest to date
The center has advanced its paired kidney exchange program and performed 10 deceased donor kidney transplants, including the country’s first brain-death donation
Diagnostic capacity also expanded, with a peak of 187 renal biopsies conducted in 2022
In addition to those listed below, six partnerships have successfully upgraded levels within the program, and the Human Organ Transplant Center (Nepal) – Freeman Hospital (UK) partnership has graduated. There are now 22 active partnerships in the program this year. Click below to learn more about these partnerships and their locations.
Cotabato Regional Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), and Hospital Clínic (HC), University of Barcelona. The SPMC and HC graduated as an ISN-TTS STC pair in 2023.
STC Nigeria-Canada
Adult and Paediatric Nephrology Unit, University College Hospital Ibadan and Nephrology Section, Alberta Children's Hospital
STC Peru-USA
Unidad de Trasplante Renal, Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins and Yale Health
STC Zambia-USA
University Teaching Hospital of Lusaka and Stanford University
STC Zambia-Spain
Ndola Teaching Hospital and University Hospital of A Coruña