Institutional Supporter pathway

Institutional Support Pathway

The International Society of Medical AI (ISMAI) recognises that hospitals, universities, research institutes, public health bodies, and other institutions play a ecntral role in shaping the safe and ethical integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare. While ISMAI’s programme membership is reserved for individuals, the Board has established a separate Institutional Support Pathway to ensure that organisations can still participate in dialogue, contribute perspectives, and collaborate in ways that are consistent with ISMAI’s charitable object and public benefit obligations.

Institutional Supporters are not programme members of ISMAI. They do not acquire governance rights, voting powers, or any role in directing ISMAI’s standards, policies, or charitable activities. Instead, they are welcomed as participants in open dialogue and as partners in specific educational and ethical initiatives. This ensures that institutional voices can be heard, while safeguarding the independence, transparency, and public-interest orientation that underpin ISMAI’s charitable purpose.

What Institutional Supporters gain

  • Dialogue and engagement: Institutions are invited to participate in ISMAI’s consultations, symposia, and public fora, where their expertise can inform the development of ethical frameworks and educational materials.

  • Access to resources: Institutional Supporters receive early notification of ISMAI’s events, training opportunities, and publications. All core outputs remain open access to the wider public, but institutional participation facilitates more structured and timely engagement.

  • Collaborative opportunities: Institutions may, where appropriate, enter into joint initiatives with ISMAI on training, research dissemination, or community outreach, documented in a short memorandum of understanding.

  • Recognition of support: ISMAI may acknowledge Institutional Supporters in its annual report and on its website, in a neutral and factual manner. Such acknowledgement does not imply endorsement of products, services, or policies.

Terms of participation

The Institutional Support Pathway is guided by the following principles:

  • Participation is non-governance in nature. Institutional Supporters do not hold voting rights, do not attend AGMs or EGMs in a member capacity, and do not participate in the election or appointment of ISMAI officers.

  • Any collaboration is documented in a memorandum of understanding that sets out the scope of activity, clarifies that ISMAI retains full independence over its standards and outputs, and records any safeguards against conflicts of interest.

  • There are no membership fees linked to governance rights. Where a contribution is agreed, it is treated as a voluntary support contribution tied to specific programmes, such as education, outreach, or scholarships, and is transparently recorded in ISMAI’s accounts.

  • Participation may be discontinued by either party on reasonable notice, particularly if there is any risk that the arrangement could compromise ISMAI’s independence or charitable integrity.

Examples of eligible institutions

  • Universities and academic faculties engaged in health, law, or data science.

  • Hospitals and clinical centres interested in ethical implementation of AI tools.

  • Professional bodies and education and training boards.

  • Patient advocacy organisations and non-profit health charities.

  • Public health agencies and regulatory bodies.

How to apply

Institutions that wish to participate in ISMAI’s Institutional Support Pathway may initiate the process by contacting the ISMAI Secretariat. Applications are received by email to secretariat@ismai.org with the subject line “Institutional Support Application.”

The application should set out:

  • the name, address, and primary contact of the institution

  • a short description of the institution’s work and its relevance to health, data, or education

  • the areas in which the institution seeks to engage with ISMAI, such as education, research dissemination, public dialogue, or community outreach

  • confirmation that the institution understands and accepts that participation does not confer membership rights in the CLG and does not involve voting rights or governance powers

Upon receipt, the Secretariat acknowledges the application within ten working days. The application is reviewed by the Membership Committee against objective criteria that are published on ISMAI’s website. These criteria include the institution’s alignment with ISMAI’s charitable object, the absence of conflicts of interest, and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to dialogue and education.

Where the application is successful, ISMAI prepares a short memorandum of understanding that records the scope of participation, clarifies the independence of ISMAI’s governance and outputs, and documents any specific collaborative activities. The memorandum is signed by both parties and retained by the Secretariat.

Where an application is not accepted, the institution is informed of the reasons in writing and may request a review by a different officer not involved in the original decision. This ensures that the process remains transparent and fair.