Your Leadership Deserves Recognition—Apply Now for AL-CIP

If you’ve spent years driving measurable change in infection prevention and control, you know that leadership is more than a title—it’s the ability to turn vision into results. Now is your opportunity to have that leadership formally recognized on a global stage.

The Advanced Leadership Certification in Infection Prevention & Control (AL-CIP), offered by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC), is designed for experienced infection preventionists who have made significant, documented impacts in their organizations, communities, and beyond. This is not a test you take at a computer—it’s a rigorous, portfolio-based assessment that validates the depth of your expertise, the breadth of your influence, and the measurable results of your work.

To learn more, Infection Control Today^® (ICT^®) spoke with Jessica Dangles, MBA, MS, PMP, CAE, executive director at CBIC; and Gail Fraine, RN, MMHC, BSN, AL-CIP, CIC, LTC-CIP, the system director of infection prevention for Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee, and CBIC’s 2026 president-elect.

Why AL-CIP Stands Apart
Unlike other credentials, the AL-CIP evaluates 2 critical domains: Leadership and Professionalism. Within these, you will select competencies and subcompetencies that align with your body of work. You’ll submit 2 key components, Rationale and Evidence, for each, detailing the problem or challenge you addressed, the strategies you implemented, the collaborators you engaged, and the quantifiable outcomes achieved.

This is your chance to highlight projects thatadvanced infection prevention, such as developing innovative protocols, leading multiyear quality improvement initiatives, influencing policy changes, or making an impact at the state, national, or international level. For many who have earned the AL-CIP, the process itself has been a valuable career reflection, helping them see the scope and significance of their contributions.

Do you have questions about what a successful application looks like? Listen to what Fraine says in this exclusive interview. “We don't want you to write a rationale on one topic and then your evidence be presented on something, something totally opposite,” Fraine said. “It has to support that. We also offered information sessions within the development in advance of the ALC IP cohorts, and they were well attended.”

Global Recognition for a Global Profession
In its first cycle, the AL-CIP brought together leaders from 10 different countries, representing a wide range of practice settings and specialties. This diversity reflects both the universal importance of infection prevention and the value of recognizing excellence wherever it is found.

For successful candidates, the credential is more than a line on a résumé. It’s a career-defining milestone that employers, colleagues, and peers recognize as a mark of advanced capability and commitment. Portfolios become tangible demonstrations of leadership that can be shared during performance reviews, in job interviews, or when pursuing new professional opportunities.

Resources to Help You Succeed
Dangles and Fraine discuss how CBIC offers multiple tools to support applicants, including informational webinars, live Q&A sessions, and clear, detailed application handbooks. These resources help you identify eligible projects, frame your leadership story, and ensure your evidence aligns with your rationale. As Dangles said, you do not have to wait until the application window opens; many successful applicants begin compiling their portfolios months in advance, organizing documents and drafting rationales, so they are ready to submit with confidence.

Dangles also discussed the judging process in the interview. “Every portfolio has 3 judges who score each portfolio in its entirety. Therefore, we have every judge fill out a conflict of interest form prior to being assigned any of the portfolios, just to make sure they don't know the applicant, don't work with them, or have any kind of professional or personal relationship.”

Don’t Wait—Your Leadership Matters Now
The current application cycle is open July 10, 2025 to August 15, 2025. The portal closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 15, and late submissions are not accepted. The first 2026 application cycle will run January 20, 2026–March 2, 2026.

If you have led initiatives that reduced infection rates, improved patient outcomes, strengthened teams, or influenced policy locally or globally, this is your moment. The AL-CIP exists to recognize leaders like you, whose expertise and dedication are shaping the future of infection prevention and control.

Start today. Visit the CBIC website, review the AL-CIP handbook, register for an info session, and begin building a portfolio that captures the full scope of your achievements. You have already made the impact; now earn the recognition you deserve.