ASN apologizes for an email you may have received earlier this week also titled Renal Express but without text. We experienced technical difficulty with our system provider and the text of this newsletter was not properly transmitted. Our system has now been fixed, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.

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As ASN’s President, one of my goals this year is to develop a more effective mechanism to communicate with you, in order to keep you better informed of ASN’s endeavors and upcoming functions. I am therefore pleased to present to you the first edition of ASN’s new electronic newsletter, Renal Express.

Beginning next month, you can look forward to receiving this newsletter automatically on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. The first issue of the month will present an overview of current and upcoming ASN activities and events, and the second issue of the month will consist exclusively of ASN’s policy and public affairs activities. Please note that Renal Express will replace our quarterly newsletter, Highlights. However, we will continue distributing Onsite Highlights during Renal Week.

The ASN leadership wants you to be involved and heard. That is why, last spring, we invited all current and active ASN members to indicate personal interest or recommend others to serve on an ASN standing committee or advisory group. The newly selected committee members are indicative of your recommendations and reflect the diversity of our membership.

In addition to appointing new committee members, ASN has recently formed the Education Committee, led by Past-President, Roland Blantz, to perform a variety of functions. Two of these functions include the review of all the educational activities developed or sponsored by the Society and assessing the quality and effectiveness of the educational programs offered by the Society to its members.

ASN is your association, created for and by you. I’d like to remind you of a couple of ways you can become more involved:
1) If you have not already done so, please remember to submit your nomination for the Young Investigator Award by February 28. Details can be found in this newsletter.
2) Feel free to email me any ideas, suggestions or recommendations that you think the ASN Council and officers should consider at norman.siegel@yale.edu.

After you finish reading the newsletter, take a moment to learn more about the 2002-2003 Officers and Councilors on our

biographies page.

I encourage you to read our bimonthly Renal Express, which I confidently believe will keep you well-informed of the Society’s activities and events in a quick and efficient manner.

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Become a new member or renew your membership in just 5 minutes through ASN's secure server. ASN's Online Invoicing is the fastest, easiest way to become a new member or renew your ASN membership. Join or renew now!

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ASN offers several grants to assist researchers at various points in their careers. Please note the following grant application deadlines and apply today.

February 14- M. James Scherbenske Grant and Student Scholar Grant

March 14- Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant, John Merrill Transplant Scholar Grant, co-sponsored by The American Society of Transplantation, and the ASN-Hartford-ASP Junior Development Grant in Geriatric Nephrology

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It's not too late to recommend a colleague for the Young Investigator Award, presented by the ASN in conjunction with the American Heart Association.

Nominations must be in the form of a letter accompanied by the full curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominee. February 28 is the nomination deadline for this award. Nominate a colleague!

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The ASN Council has adopted a new name for the Government Relations Committee. The Council believes Policy & Public Affairs better reflects the Society’s expanding activities in such areas as advocacy, policy, and education.

The Policy & Public Affairs Committee will work closely with Paul Smedberg, ASN’s Director of Policy & Public Affairs, to provide information to support ASN’s public policy agenda. Co-chairs of the committee are Dr. Paul Palevsky and Dr. Donald Wesson.

Stay tuned to February's Renal Policy Express to read Paul's letter about the Policy & Public Affairs Committee’s goals for the coming year.