 |
Dear Members of the ASN:
As spring turns to summer, our eyes are focused on the upcoming Renal Week meeting in November. I assume that many of you are busy putting together the last minute touches on your abstracts, due by June 15. You may submit your abstracts here or through "Renal Reminders" on the ASN homepage (www.asn-online.org).
As I mentioned in one of my earlier communications with you, one of the Society's core missions is the promotion of research. In this regard, we have been in active contact with leaders of NHLBI and NIDDK and have recently submitted congressional language that specifically requests the channeling of NIH funds to the development of core centers to promulgate collaborative research in the areas of acute kidney injury, diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, transplantation, and uremic cardiovascular disease, in the areas of basic and clinical science. The language also specifically directs the two institutes to establish coordinated collaborative efforts to study the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases in subjects with decreased renal function.
Another visible and concrete reflection of the Society's commitment to kidney research is in our expanding grants program. Click here for descriptions of funding opportunities or visit our website. Our two most popular grants are the Scherbenske grant, providing bridge funding to individuals whose grants have lapsed and continue to submit proposals to NIH, and the Gottschalk Award, which fosters the development of young investigators. In recent years, the Society has awarded 47 such grants. Twenty-nine (60%) of these awardees have gone on to garner NIH support, 10 of them more than once. This is clearly a resource well-utilized and one that is making a significant difference in the careers of those we have supported. It is noteworthy that some of our research awards are made possible by a joint effort with organizations such as the American Society of Transplantation (Merrill Grant), the Association of Subspecialty Professors (grant in geriatric nephrology), the Kidney and Urology Foundation of American (KUFA-ASN grant), and the Halpin Foundation to foster the study of membranous nephropathy. Our grant portfolio is coordinated with that of the National Kidney Foundation to avoid overlaps as much as possible. Thus, we do not fund training fellowships, an area in which the NKF is very active, but rather, focus on supporting young investigators, who are transitioning from K to R awards.
The importance we place on the grants program is reflected in the marked increase in its budget. Specifically, the Society's expenditure for research grants has grown from $500,000 in 2000 to $2,305,000 in 2005. The Council would like to see this amount mature even further, particularly in the face of limited NIH budget expansion. At this time, most of this support is derived from the Society's operating budget. It is our hope and intention to develop, over the next few years, a robust endowment that will ensure the longevity of our grants program. Past-President William Mitch took the initial steps to explore the feasibility of a fundraising campaign directed specifically to this end, and this year we will take steps to delineate the program. More on this will be shared with the membership in the coming month.
I wish you a refreshing and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely yours,
Tomas Berl, MD
2. Renal Week Abstracts
Call for Abstracts: Don't forget– time is running out to submit your abstracts for Renal Week 2005. All abstracts must be submitted electronically through the ASN website by Wednesday, June 15, 2005, 11:59 pm CT at www.asn-online.org. Abstracts received after June 15 will not be accepted or reviewed. No exceptions will be made. To submit an abstract, simply create a user name and password the first time you enter the abstract site. You may complete your abstract submission on your first visit or return to the site, by using the user name and password you previously created. Please visit the ASN website for additional details about abstract submission, or click here for abstract details. We encourage you to test the system prior to June 15, so you are able to submit your abstract with ease.
Abstract Book Pre-Order: You may pre-order an advance copy of ASN's Abstract Book for Renal Week 2005 for $50 plus shipping and handling. Click here to pre-order an Abstract Book and fax the completed form to 202-659-0709. Incomplete forms will not be processed. The deadline for pre-ordering the Abstract Book is Friday, October 7, and the book will be shipped on Friday, October 14. As with last year's meeting, you will still receive a free copy of the Abstract Book onsite in Philadelphia, whether or not you pre-order it.
3. CJASN is Now Accepting Manuscripts
We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting submissions to our new clinical journal, the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology through Manuscript Central. Manuscripts will be submitted in the same manner as they currently are for JASN but through our new website, www.cjasn.org on the ASN website at www.asn-online.org. Please visit our new website, www.cjasn.org, to read our "Instructions to Authors", submit a manuscript, and read the names of CJASN's Editorial Board. We look forward to your participation in CJASN!
4. Register for the Official ASN 10th Annual BRC
Join the ASN from August 27 – September 2, 2005 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, and help us celebrate our 10th Anniversary! The ASN's Board Review Course & Update has become a "Renal Rite of Passage" AND CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO MEET YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS! An intensive review and update for ALL and a MUST for Certification & Re-Certification. The timing of the ASN Board Review Course & Update in late August maximizes attendees' readiness for the October Nephrology Board certification and recertification examinations of the American Board of Internal Medicine. After completion of the course and the self-assessment test on September 2, participants have a full two months to fill in any gaps in their knowledge. It's August, It's San Francisco, So it must be the ASN's Board Review Course! Register Today!
5. Save the Dates for Renal Week 2005
 Save the Dates
November 8 - 13, 2005
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Stay tuned to your mailbox this month for a copy of our Preliminary Program, which will include registration, housing, and program information, and stay tuned to the ASN website at www.asn-online.org for additional information.
|
|
|
