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June 2000
Volume 64 |
Number 6
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FAER REPORT
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| FAER Board Discusses
Grant Programs and Annual Meeting Events |
The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Board
of Directors met on May 4, 2000, in Salt Lake City, Utah, in conjunction
with the annual meeting of the Association of University Anesthesiologists.
FAER's president, Carl C. Hug, M.D., welcomed new board members
James F. Arens, M.D., Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., Simon Gelman, M.D.,
Joanne Jene, M.D., and Myer H. Rosenthal, M.D.
The Board heard study section reports from Duane K. Rorie, M.D.,
chair of the ASA Committee on Research, and John R. Moyers, M.D.,
chair of the FAER Education Study Section. Comment and discussion
centered on the evidence that both basic science and clinical
grants were subjected to the same rigorous scientific methods.
The level of score used for funding was discussed, and Dr. Rorie
expressed the view that more grants have recently achieved competitive
scores than in some previous years. He further reviewed the scale
used to calibrate scores and provided corresponding descriptions
as follows:
Score Description
1 1.5 Fundable in present form
1.6 2.0 Fundable currently with only minor revisions
2.1 2.5 Could be fundable after minor revision;
resubmission strongly encouraged
2.6 3.0 Could be fundable after moderate revision;
resubmission encouraged
3.1 3.5 Funding consideration possible only after
complete revision
3.6 4.0 Favorable funding decision unlikely
4.1 5.0 Reapplication discouraged
Following the discussion, and on recommendation of the ASA Committee
on Research, the FAER Board approved the funding of six new grants.
Three of the six studies recommended for funding were clinical
projects. Details will appear in a later column.
The Board has two principal responsibilities: 1) operations,
most importantly management of the grant awards programs, and
2) fundraising to support the Foundation's missions, especially
the development of anesthesiology educators and physician-scientists.
The Board discussed the need for higher dollar amounts for grant
awards, the need for encouraging grant applications, particularly
education grants, and ways in which the award programs might be
made more desirable and beneficial to academic departments. This
dialogue will be a major topic for the meeting this fall.
In other actions, the board asked John J. Savarese, M.D., and
Hugh C. Hemmings, M.D., to make recommendations in October for
a new re-survey of award recipients accepting their premise that
a ten-year interval between surveys might be more appropriate
to provide valid outcome measures of the activity since 1995.
The Board was pleased when ASA President Ronald A. MacKenzie,
D.O., joined the latter half of the meeting. He reiterated the
commitment of ASA to FAER and its educational and research mission.
The concept of planned giving to FAER, APSF, Wood Library-Museum
and other ASA entities was discussed. President MacKenzie informed
us that two companies have been invited to present to the ASA
offices regarding planned giving, with the intention that ASA
will coordinate an effort that will eventually result in increased
giving for all four ASA-affiliated foundations.
The Board also heard reports on preparations for the ASA Annual
Meeting in October. Planned activities include re-establishment
of a FAER booth staffed by former award recipients and board members
under the direction of Dr. Conroy and Steven C. Hall, M.D.
Other Annual Meeting activities were discussed, including:
- FAER/Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Dinner: On
Friday evening, October 13, the FAER board will host this annual
event to be held this year at the University Club in San Francisco.
- Abbott Laboratories/FAER Resident Scholars Program: This
year the program will be increased from 40 to 60 residents.
The program includes a Saturday morning orientation, Sunday
attendance at the House of Delegates, participation in the scientific
sessions and closes with a dinner Tuesday evening. This program
is under the direction of Shirley A. Graves, M.D.
- FAER Panel: The Board approved the participants
and subject for the Monday afternoon FAER Panel titled "Information
Overload: Data Analysis From Genes to Population." This year's
panel is under the direction of Kevin K. Tremper, M.D.
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