Grant Applications Flood Into FAER

Thomas M. Bruckman, Executive Director
Foundation for Education and Research

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) is pleased to announce a dramatic increase in applications for Research Grant support as of the February 15, 2004, deadline. FAER received a total of 33 applications, 30 of which were deemed complete and acceptable for further review by the ASA Committee on Research. Three applications were sent back for resubmission at a later date.

Pending a similar number of applications at the August 15, 2004, deadline, FAER will receive and review more applications in 2004 than in any of the last seven years.

Since hitting a low of 34 applications total in 2001, FAER has seen an increase in both the quantity and quality of applications for support.

According to FAER Chair Myer H. Rosenthal, M.D., “We’re delighted about the increasing numbers of residents and the upturn in cumulative academic activity. Overall in 2003, FAER supported 19 physician scientists and funded over $1 million in grants. We will foster this increased academic activity and anticipate continued premier proposals. ASA’s Committee on Research reported that the past year’s submissions represented the highest quality group of applications in 10 years. With this in mind, we’ve again budgeted over $1.4 million for grants in 2004.”

Since the Foundation’s inception in 1986, ASA has contributed $15 million to FAER. With an eye to the future, FAER has successfully built an endowment of more than $16 million while concurrently funding in excess of $12 million in grants.

Other new developments include board consideration of a new Research Education Grant as well as additional financial support for mentors. The new Research Education awards would support research into the process of education with the goal of developing innovative methods of educating residents and/or innovations in the continuing education of practicing physicians. A new mentorship proposal strives to increase the participation of mentors in the specialty. These proposals have been presented to the FAER Board for evaluation.

FAER President Alan D. Sessler, M.D., commented that “the past six months have been exceptionally busy for FAER. We continue to focus on fulfilling the research and education missions of FAER and ASA and are resolved to keep anesthesia education and research healthy and growing. We’re committed to a more active role in promoting anesthesiology, to embracing the sense of excitement returning to the specialty and to fostering the upturn in cumulative academic activity. We welcome this opportunity to share with ASA the activities of the Foundation.”

The ASA-FAER partnership is moving forward and embracing the many opportunities that lie ahead. Together we are realizing the potential of the specialty and continuing to improve patient care. FAER sincerely appreciates our successful relationship with the Society and would like to say “thank you!” to everyone who makes this important work possible.

Thomas M. Bruckman became FAER Executive Director in 2003. Previously he was Executive Director and CEO of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease.

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