FAER Launches Four New Anesthesia Research Councils!

n keeping with its board-approved strategic plan, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) has launched four new initiatives designed to expand and enhance ongoing efforts to bring more attention and much-needed funds to anesthesiology research. The councils will focus in four key research areas: geriatrics, pain medicine, pediatrics and critical care and trauma. The goal of the councils is to increase awareness of and participation in FAER from various new sources. This increased awareness will help the councils achieve the long-term vision to increase the research funding available for FAER applicants. The ASA Committee on Research will continue to maintain the integrity of the review process for all FAER research applications, and funds received for the councils will not be dispersed until and unless the Committee on Research identifies an initiative-related project that meets all standards set by the committee.

Council members will be expected to help raise the visibility of FAER’s research track record and be available for marketing and fund development support as much as possible. Council members can increase the public’s awareness by showcasing FAER at national meetings and as various opportunities allow. For example FAER staff could tap into foundations supporting geriatric research and make an appointment for site visits. FAER would then contact the council members with that expertise/interest and ask them to participate in the site visit and fund-raising opportunity. Members’ names also might be given to media to field calls about a particular subject of mutual interest.

Council membership will ultimately include practitioners, academicians and governmental and lay organizations in addition to stakeholders not currently represented. It is believed that the work of the various subspecialty organizations will be supplemented and leveraged through the efforts of the FAER councils.

Each council will have separate but similar marketing and communication plans, including a council-specific press kit, Web site, newsletter and stationery. The press kits are under development for each initiative and will be sent to various foundations and potential supporters as part of FAER’s outreach efforts. Each FAER council will have its own Web site domain and individualized content. A newsletter will be generated as part of the press kit, will be available on the Web site and will be distributed intracouncil. The newsletter will track council updates, including where funds came from and how they were invested.

It also is expected that participation on the council by non-FAER Board members could be used as a training ground for future board members. If you are interested in assisting FAER with these new initiatives, please e-mail Thomas M. Bruckman at <bruckman.tom@mayo.edu>.

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