2009 International Physiology Committee Report
Almost one quarter of all APS members now come from countries other than the
US. Since 2000, there has been a remarkable 66% increase in the number of
international APS members. The International Physiology Committee is
committed to being an integral part of APS’ international efforts and to
identifying and implementing ways in which APS can provide better service to
the existing international membership base.
Committee Programs: The International Physiology Committee now
coordinates and oversees two programs: the Latin American Initiative, which
began in 2000; and the International Early Career Physiologist Travel
Awards. During the past year, the International Physiology Committee was
also asked to assess the scientific quality of abstracts submitted for the
IUPS 2009 Travel Awards.
The Latin American Initiative: At the closing deadline of June 30,
2008, three applications for LAI funding in 2009 had been received. Review
of the applications by the Committee indicated that one merited funding and
that the others were potentially fundable. As a result, Council approved
funding for the successful application. The potentially fundable
applications were returned and the applicants were advised to revise and
resubmit. Because there was still the possibility of awarding $5,000 in LAI
support if the two revised applications were funded, the Committee called
for a second round of LAI applications with a submission deadline of
November 1. Five applications were received. Three of these applications
were funded, including a revised application from the first round.
Improving the Numbers and Quality of LAI Applications: At the 2008
meeting of the International Committee, members expressed concern about the
numbers of applications received over the last three to four years and about
the quality of some of the applications. As a result of this discussion, the
guidelines for applications were revised to give applicants a better idea of
what information was required to maximize the chances of obtaining LAI
funding. At the same time, the APS staff developed an online application
form so that all applications for LAI funding are now made through the APS
awards site. At the 2009 meeting, Committee members indicated that they were
pleased with the improvement in the general quality of the applications for
LAI funding that resulted from the guideline changes and decided that no
further action was required. The Committee believed that the number of
applications was adequate but decided to ask local Physiological Societies
in Latin America to publicize the LAI.
International Early Career Physiologist Travel Awards: In 2008, the
International Physiology Committee recommended that Council create an
International Travel Award to enable early career physiologists from outside
the US to attend and participate in EB meetings. The Committee developed
guidelines and an online application for the new International Early Career
Physiologist (IECP) Travel Award.
Committee members were generally happy with the quality of the applicants
for the IECP Travel Awards but were surprised at the scientific quality of
some of the abstracts. The problem with scientific quality of abstracts was
highlighted by the Committees’ review of the IUPS 2009 Travel Awards. Many
of the 41 abstracts reviewed for the IUPS Travel Awards were not of an
acceptable standard, highlighting the need for clearer guidelines for the
preparation of a good-quality abstract. The Committee decided that the
guidelines for the IECP Travel Award should include instructions about what
constitutes a good abstract, including a link to the relevant section of the
APS website. The Committee also believed that guidelines for other
abstract-based awards should also include similar instructions and links.
Joint Meetings with Other Physiological Societies: APS has been asked
to participate in a joint meeting of the Spanish Physiological Society and
Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, which will take place in 2012 under the
auspices of FEPS. The Spanish Society suggested that APS sponsor a
symposium. The Committee is discussing how to select joint symposia for such
meetings and drafting guidelines for developing and selecting symposia for
joint meetings such as these.
Increasing International Membership in APS: Last year, the
International Committee proposed to conduct an online survey of
international members in order to discover their reasons for joining APS,
which services they consider valuable, and how they believe services to
international members could be improved. The Committee discussed the content
and timing of this survey during its meeting at EB 2009. The Committee is
currently drafting a survey based on the 2007 Trainee Needs Assessment
Survey and the 2005 Members Survey that was conducted during the development
of the 2006-2010 Strategic Plan.
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