Send comments to:
barnea@earlypregnancy.orgSIEP_organization_and_collaborations
Conceptual Meetings
:Extension Meetings (post graduate)
EPBM journal focus, format, special issues and future
Force of the Publishing Arm
Rally additional scientists
EPBM-IA
Special Issues
3 months in review
Manuscripts awaited
VIEP: Virtual Institute of Early Pregnancy
Self sufficient group/Seeking sponsorship
Intellectual Property issues
Managerial issues
Acknowledge ALL SIEP mail
Address/Receipt
For the *Third World Conference on Early Pregnancy : An Intedisciplinary Approach in Atlantic City October 1996, we have cemented our collaboration together, and with this message, I would like to make sure that we do not divert from converting those commonly agreed plans into action. This letter is to acknowledge that we have achieved a real togetherness and that by working hard, we can bring Early Pregnancy investigation to the focus that it clearly deserves.
A little pat in the back: each of us came from all corners of the world and from all relevant professions.
Each of us came to hear, more than actually be heard, we have all completed the early pregnancy picture with aspects insofar never available under one umbrella. The synergy was tremendous and each we have contributed to the excitement and building the momentum. None of us could have done it without the help of the others! Thank yourself and thank the others.We have reached a consensus
No doubt that every and each of us is an important element, if not a determining part of the early pregnancy investigation puzzle. In order to keep this momentum going, and to achieve SIEP's goals, this, will be a detailed letter, intended to crystalize, focus, make the point, rally effort, guide us further. Your continued action and collaboration is needed in order to advance our work. At the end, you will find a check-list which is consequential that you return to this office, properly filled. The better we organize, the better our progress will have meaning.
SIEP organization and collaborations
Our group thrives on INTERDISCIPLINARITY. As such, it was created to be able to join, formally or informally, tightly or loosely, continuously or intermittently, with other scientific groups, either basic science, clinical or combined.
All those groups may retain their personality and join with us for the specific overlap of our common goal: Early Pregnancy investigation. We are not only determined to avoid conflicts of interest, we are determined to nurture those collaborations that clearly emphasize common growth.
As an example we offered to join our efforts with ETEP EuroTeam of Early Pregnancy, since they focus on early pregnancy disorders, we our join efforts with the 2nd International Symposium on Diabetes and Pregnancy in the '90s, with the 4th International Conference on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, since they both have a special faction which investigates early pregnancy, we plan join with Solamer, the South American group of Biology and Reproduction, we join with the French onco-gynecology group, to promote early pregnancy investigation within its context of cancer understanding, we adjoin with the Red Latinoamericana de Reproduccion Asistida, we join with veterinary groups from Columbia and from Texas who could help promote our investigation when human studies are difficult or impossible, we join with internationally reputed academies of science and universities in Hungary, Croatia, Russia, India since they have investigated early pregnancy for a long time, and they appreciate the focus and the momentum we gather.
AND we have secured, used and demanded from our ethicists-in-residence, to continuously update themselves and further focus on the beauty and difficulty of Early Pregnancy within the context of its potential for medical understanding throughout life. We can become as focused, as consolidated and as large as we decide to be!
You could endeavor
to let us know, within the specifics of your scientific specialty, geographical context, society and group belonging, to offer to join SIEP with you as mediator, so that YOU can help complete the picture of its missing aspects.Future Conference(s) Format
We have lengthily discussed content and subsequent format. I believe that a unique concept is emerging, which will definitely serve the goal and nature of SIEP and will also, it seems, please most of you:
Conceptual Meetings:
There is an expressed, keen need to preserve the "small forum" of directional meetings, such as the one which just took place, and to continue to do so every two years. Those meetings will forge the guidance and regulations of this novel field of medicine we have chosen to investigate. The major format change that emerged, is that these meetings will be conceptual, rather than results-oriented from a scientific stand-point, which means that we shall discuss trends and possibilities emerging from early pregnancy's potential.
Extension Meetings
I believe that in addition, SIEP's goal includes dissemination of concepts, relevant responsible information and sharing knowledge at all scientific and clinical levels. There are several amongst you who expressed keen interest to organize either clinical courses or basic meetings or combinations thereof, under SIEP's aegidaes.
Of course, you heard Dr. Istvan Szabo's proposal to hold a meeting in Pecs, Hungary. Dr. Paul Shofield would organize a meeting in Cambridge, UK. Dr. Carlo DiRenzo offered to hold one in Croatia. Dr. Elkin Lucena would want our meeting to be adjoined with Solamer. Drs. Maurice Panigel and Francoise Ferre have already set the blueprints for an "emerging concepts" colloquium, in France. Ideally, each course is to be presented once in the U.S. and the next time in Europe or South America; but since each of those meetings have a
different personality and angle, they are bound not to overlap, they will not appeal to the same public, rather they would synergize.Of course, these meetings, will be adapted to the intended audience. At my end, the coordination will be made with all this global view in mind.
EPBM journal focus, format, special issues and future
This journal becomes an important and recognized tool of the trade. Your role now is to make it known in the right circles, and to promote its unique concept.
Force of the Publishing Arm
SIEP must have a strong publishing arm whose goal is the responsible dissemination of all valid scientific discoveries and the inherent clinical implications of Early Pregnancy investigation. The publisher, would identify itself with our endeavour and would actively participate for what is bound to be a mutually rewarding goal.
Rally additional scientists
For the first couple of years, we were a closed group who needed internal cementing; this, by now achieved, we are ready to turn outward;
By now, with your conference registration you have subscribed to the journal for 1997; but this is definitely NOT enough; As a fully indexed, peer-reviewed publication, our common goal, and the goal of each and every of us is to make EPBM known and read by the full array of interested parties. YOU must help identifying and sponsoring at your end those scientists who would join our larger circle.At your end, please locate the members of your scientific community and environment who would benefit from subscribing to EPBM and who, under your sponsorship, would submit their work to be published under our aegidae. As an initial goal for 1997, you should locate 5-25 additional scientists and clinicians at your end, to subscribe to the journal, to submit their work to us, to progressively become active SIEP members involved in SIEP's activities. In addition would you make sure that your center's library should display EPBM, to make sure that we achieve the interdisciplinarity we aim at.
EPBM-IA
After the Conference in Atlantic City, and in concordance with the achievements therein, EPBM will add in its mission and than in its name:
Early Pregnancy: Biology and Medicine
An Interdisciplinary Approach
We expect that soon we will need additional pages and/or more yearly issues, all while maintaining and elevating the quality of the manuscripts therein. As active members, you will be called to review more manuscripts.
Special Issues
Special EPBM issues will constitute an additional focus of interest of EPBM. Insofar we have presented in all the last 4-5 issues a report of a special section taken from a conference of another group of interest focusing on the part in that conference relating to early pregnancy. By now, several of you, as well as several outsiders would like to issue special EPBM issues relating to a conference/part thereof centered on EP.
PLEASE locate those meetings/part thereof which would benefit from being presented as EPBM special issue. We shall together agree on the appropriate format and conditions.
3 months in review
This is a very important and unique feature of our journal. In order to maintain its top quality, its intedisciplinarity and its global features, Dr. Polliotti can use your input. Please fax him any article (reference and summary) you find of interest. Also, we consider the post of associate writer for this permanent feature. It can be permanent or it can be for several issues only. Write with your proposal.
Manuscripts awaited
Most of you brought the manuscript at the conference in Atlantic City. We shall await your other manuscripts. Please be in touch with your timetable: coordination of well-balanced issues is no easy matter. Also let us know of other incoming manuscripts as well as manuscripts from other scientists within your circle who are submitting.
VIEP: Virtual Institute of Early Pregnancy
For this reason I have requested the extensive detailed list of your expertise ares.
This novel important way of exchanging collaboration, expertise and information, an interactive computer virtual institute, is currently proposed to us by a member of Columbia University (NY) faculty. For this reason I have appealed to you to take a moment and write down 10-15 entries which best describe your EP expertise and interests.
We shall peruse through all and we shall come back to you with requests to somehow standardize entries before computerizing them. We shall thanafter create "chatrooms" in which we will share/draw information and collaboration. It is a pioneering, mammoth project, and your cooperation is keenly appreciated.
I attach Pr. Levin's initial proposal to create this. Your input suggestions, cooperation pledges are welcomed and needed.
Self sufficient group/Seeking sponsorship
To be or not to be? Insofar, our first three conferences were self sufficient. Each of us paid our own for the privilege of the other's company. The rest was done at our end without protest, rather a labor of love. Times have changed and we are now a larger group. As an example, just before the meeting, Pharmacia_Upjohn provided us with a $3000 grant to cover outside legal fees for SIEP to become not-for-profit and some complimentary subscriptions.
Several other pharmaceuticals and biomedical technologies are negotiating with us to give us grants, aware that from our research will ensue clinical relevance. Give us your opinion of how far you would see us go, or
how you could personally help since those grants must be accepted all while our scientists maintain full academic independence. Of course, organizing clinical meetings at your end would entail creating such sponsorships.Intellectual Property issues
Several of you have approached me to help in focussing patent/proprietary issues. I feel honoured and I would like to continue to do so, to the best of my abilities. In addition, it is known that contracts-for-research sometimes entail fitting in with the goals of the entity sponsoring such research.
My input could be to pinpoint those abhorrently stringent conditions which could restrict your academic freedom. Whereas by training I am an international business attorney and have come only belatedly to join the ranks of biomedical technology issues, I have come to be able to sense and appraise realistic situations, and feel able to counsel you and to guide your steps with your own institutional legal department or the outside research sponsor.
Managerial issues
Acknowledge ALL SIEP mail
It is important that we keep close contact with you and keep accurate track of common activities. Within this context, rather than assume that a letter/fax sent was accurately received,
please acknowledge back each letter/fax. Actually, we will continue writing to those who acknowledge our mail.Address/Receipt
On SIEP computers your address figures as per this letter/the abstract conference booklet. Please make sure it is the most accurate version, and, when applicable, add your Email address as well. If you wish a receipt issued for your conference participation, please ask and I shall fax in return ASAP.
Thank you again for bringing YOUR side of Early Pregnancy investigation to this Society. To the risk of being redundant, herein the TO DO list which I would appreciate for you to fax/mail me within the briefest of delays so that we can start working.
Very sincerely yours,
Dr. Jacqueline H. Barnea DBA/JD
SIEP Secretary and Treasurer
My input as ACTIVE MEMBER of the Society for the Investigation of Early Pregnancy.
NAME
INSTITUTION
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
FACSIMILE
AREAS I PROPOSE TO BE ACTIVE (additional paper IS necessary)
SIEP
scientific areas of expertise in EP investigation (15-20 entries)
geographic expertise (local or international)
engaging in collaboration with other organizations you belong to
special SIEP activities (conferences, special meetings, focus group, VIEP)
special joint-ventures with other specific groups or entities
special committee/forum
EPBM-IA
subscription membership campaign/promote EPBM journal
sponsoring manuscripts/special activities/etc.
proposing special EPBM issues
3 months in review
VIEP
your level of computer skills/access
propose "standards" for areas of specialty entries
COLLABORATION/SPONSORSHIPS
seeking/screening sponsors on SIEP's behalf
keeping us posted of all collaborations between members
URGENTLY
names of 5-20 additional SIEP members/EPBM subscribers which you propose/sponsor and which will be accepted upon your recommendation
manuscripts on your presentation/other relevant manuscripts
SIGNATURE DATE
Please fax with mail confirmation this form to the editorial office below
To Top of Page
Back to the Virtual Institute Home Page
Copyright © CITI 1996. All rights reserved
This page was created by
Christine Brusato for V.I.E.P