While this last year has been incredibly tough for us all, collaboration and support between colleagues has been more important than ever before and we’ve seen the importance of organisations that bring us together with common interest and goals. We are hopeful of better times ahead and it is essential for us as a society to look to the future, to take stock, adapt and move ESPE forwards.
We’re very grateful to all of you who took part in our membership survey to help facilitate and inform this process. Earlier this month, Council reviewed the results, as well as other key information and feedback, and had an insightful strategic meeting focusing on how ESPE can best meet the needs of its members, the field and our patients. We are currently collating the outcomes of that meeting and forming strategic plans for the coming years in partnership with our committees. We will update you on those in the near future.
In response to previous strategic discussions, we have started a Rare Disease Advisory Group, which includes members from ESPE, Endo-ERN, ERN-BOND and the ESE Rare Disease Committee. Its purpose is to develop policies, strategies, collaboration and awareness to advance the field of rare diseases and advise ESPE Council in this area over the coming 2 years and how to proceed thereafter. You can find out more on our website and we will be providing further updates in the near future.
Meanwhile, plans for ESPE 2021 Online in September move forward apace. You will have seen that we are now welcoming your abstract submissions, with a deadline of 10 May. During the virtual meeting, accepted abstracts will be presented both orally and via posters as usual, giving researchers the opportunity to reach a global paediatric endocrine audience of thousands, with clinicians and scientists accessing the content easily from across the world. We very much look forward to learning about your recent work.
Last year we launched a new Undergraduate Achievement Award which was sadly postponed when our annual meeting could not take place. We are keen to support early interest in paediatric endocrinology as a specialism and would like to encourage students to submit an abstract to our meeting and apply for this award. Up to six applicants will receive free registration to ESPE 2021 Online, as well as €750 towards attendance at next year’s annual meeting.
We are also currently welcoming applications for our Research Fellowship, which enables talented early career scientists, investigators, and paediatric endocrinologists to conduct research at leading institutions worldwide. This outstanding programme has helped launch powerful careers in leading-edge clinical research and provides a grant of up to €140,000. Don’t forget to apply by 20 April for this grant.
Another important opportunity offered by ESPE is high quality teaching, sharing and case discussion at our fully funded Schools. You are welcome to apply by the deadlines if you would like to attend ESPE Maghreb School (for French-speaking paediatric endocrinologists in North African Countries) or ESPE Caucasus & Central Asia School (slides are presented in English and Russian).
For those of you further into your paediatric endocrine careers, you could have a huge impact as a teacher and steering committee member for one of our Schools. This is an exciting opportunity to impart your experience and knowledge in different areas of the world and we currently have vacancies for the ESPE Summer School, Winter School and Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism School. Do take a look at our Committee Vacancies web page for more details and submit your application before the relevant deadline. Other important opportunities include supporting ESPE activities on our Communications and Science Committees.
Finally, I’m very sorry to tell you that our colleague, Dr Marie-José Walenkamp from Amsterdam very sadly passed away earlier this month at the age of 54. Marie-José made many important contributions to clinical paediatric endocrine research, in particular on genetic causes of short stature. She was also an active member of ESPE, and was successfully elected, together with Prof. Paul van Trotsenburg, to organise the 2023 ESPE meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands. You can read more about her career and acheivements in the obituary on our website. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues.
Wishing you all the very best,
Anita
ESPE Secretary General