Dear IRA Members,

Greetings! It is time for all of you to plan for IRACON 2015 that is to be held in Chennai along with APLAR 2015, between 6 and 9 September 2015. Block your dates and start planning your travel as well. I am sure this IRACON 2015 along with APLAR 2015 would fulfill our academic needs and also our social needs like meeting friends, making new friends, and sightseeing.

Please apply for orations and travel bursaries. (Information is given below.)

Orations and Awards

Annual IRA oration

This oration is in recognition of an individual’s contribution to the field of rheumatology in India. It includes a medal and return apex/economy-class airfare. The applicant should have been a continuous life member of IRA for 10 years. The applicant should not have received any other oration of IRA other than the Zydus oration in the past. The application should be accompanied with a curriculum vitae and a one-page essay on the applicant’s contribution to rheumatology.

Zydus oration

This oration is in recognition of an individual’s scientific contribution to the field of rheumatology. It includes a medal and a certificate. The applicant should have been a continuous life member of IRA for 5 years and should not have received any IRA oration in the past. The application should be accompanied with a curriculum vitae and reprints of the candidate’s 5 best publications.

Kol-Kon 2000 Oration

Instituted by the West Bengal chapter of IRA, and it includes a medal and apex/economy class airfare. It is in recognition of an individual’s overall contribution to the field of rheumatology, particularly in propagating rheumatology by way of public lectures, publishing articles related to patient education and awareness programs, conducting CME programs, enrolment of members, etc. The prospective candidate must have been a continuous life member of IRA for 10 years and should not have received any other oration of IRA other than the Zydus oration in the past. A curriculum vitae and a one-page essay should accompany the application on the applicant’s contribution to rheumatology.

Dr MN Passey Award for Distinguished Services

Instituted by the Delhi Rheumatology Association in memory of its former president, Padma Shri Late Dr MN Passey, this award is bestowed on the senior (Emeritus) members of IRA for their contribution to the field of rheumatology in India. It carries an award certificate, medal, and Rs.15,000/-. There is no formal application for this award. Members of the IRA may nominate eminent persons for this award. This award shall be presented during the inaugural ceremony of IRACON. (There is a registration waiver and accommodation provision.)

Young Investigator Awards

These awards are given for the original work presented at the annual IRA conference and are meant to encourage young rheumatologists who are younger than 40 years of age. Please indicate when submitting the abstract that you would like to be considered for this award. There are 5 awards:

• One Best Oral Paper (Clinical)
• One Best Oral Paper (Basic sciences)
• One Best Poster (Clinical)
• One Best Poster (Basic sciences)

The awards carry a cash award of Rs.10,000/- and a certificate.

Overseas members can apply for the awards and orations of IRA but only work done in India shall be considered.

IRA/APLAR TRAVEL BURSARIES

The IRA provides travel bursaries of Rs. 5000 (approximately 50% of the APLAR registration fee) each to its young members (rheumatology trainees) to attend the annual conference IRACON and APLAR 2015. Bursaries are available only to those IRA members (trainees) who present a paper at IRACON. The age limit is 40 years. The bursary may be used for registration fee, travel, or maintenance. Applications should be accompanied by the following enclosures: copy of letter of acceptance of abstract, a copy of the abstract itself, and date of birth certificate. Bursaries may be collected onsite from the IRA stall after submission of participation certificate. The last date of applications for travel bursary is 15 August 2015.

Four complete sets of applications/nominations for orations and MN Passey award should be sent to Secretary, IRA, and one set should be sent to the Organizing Secretary. The last date for orations/MN Passey award is 15 July 2015.

Indo-UK Rheumatology Travelling Fellowship

Objective: To fund a promising young rheumatologist (trainee) to attend an international rheumatology conference: BSR or EULAR

Recipients of the fellowship are encouraged to spend some time in one or more rheumatology units of their choice in UK to gain further experience in their area of interest. The duration of visit can vary from 6 weeks to 3 months, depending on personal circumstances, and it can be preceded by the conference. Applicants should be members of IRA and should have demonstrated their commitment to rheumatology by signing in/already working in a rheumatology training programme. Applicants are at liberty to apply for additional funding to other agencies.

Number of fellowships for the year 2015: One (1)

Amount: UK £1250
Last Date: 31.7.15 before 5 PM.
Age limit: 40 years

The following documents need to be enclosed with the application:

• Brief CV (no more than one page) PLUS one page outlining:
• Applicants choice of international conference
• Reasons why the fellowship should be granted to the individual
• How the fellowship will help the applicant’s career plans
• Area of special interest/overseas rheumatology units the applicant would like to spend time and correspondence with host units
• Abstract Acceptance Letter is desirable but not essential
• Recommendation of the consultant/supervisor of the training program (Please request the supervisor to e-mail his/her recommendation to Dr Ira Pande.)

Applications may be sent, preferably by e-mail, to:

Dr Ira Pande MD, PhD, FRCP

President Indo-UK Rheumatology Forum, Consultant Rheumatology

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK

E-mail: ira.pande@nuh.nhs.uk

One copy of the application should be sent to IRA Secretariat: secretary.ira@gmail.com Shortlisted candidates may be required to attend a personal interview during IRACON 2015. Fellowship awardees have to submit a conference report for publication in Indian Journal of Rheumatology to Editor, IJR.

IRA CME Program for undergraduate students

Applications are invited from members in medical colleges for conducting CMEs in the medical colleges in India in 2015.

Objectives: To teach basic rheumatology to enhance early recognition and proper management of rheumatic diseases.

Target audience: Postgraduate students in medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, physical medicine, interns, and final-year MBBS students.

Resource persons: • One faculty member from the local medical college • Two IRA members nominated by IRA executive committee • Other local speakers (if needed).

Duration: One full day (Saturdays or Sundays)

Funding: IRA (Up to Rs. 100,000/- would be funded. (No funding by other agencies allowed.)

Please submit a detailed proposal including the name of college, outline of the program (may contact secretary for a sample program), tentative dates, resource persons, budgets, etc. to Secretary, IRA. The proposal would be considered by the executive committee. (E-mails can be sent, followed by a hard copy.)

secretary.ira@gmail.com

Application for hosting IRACON 2017

Those who are interested in hosting IRACON 2017 are invited to send their bid. They would be asked to make a brief presentation to the executive committee during IRACON 2015. The presentation should include tentative dates, venue, and names of organizing and scientific chairmen.

Mailing address:

Dr BG Dharmanand
Secretary IRA,
EG-07, Banyan Tree Apartments,
Kariammana Agrahara Street,
Devarabeesanahalli,
Bangalore 560103
India
Secretary.ira@gmail.com
Mobile: +91-9845981399.

Organizing Secretary IRACON 2016
Dr V Krishnamurthy
20, 4th Cross Street,
Karpagam Gardens,
Adayar,
Chennai 600 020, India
Mobile: +91-9841041717

IRA Midterm Meeting Single theme symposium on

Spondyloarthropathy: The Old and the New

Saturday, 19 December 2015 SGPGI, Lucknow

The symposium will cover the recent advances and clinical aspects of spondyloarthropathy. The faculty will consist of eminent speakers from India and abroad. Please mark the date in your calendar. For details regarding registration, etc., contact

Dr Amita Aggarwal
Email: Spa2015lko@gmail.com