Hello ASP members,
Happy 2011! I am writing to members seeking your feedback on two significant matters.
Member comments on the Draft Strategic Plan
Please find attached the draft ASP Strategic Plan (with appendices) prepared by Council after careful consideration and discussion. I briefed the membership on this at the AGM in Melbourne in August.
I now formally invite all members to carefully consider the draft plan and send comments to Council either via myself (t.spithill@latrobe.edu.au) or via your State representative. Council is very keen to seek your thoughts on the draft Plan which will determine our future activities over the next 10 years. We are keen to hear from all members, and particularly our young early career members, on how the ASP can meet your needs.
So please send us any ideas/suggestions/critiques you may have by 25 January 2011. Council will meet on 10 February and all suggestions will be considered and discussed.
Proposed name change for the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology
As we know, external funding for the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology has ceased although Network activities have continued with ASP support through 2009-2011. In 2009 Council formed a Task Force (Andrew Thompson [Chair], Deborah Holt, Adele Lehane, Graham Mitchell, Geoff McFadden, Terry Spithill, Malcolm Jones) who met in Melbourne on 18th March 2009, and considered, among other matters, options as to how the activities of the Network may continue.
The Task Force recommended to Council that:
“the ASP should have ‘ownership’ of the future Network, with a Convenor appointed by Council and sitting on Council. This will ensure close integration of the new Network into ASP. The future Network should be considered as a wholly owned subsidiary of the ASP which would allow it to be packaged separately for the purposes of attracting funding for specific activities of the Network. As such, and in order to enhance fund raising and differentiate the new/old Networks, the Committee proposed a name change for the Network and a number of options are suggested for further consideration by Council: we suggest the ASP survey the membership for ideasâ€.
The draft Strategic Plan from Council reflects this recommendation. Council now seeks ideas from the membership for a name change for the new entity which will replace the previous Network (see Pillar 4 of the Plan). A number of options are suggested for further consideration by members. Some suggestions from the Task Force and Council are:
• Australian Research Network for Parasitology (ARNP) (this is the current name in use)
• Australian Network for Advancing Parasitology (ANAP)
• Parasitology Network Australia (PNA)
• Australian College for Parasitology (ACP)
• Australian Parasitology Training Initiative (APTI)
• Parasitology Teaching and Education Initiative (PTEI)
• Parasitology Australia (PA)
• ASP Hub for Parasitology Research (AHPR)
• Australian Parasitology Research Hub (APRH)
• Australian Parasitology Consortium (APC)
• Australian Parasitology Alliance (APA)
I encourage members to send me (or your local State rep) your ideas for the new name (t.spithill@latrobe.edu.au ) by 25 January 2011: if you are happy with one of the names above please let us know.
Council will consider all suggestions at the next meeting in February.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Terry Spithill
4 January 2011