First Announcement - AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE Prize for Young Investigators

On 19 April 2007, the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE Prize for Young Investigators will be awarded for the first time during the upcoming "12th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies", which is held in Florence, Italy, from 18 to 20 April 2007.

The AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE focuses on the research in the causes of autoimmune diseases. Based on this background it is primarily interested in funding basic, academic research. It further focuses on clinical research cooperations to develop therapeutic concepts and to design assays for early and reliable diagnostics.

The AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE, located in Wendelsheim, Germany, considers the prize an expression of its philosophy. One of the goals is to stress the importance of research in autoimmune diseases and the progress in this field. With the donation of this prize the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE intends specifically to foster young scientists, who distinguish themselves for their excellence in research in the field of autoimmunity.

The AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE offers two grants to Young Investigators, including a prize money of 2,500 $ each, on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposed abstract and the relevance of the research aimed to improve our understanding of autoimmune diseases. The main criterion for evaluation of the application is the potential for the proposed research to improve the general understanding, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of the disease process in autoimmune diseases.

According to the goal of the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE to grant the work of promising young researchers applicants should be not older than 35 years of age.

Procedure of Application

To apply for the Prize, all those interested must be the first author of the abstract they are submiting (using the meeting abstract form) and must send it together with it a proof of their age to the Organizing Secretariat O.I.C. srl at secretariat@antiphospholipid.net not later than February 20, 2007.

Review of Applications

The AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE Prize for Young Investigators uses a competitive peer review system. Applications are evaluated and given a priority score by a Scientific Review Committee comprised of specialists representing the Scientific Advisory Board of the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE, the "12th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies" and the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE.

Members of the Scientific Review Committee:

§         Pier Luigi Meroni, MD, Allergy, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Milan; member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE,

§         Angela Tincani, MD, Clinical Immunology, Rheumatology Service, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; Chairperson of the "12th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies",

§         Torsten Matthias, PhD, Chairman of the board of the AESKU.KIPP INSTITUTE.

Review Criteria

Reviewers are instructed to take the following criteria into consideration when reviewing the applications:

§         Scientific merit: Does the publication have clear results? Are the results reasonable in light of current knowledge? Are the methods clearly explained and appropriate?

§         Relevance: Does the proposed publication contribute significantly to current knowledge regarding the etiology, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of autoimmune diseases?