Report on the American Society of ParasitologyJohn M. Hawdon 212007-11-08T17:16:00Z2007-11-08T17:17:00Z2007-11-08T17:17:00Z13471981gwumc164232411.6359Report on the American Society of Parasitology97th Council MeetingJune 21, 2007Merida, MexicoStephen Kayes, president of the ASP, presided over the meeting. The following action items were proposed and voted on:1. Extend an offer of Affiliate Status to the Society of Mexican Parasitology (SMP). After discussion, mostly involving clarification, this proposal was approved by council.2. Establish 2-4 graduate exchange fellowships that would fund ASP doctoral students to work for a period of at least 6 months in a foreign laboratory. The fellowships would be funded by income identified by the Business Advisory Committee, and the first awarded in 2010. This proposal met with significant and ultimately crushing resistance from council. Janine Caira pointed out that the sums proposed ($35,000+ per fellowship) would be better spent on travel grants and other mechanisms to increase student membership and participation by the maximum number of students. The end result was that a committee was formed to address the concerns.3. Re-affirm the Bylaws which state that the ASP will hold an Annual Meeting each year. This was proposed specifically to hold meetings in the ICOPA years because of expense of those meetings prohibited attendance of many of the Society’s membership. Also, it was proposed to hold more meetings in Border States to increase attendance of foreign members. The council’s general consensus was that, after consecutive meetings in Scotland and Mexico, future meetings should be in domestic locations that are more affordable, thereby allowing more students to attend. 4. Charge the Industrial Liaison Committee to aggressively pursue alternate funding sources for meetings in a timely fashion. The success of other organizations (e.g. ASTMH) in obtaining sponsorships should be replicated by the ASP. This would include beginning efforts to line up sponsorships and vendors earlier than in the past. 5. Changes in the By-laws of the Ashton Cuckler committee stating that 1) the new investigator be nominated within 2 years of receiving their Masters or Doctoral degree, and 2) the nominee must be a member of the ASP at the time the award is made. This was approved by council.Submitted to the Executive Committee by John M. Hawdon, HSOW Representative to ASP, October 26, 2007.