Travel Award for Pharmacology Educators

Submission Deadline:  January 4, 2012

The ASPET Division of Pharmacology Education is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 2012 Travel Award for Pharmacology Educators. All applications and support materials must be received by January 4, 2012. The primary goal of this travel award is to promote participation in an ASPET Meeting by pharmacology educators and to foster career development in pharmacology education.

 Although there are no restrictions on faculty rank, the eligibility criteria are that the applicant (1) has significant teaching responsibilities in the area of pharmacology; and (2) is a member of ASPET (primary or secondary membership in the Division of Pharmacology Education is encouraged). The areas of teaching responsibilities in pharmacology can include instruction in graduate and undergraduate college classes as well as professional schools. In addition to curriculum delivery, preference will be given to the applicant demonstrating efforts in creative aspects of pharmacology education, e.g., curricula design assessment and faculty development. Preference will be given to applicants who have submitted an education abstract to Experimental Biology 2012.

 The award (not to exceed $1,000) can be used to defray any of the following as needed: ASPET dues, travel expenses, registration, hotel accommodations, and cost of meals. All reimbursement expenses must be consistent with the guidelines of ASPET. The applicant will receive a plaque in recognition of his/her receipt of the award.

ASPET DIVISION OF PHARMACOLOGY EDUCATION TRAVEL AWARD FOR PHARMACOLOGY EDUCATORS

 

Instructions to Applicants:

 

To make formal application, you must E-mail an Applicant’s Statement, Supportive Material, and arrange to have submitted at least one but not more than three letters of support by the deadline date. Please compile your application as a single PDF compiling the following sections in the order given below. Your application and supporting letters must be emailed to R. Senthil Kumar (srajasekaran@smu.ky) by January 4, 2012.


Section A. Applicant’s Statement (limit to 2000 words)

Applicants may wish to address the following in their statement:
1. Describe the breadth and extent of your teaching experiences in pharmacology education.
        What are goals for pharmacology educational of the instructional unit(s) in which you currently participate?
        What role do you play in establishing and meeting these goals? That is, describe your involvement in preparation and delivery of undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional school curricula.
        Discuss your perception of the importance of your educational endeavors in pharmacology education to the mission of the educational unit.
2. Indicate the type of teaching strategies and materials that you use or have implemented. For example, describe how student aids are used to meet the needs of the educational unit and the students.
3. Describe self-improvement strategies that you have developed? For example, describe how you use student feedback and peer evaluation to alter course content and educational perspective and strategy. Be sure to
    indicate participation in educational workshops and courses to improve their educational efforts
4. Describe how your innovations in pharmacology education have influenced the educational environment(s) in your or other educational endeavors.
5. Describe what you hope to gain from attendance at the ASPET meeting. What contributions do you envision bringing to pharmacology education during your career?”


Section B. Applicants Supportive Materials - May include but not be limited to:

1. Curriculum vitae (please highlight education related accomplishments)
2. Positive teaching evaluations from colleagues and students
3. Examples of academic efforts in pharmacology education, e.g., presentations, abstracts, and papers.
4. Please do NOT attach non-evaluative materials, such as, lesson plans or presentation materials.


Section C. Provide the names and contact information of your references.

Instructions to be provided to your References:
1. Inform your References that they must E-mail their comments as pdf files to R. Senthil Kumar (srajasekaran@smu.ky) by the deadline date.
2. Inform your References that their comments will be held confidential by ASPET.
3. Provide your References with the following guidelines for presenting information for our consideration.

Guidelines for References Comments: In order to evaluate candidates for the travel award, you have been requested to provide a letter of support highlighting your knowledge of the applicant as a pharmacology educator. Please provide your opinion of the applicant’s teaching expertise, educational innovations, contributions to goals of educational units in which they participate, and benefits that attending a FASEB meeting would offer to the applicant’s career in pharmacology education. In preparing your recommendation, listed below are topics that you may wish to consider.
A. Breadth and extent of the applicant’s participation in pharmacology education
B. Value of the applicant’s educational endeavors in pharmacology education (If possible, provide positive student and faculty feedback evaluation.)
C. Extent of use and effectiveness of student teaching aids
D. Applicant’s self-improvement strategies (Use of student feedback and peer evaluations, and participation in educational workshops.)
E. Influence of innovations by the applicant on their educational environment

Your comments will be kept confidential. Please E-mail your comments as pdf files to R. Senthil Kumar (srajasekaran@smu.ky) no later than January 4, 2012. Your assistance is greatly appreciated

Division for Pharmacology Education Goals

1. To foster educational scholarship, including research and publication

 

2. To meet annually to share information and to discuss issues that are important to pharmacology education and to the pharmacology educator

 

3. To increase communication among pharmacology educators

 

4. To strengthen the role and to increase the collective voice of pharmacology educators in ASPET

 

5. To foster linkages between the Division for Pharmacology Education and other divisions of ASPET, with AMSPC, and with other FASEB societies

 

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