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Letter from the ACG Institute Director
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
I write to you in the most extraordinary time of our professional lives. Never before have so many changes happened so quickly and with such profound impact on gastroenterology. Many of us have worry about our patients, our practices, and our futures. These past months have witnessed acts of bravery amongst our colleagues, and have challenged us all to find different ways to care for our patients.
Given this backdrop, it might be natural to toss this publication, the 2019–2020 ACG Institute Report of Programs and Activities, to the side. Instead, now, more than ever, the mission of the Institute—to educate, to support clinical research and innovation, and to raise public awareness about digestive disease, has special relevance. As we strive to meet the challenges of this pandemic, our need for education has never been greater. New challenges demand new solutions, and the best, most innovative solutions will be evidence-based. And none of our efforts will be maximally effective without public awareness of the toll of gastrointestinal illness and the effectiveness of preventive measures.
For these reasons, the Institute has increased its efforts to educate our profession and the public, and to develop the next generation of leaders in gastroenterology. We have expanded clinical research opportunities, increased funding support, augmented our leadership training programs, and developed new educational programs. In fact, this has been the busiest year since I have served as the Institute Director. The work of the Institute is done by the talented and creative members of the Institute Board of Directors. I want to thank my colleagues on the Board. and our ACG staff, who work tirelessly to make the vision of the Board a reality.
I invite you to take a moment to review this year’s report. It documents multiple changes in our successful clinical grants program. Perhaps the most impressive of these is that the Junior Faculty Development Awards have been increased in funding to $450,000 over three years, beginning with the 2021 award cycle. Also of note are new grant programs, including the first iteration of research grants for residents and medical students. It is our hope that engaging the best prospects early in their training will strengthen the pipeline of our profession. We also began a new bridge grant program; our first grant aimed specifically at more senior investigators.
The ACG Edgar Achkar Visiting Professorships (EAVP) continue to be a big hit, with a large number of training programs requesting speakers. In a tribute to the flexibility of both the training programs and the speakers, some of these programs are now being planned virtually, due to COVID-19. Our Hepatology School and IBD School programs continue to be successful and the Functional GI Disorders School was held for the second and third time. The ACG Young Physician Leadership Scholars Program again received rave reviews from its second class of future ACG leaders. These terrific young people participated in a virtual advocacy day with members of Congress. New initiatives include the convening of a NAFLD/NASH task force, the development of a new Endoscopy School, and the support of the Women in GI Committee’s efforts to publish a supplement to The American Journal of Gastroenterology on management and treatment of GI conditions during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Our G.U.T. Fund to Grow, Uplift, and Transform GI through the work of the ACG Institute continues. We express our deepest gratitude to our Pillar Leadership Donors. Their remarkable commitment to the success of the Institute and to clinical gastroenterology is amazing. Please consider making your gift to the G.U.T. Fund, as an investment in the future of gastroenterology.
The mission of the Institute reflects the values of our profession and the priorities of the College. In times of crisis, this work becomes even more important, both to reaffirm these values, and to develop the ideas and leaders who will guide us to better times. I feel fortunate to be involved with this wonderful organization at this challenging time, and I wish you the very best as you confront the challenges ahead.
Warmest Regards,
Nicholas J. Shaheen, MD, MPH, FACG Director, ACG Institute
1994–2020 ACG Institute AWARDS
JUNIOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS $12 MILLION
64 RESEARCHERS $100,000 Per Year $300,000 Total
CLINICAL RESEARCH AWARDS $10.4 MILLION
Clinical Research Awards $50,000 per year
Clinical Research Pilot Awards $15,000 per year
Medical Student Research Awards $5,0000 per year
660 FUNDED INVESTIGATORS
Totaling more than $22.4 MILLION
RESEARCH
RESEARCH 2019–2020 Annual Report of Programs & Activities | 5
