Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research (SPER). - In 1988 a group of epidemiologists with shared interests in maternal and child heath formed the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research (SPER). SPER’s mission is to foster reproductive, pediatric, and perinatal epidemiologic research, including but not limited to factors that influence parental health and the health and development of children from conception through adolescence. This mission is well-aligned with the mission of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The primary means by which SPER achieves its mission is through the Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting. The Annual Meeting is open to all interested parties and typically lasts 1.5 days. The objectives of the Annual Meeting are to 1) present current research in reproductive, pediatric, and perinatal epidemiology, 2) provide opportunities to network and develop collaborations, and 3) engage and mentor trainees in a professional setting. The Advanced Methods Workshop precedes the meeting and addresses an emerging methodologic topic in the field. The official Annual Meeting program typically includes a mixture of plenary and concurrent sessions, including a keynote address, 3-4 symposia, 6-9 contributed sessions, 2 poster sessions, 2 professional development sessions, and a plenary panel discussion on a current topic. The Program Committee selects symposia from submitted proposals that describe a topic of interest to the Society and identify a panel of experts to discuss it. Topics may focus on a controversy in the field, a topic that has not been addressed in the past, or a topic that is particularly timely. In contrast, contributed sessions consist entirely of talks selected by the Program Committee from submitted research abstracts. The purpose of this grant proposal is to request continued funding to cover registration and travel for the Trainee Prize Paper Award and the Heinz Berendes Award winners. The Trainee Prize Paper Award recognizes an outstanding manuscript submitted by a trainee. The Heinz Berendes Award recognizes excellence in reproductive, pediatric, and perinatal epidemiologic research conducted in an international population. We are also requesting new funding for awards to defray the cost of attending the meeting, including funds to cover registration and travel for 2 travel awards (started in 2021) and registration defrayment for 6 awards (starting in 2025). Finally, we are requesting funding to partially defray the cost of the poster display board rental. Maximizing the number of poster display boards we can afford helps increase trainee participation, consistent with our third meeting objective. As a Society, we are committed to creating a welcoming environment with an emphasis on mentoring the next generation of epidemiologists. All meeting attendees agree to a meeting code of conduct, and we strive to make our meetings accessible to potential attendees with different needs (e.g., family care, lactation room, accommodations for people with disabilities).
