Constitution of the EASD Eye Complications Study Group (EASDec)

(APPROVED 2012)

1. Name of Study Group

The Study Group is called the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Eye Complications Study Group, hereinafter referred to as the EASDec.

2. Affiliation

The EASDec shall be a Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, hereinafter referred to as the EASD.

3. Purpose

The aim of the Study Group is to further research and education in the pathophysiology, prevention, assessment and treatment of the ocular complications of diabetes.

4. Membership

Membership of the EASDec shall be open to all members of the EASD and such other persons as the EASDec Board consider eligible. Officers of the EASDec Board must be valid members of EASD.

5. Officers

With the exception of members who are not members of the EASD, all members may be nominated for any office of the EASDec.

6. Membership fees

The membership fee (if any) of the EASDec shall be an amount determined by its General Assembly.

7. Administration

1. Administration of the EASDec shall be in the hands of the EASDec Board. This Board will consist of a President, a Vice-President and a past President, a Treasurer and a Secretary.

2. A Diabetologist and an Ophthalmologist should alternate as President. The Vice-President is elected every 3 years by the EASDec members during the annual General Assembly. He or she will be the future President and should be an Ophthalmologist or a Diabetologist, in accordance with the above rule. The Secretary is elected every 3 years by the EASDec members during the annual General Assembly. The Treasurer is chosen by the President.

3. The EASDec Board is responsible for the organisation and scientific programme of the Annual Meeting.

8. Annual Meetings

1. The Annual Meeting takes place every year in a European city selected by EASDec members during the annual General Assembly. The meeting is organised by a local committee approved and overseen by the EASDec Board.

2. A member of the local organising committee provides written confirmation of acceptance of responsibility for following the constitution of EASDec.

3. A visit by the EASDec Board will be organised approximately 4 months before each Annual Meeting and funded by the local organising committee.

4. At each Annual Meeting a named lecture will take place in recognition of Professor Eva Kohner, first President of EASDec. The award will be made by the EASDec Board to a senior scientist in recognition of their important contribution to knowledge in the field of diabetic eye disease and its complications.

5. Abstracts are evaluated by the EASDec Board in a masked fashion. Members of the Board are excluded from the evaluation of abstracts from their own department.

6. Abstracts will be rejected if they do not follow the submission guidelines.

7. Accepted abstracts of papers and posters will be published. Submitting authors will be required to confirm that the abstract contains no data that has been previously published.

8. Participants whose oral presentation is accepted but who fail to attend the meeting and do not give notice of their absence will not be entitled to submit an abstract for two consecutive following years.

9. Travel grants

Travel grants are awarded by the EASDec Board to younger researchers whose abstracts are accepted for the meeting and deemed to be of the highest scientific quality. The following conditions apply:

• age less than 35 years at the time of the meeting

• selection of a submitted abstract for its high scientific quality

• not to have been awarded a grant previously

• only one grant to be awarded per country

• the Applicant should be the first Author and the Presenter.

Award recipients will be notified not less than 6 weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.

Awards will cover all registrations to the EASDec meeting, hotel expenses and travel to a maximum of €1500.

10. Annual Report

An Annual Report of the Study Group activities including a financial report shall be compiled and sent to the Executive Committee of EASD.

11. Finances

1. The finances of the EASDec shall be managed at the discretion of the Board in pursuit of the aims of the Study Group (para. 3 above).

2. The EASDec income includes registration fees, support from pharmaceutical companies and any surplus from the previous meeting. Registration fees must be as low as possible. They are reduced for participants aged less than 35 years.

3. At least 10,000 euros should be allocated by the local organisers of each meeting for the preparation of the next Annual Meeting. Fifty% of any additional surplus will be transferred to an account held by the Treasurer on behalf of the EASDec. A set of accounts will be submitted to the Treasurer within a reasonable time after the end of the meeting.

4. Support for the running of the website is required within the budget of each meeting.

5. Proper books of account shall be kept by the EASDec Treasurer.

12. Publication of guidelines/statements

Should the Study Group wish to engage in publication involving guidelines or statements, the EASD Panel for Overseeing Guidelines and Statements must be contacted beforehand.

13. Termination

The group may cease to be the EASDec Study Group of the EASD either by a decision at the Annual Meeting of the EASDec, or by a decision of the Executive Committee of the EASD.

14. Final destination of surpluses

In the event of the Group being dissolved, all surpluses, debts and liabilities shall be discharged to a charitable diabetes account after agreement from the EASD executive.