About DPSG
The aim of the DPSG is to improve the detection and management of diabetes in pregnant women and their offspring by fostering research, treatment and education in the subject of diabetic pregnancy.
History
At the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) meeting in Stockholm, Sweden in 1967 and at The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting in Louvain, Belgium 1968 the late Professor Joseph Hoet (Louvain, Belgium), the late Professor Jørgen Pedersen (Copenhagen, Denmark) and the late Professor John Stowers (Aberdeen, UK) planned to form a European study group on diabetes in pregnancy.
The first meeting in this group took place on September 15th 1969 at the EASD meeting in Montpellier, France. Twenty-four individuals from nine European countries representing the disciplines of obstetrics, diabetology, pediatrics, pathology and basic scientists participated in the meeting, and all expressed a genuine interest in the further development of such a study group.
The next meeting of this group was held in Denmark in June 1970. The meeting lasted 2 days. Rules for future meetings and constitution for the group were laid down. The next meeting was in Oxford, UK September 1971. The name decided upon was The Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group (DPSG), and the purpose of the group was: “”To further improve in the treatment of pregnant diabetics and their offspring based upon investigations of the many problems involved. The group is affiliated officially to the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). The organisation of the group was placed in the hands of a board with 3 members and a total number of regular members increased to thirty.
Subsequently, yearly meetings were arranged at different locations in Europe with the participation of 70-80 active scientists from different areas of diabetic pregnancy. Over the years there has been general agreement that the group should continue to be small with only approximately thirty regular members, each of whom may invite a guest. In addition the board and the local organisers may invite a limited number of guests to present a session, chair a session, or contribute to the discussions. The board also elects and invites one individual to deliver the Jørgen Pedersen Lecture at each DPSG meeting.
Minor changes in the constitution took place in 1980, and from 1980 honorary members could be elected. 25 years anniversary of the group was celebrated in Halkidiki, Greece in 1993.
At the requests of the Postgraduate Subcommittee of the EASD, the DPSG has organised symposia or workshops on diabetes and pregnancy in six EASD meetings, and, especially since 1990, several smaller educational symposia have been arranged in Eastern European countries by the members of the DPSG.
In 1998 the first International meeting of Diabetic Pregnancy Study Groups from Australia, Japan, West Coast USA, North America USA and the DPSG of the EASD was held in Cairns, Australia, and in year 2000 the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups was founded. A second meeting took place in Barcelona 2003.
At the moment the DPSG has 40 ordinary members and 24 honorary/international members. The 39th regular meeting, held in Ibiza, Spain in 2007, had 112 active participants. In 2006 an audit meeting for members and international / honorary members was arranged in Abano, Italy with the purpose to review what DPSG had achieved, to make a status within the field and to point out where to go in the future. A report from the meeting will be published.
Constitution
- The group shall be named the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group, hereinafter referred to as the DPSG.
- The DPSG shall be a Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, hereinafter referred to as the EASD.
- The aim of the Study Group is to further research and education, with respect to the improvement in detection and management of diabetes in pregnant women and their offspring by fostering research, treatment and education in the subject of diabetic pregnancy. Obesity before and during pregnancy has been added in the field of interest of the Group.
- Membership of the DPSG shall be open to all members of the. With the exception of members who are not members of the EASD, all members may be nominated for any office of the DPSG
- The membership fee of the DPSG shall be an amount as determined by the DPSG Executive Committee at its Annual Meeting.
- Administration of the DPSG shall be in the hands of the DPSG Executive Committee. This Committee should consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Treasurer and a Secretary as a minimum structure.
- An Annual Report of the Study Group activities shall be compiled and sent to the Executive Committee of the EASD.
- The finances of the Study Group shall be managed at the discretion of the Committee in pursuit of the aims of the Study Group (paragraph 3 above). Proper books of account shall be kept by the DPSG Treasurer.
- Should the Study Group wish to engage in publication involving guidelines or statements, the EASD Panel of Overseeing Guidelines and Statements must be contacted beforehand.
- The group may cease to be the DPSG of the EASD either by a decision at the Annual Meeting of the DPSG, or by a decision of the Executive Committee of the EASD.
Constitutional By-Laws
Constitutional By-Laws Of The Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group (DPSG) / 2014
- The Group will normally hold one scientific meeting each year, at which there will be a business meeting.
- The organization of the Group will be the responsibility of the Board.
- The Board will be composed of five members, four of whom will be elected at a business meeting of the Group. Each of the four members will serve for four years, and will not be eligible for re-election until they have been out of office for one year. In each annual meeting, a new Board member will be elected and one will leave. Board members will serve as chair of the Group during the third year and as past chair during the fourth. The fifth member will act as Treasurer, and will be nominated by the Board for consideration by all members at the appropriate business meeting. The Treasurer will serve for five years.
- Financial affairs of the DPSG will be handled by the treasurer. She/he presents the annual financial report at the business meeting. Prior to the meeting this report will be evaluated by two independent financial auditors, who will report to the membership at the meeting. The auditors will be nominated by the Board for consideration by all members at the respective business meeting. They will serve for a period of three (3) years
- The ordinary membership of the group shall not exceed 40. Ordinary members will be elected bearing in mind the multi-disciplinary nature of the Group and the desirability of broad European representation. The multi-disciplinary nature of the Group includes internists, obstetricians, pediatricians and basic scientists.
- Persons eligible for ordinary membership must be active workers in some aspect of the field of diabetic pregnancy. Election to ordinary membership requires:
- Proposal of two members
- Scrutiny of the candidate’s curriculum vitae by the Board
- Presentation of a paper to the Group by the candidate
- Confirmation by vote of the members of the Group in which one adverse vote in four will bar membership at that time
- An ordinary member may invite one guest only to a scientific meeting.
- An ordinary member has full voting rights at the business meeting of the Group.
- Failure of an ordinary member to attend three consecutive annual scientific meetings will result in automatic lapse of membership.
- Up to 25 associate members may be accepted by nomination to participate in the Group. Associate Members will typically be younger scientists, must submit a two-page curriculum vitae and have actively participated in previous annual meetings. Their application will be reviewed and recommended by the Board to the general membership. Associate Members may attend the business meetings of the Group, but do not vote.
- The Board may propose that an ordinary member or any other suitable person who is distinguished be made an honorary/international member of the Group. An ordinary member may ask for honorary membership at retirement from their official position or after a change of their field of interest. Election to honorary membership must be approved by the full membership of the Group. An honorary member will have full rights of participation in the scientific meetings of the Group but will not have the right to invite a guest or to vote at the business meetings of the Group. An honorary member is expected to attend at least one meeting in five years.
- The Board may co-opt temporarily one other person as the organizer of the following year’s scientific meeting.
- Financial considerations regarding the annual meeting: The executive Board will nominate the President of the Local Organizing Committee of the Annual Meeting of the Study Group, who will always be an ordinary/honorary member of the DPSG (recommended to be assisted by a non-profit organization). He/she will be empowered by the Board to propose the budget and organize the meeting. Once the budget is approved, the DPSG board becomes co-responsible with the President of the Local Organizing Committee with all financial aspects. Fifty percent (50%) of the surplus, following all payments and taxes will be retained by the President of the Local Organizing Committee to be used for purposes in keeping with the objectives of the DPSG, properly documented and accepted by the Board (mainly, research in the field of Diabetes and Pregnancy). The remaining 50% of the surplus will be remitted to the Treasurer within 6 months of the completion of the meeting. If, on the contrary, the meeting ends with a negative financial balance, the DPSG will be the final responsible party. The financial aspects of the meeting have to be scrutinized by the executive Board together with the President of the Local Organizing Committee.
- Participation in the scientific meeting will be open to anyone interested in diabetic pregnancy who submits an abstract of their work and which is judged to be of merit by the Board. The Board may also invite not more than a total of 5 guests who are publishing work thought to be of the interest of the Group, and additionally 5 guests (observers) from areas of Europe that are not represented by membership. These will be guests of the Group and not the guest each member of the Board is entitled to invite personally. The “host” for each meeting will also be entitled to ask not more than 4 guest speakers. Only in exceptional circumstances should the total number of participants exceed 120 persons.
- The DPSG will inform the EASD of its scientific activities annually.
- All decisions regarding policy and rules of the Group require a quorum of 10 members and a majority of 70%. Where appropriate such decisions may be decided by a postal vote. Voting may be secret if supported by at least one third of the members present.
- Members of the Group are encouraged to exchange their papers when they are ready for publication in order that each member will be informed about the other’s accomplished projects.
- At the initiative of the Board the Group may organize postgraduate education in diabetic pregnancy. Meetings organized by the Group for postgraduate education will be administratively and financially independent of the other activities of the Group.
Since 1996 a formal reconsideration of the aims of the Group and its constitution is undertaken every 10 years in the light of the experience gained over the preceding ten years.
How to become a member
Ordinary Membership
The ordinary membership of the group shall not exceed 40. Ordinary members will be elected bearing in mind the multi-disciplinary nature of the Group and the desirability of broad European representation. The multi-disciplinary nature of the Group includes internists, obstetricians, pediatricians and basic scientists.
Persons eligible for ordinary membership must be active workers in some aspect of the field of diabetic pregnancy. Election to ordinary membership requires:
- References from two members
- Scrutiny of the candidate’s curriculum vitae by the Board
- Presentation of a paper to the Group by the candidate
- Confirmation by vote of the members of the Group in which one adverse vote in four will bar membership at that time
An ordinary member may invite one guest only to a scientific meeting.
An ordinary member has full voting rights at the business meeting of the Group.
Failure of an ordinary member to attend three consecutive annual scientific meetings will result in automatic lapse of membership.
NOTE:
Associate Membership
Up to 25 Associate Members may be accepted by nomination to participate in the Group. Associate Members will typically be younger scientists, and are appointed for a three-year term, potentially renewable. Associate Members may attend the business meetings of the Group, but do not vote.
Application for Associate Membership must be made in writing to the Chairperson of the DPSG, accompanied by a short CV.
All submissions should be addressed to the Chairman of DPSG and sent to the
Membership fee
Ordinary member – €150
Associate member – €80
Honorary/International member – €100
For transfer of membership fee, you shall use paypal. Login to you paypal account and click on the following link:
Paypal for transfer of membership fee
Registration for the meeting involves paying the membership fee at the same time if not already payed!
Board members
Chair: Ewa Wender-Ozgowska
Board members: Lene Ringholm, Robert Lindsey, Eleni Anastasiou, Rosa Corcoy (treasurer) and Pawel Gutaj (secretary)
Contact
Ewa Wender-Ożegowska – Chair
Pawel Gutaj – Secretary
Frederik Lauenborg – Webmaster