AMMA Update December 1996

Successes

The following AMMA members have achieved success through honours, awards, promotions, publications, etc.

*Members will note that most of these items relate to the Navy. The reason is obvious, and the Editor would remind readers that he needs sources of information from the other two Services and from our civilian members as well, so that this section of your journal can truly reflect the cross-section of our membership.

Defence Force Promotions

The following AMMA members have been selected for promotion:

• Michael Flynn – to Commodore RAN, and Director General, Naval Health Services, and Director General, Corporate Health Plans, in the Office of the Surgeon General, to date 14 October 1996.
• David Emonson – to Group Captain RAAF. David is the CO of the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Edinburgh SA, and will be taking up an appointment in the Surgeon General’s office in the new year.
• Russ Schedlich – to Captain RAN. Russ has been working in Maritime Headquarters since 1993 on the project to include a Level 3 medical facility in the Navy’s Training and Helicopter Support Ships, and took up the appointment of Fleet Medical Officer in October 1996.
• Andy Robertson – to Commander RAN. Andy is currently the Senior Medical Officer at HMAS STIRLING in WA, having transferred there from the Surgeon General’s office earlier in 1996.

DGNHS Retires

Michael Dowsett retired from the Royal Australian Navy as Commodore and Director General, Naval Health Services, and Director General, Corporate Health Plans, in the Office of the Surgeon General, on 17 October 1996. Commodore Dowsett, the first dentist to hold the position of DGNHS (and, indeed, the first and only non-medical officer to hold any of the Directors General positions), retired after over 30 years of service with the RAN.

Departures

• John Parkes transferred to the RAN Reserves in October in the rank of Captain. John has recently served in the Surgeon General’s office as Director of Medical Services, and will continue to work there part-time in his specialty of NBC medicine. In his other time he will be working in clinical medicine in Canberra and other southern NSW regions.
• Andrew Gibson left the RAN in the rank of Commander in October. A specialist in Occupational Medicine, and latterly Medical Officer-in-Charge of Balmoral Naval Hospital, Andrew has moved into occupational medicine in the civilian environment.

AMMA Conferences

1996

As everyone knows, the 5th AMMA Scientific Conference was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra from 6 to 8 September 1996. A full report on the Conference appears on p 24 of this journal.

1997 Conference

The 6th AMMA Scientific Conference will be held in Melbourne from the 29th to the 31st of August 1997. A Call for Papers for this Conference will be included in the March 1997 edition of the journal, but it would be worth while starting to think about subjects now.

Conference Committee

The 1997 Conference Committee is:
Nader Abou-Seif
Bob Stacy
Full details on the 1997 Conference will be published in the March issue of AMM.

AMMA Contacts

For all general AMMA enquires contact the Secretariat:
Paula Leishman
Tel:       (03) 6247-1850
              (015) 87-5390
Fax:      (03) 6247-1855

Research Grants

Details of the AMMA Research Grant programme are included in this journal. Members are reminded that applications for the 1997 Research Grant must be received by 30 April 1997. Further details on the Grant can be obtained from:

Janet Scott:
Tel:       (08) 272-7399

Journal

Journal’s for 1997 will be published as follows:

All queries regarding the Journal should be directed to:

Russ Schedlich

Tel:       (02) 9563-4504
              (018) 47-3133
Fax:     (02) 9563-4519

Library

The Association’s Library has recently moved to the Fleet Medical Officer’s office, Maritime Headquarters Sydney. Any member who wishes to browse through the Library (and visit the Librarian for coffee) is welcome to call.
Books from the library are available for loan of up to 12 weeks. Contact:
Russ Schedlich
Tel:       (02) 9563-4504
              (018) 47-3133
Fax:     (02) 9563-4519

Conference and Meeting Calendar

Research Grants

The AMMA Research Grant, to a total of $2 000, is awarded annually by the Association’s Council.

Conditions

• Distribution of the Grant may be in one or more lots, as determined by AMMA Council.
• Principal researcher is to be a member of AMMA.
• Research must be in the field of medicine.
• There must be a commitment to publish in Australian Military Medicine. There may be recourse to publish in another publication should Council determine that the research is of sufficient import to justify this.
• Grants are to be made preferentially to projects that otherwise may not proceed.
• Grants are not to be made to projects that have other sources of funding, other than the researchers themselves.

Proposals

• Proposals that require ADMEC approval are to submit the completed ADMEC submission with the Grant application.
• Proposals that do not require ADMEC approval are to provide:
• Principal researcher’s publication history
• Synopsis of proposed research (100-250 words)
• Brief review of the subject (around 250 words)
• Timeframe of research
• Other researchers
• All proposals are to submit:
• Resource requirements and source of resources
• Resources requested and amount of requested grant
• There are to be six monthly reports of progress to AMMA

Applications

• Applications may be received at any time, but Grants will be awarded once a year only. Applications for the years allocation close on 30 April.
• Successful applicants will be determined by Council by 30 June and advised by 7 July.
• A sub-Committee of Council, comprising one or more members, may be established to recommend to Council the distribution of Grants and to administer and monitor the Grants system.

No correspondence will be entered into regarding the distribution of Grants.

Submissions are to be sent to:

The Secretary
AMMA
PO Box 373
MOONAH   TAS   7009
All enquiries should be directed to:
Janet Scott:
Tel: (08) 272-7399