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Polli et al. AAPS Open (2018) 4:8 AAPS Open https://doi.org/10.1186/s41120-018-0028-y EDITORIAL Open Access The journey to AAPS 2020: a reflection from strategic planning to PharmSci 360 1* 2 3 4 5 6 Joseph W. Polli , Christopher R. McCurdy , Dale Eric Wurster , Binodh S. DeSilva , Annette Bak , Reina Bendayan , 7 8 9 Bernd Meibohm , Allen C. Templeton , William Weiser and for the AAPS Leadership Since its inception in 1986, the American Association of scientists. The effort yielded the AAPS mission to “Ad- Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) has grown to be one of vance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop the premier scientific societies for pharmaceutical scientists products and therapies that improve global health.” This in industry, academia, government, and other institutions mission is to be achieved by (1) advancing scientific dis- in North America, with a global outreach to scientists from covery, exchange, and learning; (2) expanding professional more than 60 countries around the world. Due to the and public outreach; (3) enhancing member services; and foresight of its founders, AAPS established itself as a (4) fostering AAPS’ global community. member-driven society that thrives on the scientific Where have we, the membership, traveled during this expertise and diversity of its membership. The journey to AAPS 2020? It started with more than 1,000 initially-established structure and governance model of pharmaceutical scientists sharing what was going well in AAPS served the organization well for its first three de- the association, what needed improvement, and what cades. Changes in the competitive landscape of scientific were the future opportunities and challenges for the or- societies, advances in communication technologies, evolv- ganization’s members. The AAPS Leadership learned ing membership expectations, and generational shifts about several important aspects including the members’ made it necessary to adjust the association’s structure and expectations to: governance model in order to address these challenges and ensure the continued success and longevity of AAPS. ensure increasing depth, quality, and rigor in AAPS AAPS began its transformation almost 4 years ago with scientific programs; the agreement to develop a five-year strategic plan (2016 develop new web-based tools, online communities, to 2020), starting with a workshop at the 2015 Leadership and resources to create a more robust online plat- Retreat where input was collected from a broad represen- form for networking and collaborating with fellow tation of member groups. The strategic planning activity members; included an in-depth review of AAPS’ governance pro- provide additional opportunities for members to cesses, scientific format/content for both of its annual engage with the Association through volunteer meetings (the AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition and leadership, committees, etc.; the National Biotechnology Conference [NBC]), its in- strengthen existing AAPS products and services to ternal organizational structure of sections and focus deliver additional value to members; groups along with their responsibilities, and association fi- expand existing international programs, services, and nances. A vision for the future included staying abreast of collaborations; and the rapid advancements in pharmaceutical sciences, em- increase collaboration between AAPS and other bedding the use of electronic communication platforms, scientific associations and organizations. and connecting members to a truly global community of One of AAPS Leadership’s first activities in the trans- formation process was to review the governance frame- * Correspondence: joseph.w.polli@gsk.com Statement of Copublication This article was simultaneously published in work, which encompasses the practice, policies, and AAPS Open, The AAPS Journal, and AAPS PharmSciTech. https://doi.org/ rules used by the Board of Directors (previously called 10.1186/s41120-018-0028-y, https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-018-0273-y or the Executive Council) to ensure accountability and https://doi.org/10.1208/s12249-018-1200-3. The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) holds copyright for this article. transparency to its stakeholders, with a primary focus on GlaxoSmithKline, Mechanistic Safety and Drug Disposition, Room 27-3053, serving the AAPS membership. The governance frame- 709 Swedeland Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA work is central to the delegation of responsibilities, Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. Polli et al. AAPS Open (2018) 4:8 Page 2 of 4 distribution of rights, and stewardship of finances. It Manufacturing and Bioprocessing, and Formulation covers all members from the Board, to members partici- and Quality (American Association of Pharmaceutical pating on committees and working groups, to the associ- Scientists, 2018). Each track has subtracks devoted to ation staff. The review found gaps in the AAPS chemical entities and biomolecules. PharmSci 360 has governance framework and operating procedures that the latest, most innovative research in the field, and created risks, both legal and operational. The AAPS it increases the exposure of the attendees to new sci- Bylaws were not consistent with current laws and best ence through dynamic interactions in the Solution practices for 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations and Center with exhibitors who are experts in their scien- needed to be updated. Other areas that required tific and technical areas, and through personalized modernization included section/focus group operations, career-development sessions. At PharmSci 360, one awards, and financial support provided to membership can either focus on a single scientific subtrack (e.g., subgroups by the association. The governance changes large molecule bioanalytical topics) for the entire recently implemented through bylaw and policy up- three-daymeetingorchoosetoattenddifferent ses- dates will enhance the prosperity and viability of the sions across the five tracks covering both small and organization, empower our volunteers, and allow AAPS large molecules. PharmSci 360 will be held from Leadership to better manage risk. Sunday to Wednesday, will offer free time to balance Supporting pharmaceutical scientists and their efforts ongoing work-life demands, and will have fun philan- to develop products and therapies that improve global thropic and physical activity events. The scientific and health is the heart of AAPS and the very reason why the professional development content is bookended with association exists to serve its members and the public. two networking receptions. Science underpins the contributions of our members, Other strategic changes included rolling out the AAPS their professional development, and how their research Communities, implementing electronic posters, creating breakthroughs impact the health of people around the volunteer opportunities, and updating the awards pro- world. Previous annual meetings were the main venues gram. Information technology and AAPS members’ pref- for AAPS members to share research, exchange ideas, erences for networking, interacting, and collaborating and advance knowledge in the pharmaceutical sciences. are rapidly advancing. A common theme in the collected Annual meetings served the association well for many feedback emphasized AAPS delivering an enhanced years. However, over the past 10 years, pharmaceutical platform for all members with a common interest to modalities, technologies, and drug products have be- interact, expand our international programs and ser- come more complex and diverse; industry continues to vices, and increase collaboration with sister associations undergo organizational and structural changes; aca- and organizations. To meet these requests, AAPS has demiais increasinglyinvolved in developingproducts implemented an online community platform. Over the in addition to basic research activities; regulations have past 12 months, 41 sections and focus groups have evolved to ensure the safety and efficacy of new medi- transitioned to the community platform. Many commu- cines; and the ability to communicate rapidly across the nities are actively interacting, exchanging scientific globe has been revolutionary. knowledge, and collaborating on programming ideas. AAPS members expressed their expectation that the best These interactions are self-initiated and led by scien- scientific programming should be delivered in ways that tists in the community on topics they want to discuss. provide flexibility and value, and balance time away from Moreover, communities provide a robust platform for work/family. Feedback from members and meeting at- members to communicate in real time year-round. tendees suggested that the annual meeting events should Starting in early 2019, members can form new be renewed from both the program selection-process per- communities covering science, careers, or advocacy spective and the scientific-content perspective. This led to issues. sunsetting the two annual meetings and the creation of Transforming the section and focus group structure AAPS PharmSci 360 as the association’s flagship meeting to communities was a major decision that changed the event. AAPS PharmSci 360 is designed to combine the en- feel and culture of AAPS. Sections and focus groups ergy of the two former scientific conferences with the in- were central to the Annual Meeting and NBC for deliv- timacy of small niche gatherings through track-based ering programming topics, for leadership development, compartmentalization, and the inclusion of both chemical and were the “tribes” for our core volunteer members. entities and biomolecular drugs. It has been a challenging transition to AAPS commu- AAPS PharmSci 360 offers five robust tracks cover- nities. The decision to sunset sections and focus ing key aspects of the pharmaceutical sciences that are groups was partially driven by the need to remove important focal points to our members: Preclinical the existing sense of silos and expand member engage- Development, Bioanalytics, Clinical Pharmacology, ment more broadly outside of the core group of volunteers Polli et al. AAPS Open (2018) 4:8 Page 3 of 4 who served sections/focus groups. Further, the decision impact of the changes in policies and procedures to the to sunset sections and focus groups also serves to: (1) level we desired. Clearer communication on the move to simplify the association’s structure; (2) address the electronic posters is needed. It creates new options for funding imbalance across sections; (3) update the frag- presenting data, including videos and spontaneous ses- mented travel support policy for speakers and students; sions all week long at the central poster kiosk, a simple (4) manage the increasing number of awards; (5) en- mechanism to request an electronic copy of the poster, hance the scientific depth and diversity at AAPS meetings; and the possibility for archiving this content for mem- (6) provide a more open process for program selection bers to access in the future. The move to electronic that harnesses the full scientific acumen of the AAPS posters was based on feedback from members looking membership; and (7) expand calls for volunteers to serve for more flexibility in presentation formats, the ability to in the association. Finally, the foregoing changes help modify poster content rapidly, the desire to include members to focus their volunteer time on science-related video, improving the ability to share content, and to re- activities, not those activities related to managing the orga- duce the cost of preparation. However, the transition has nization’s processes and overhead. come with unexpected consequences and challenges. AAPS member engagement is one of the main drivers Significant and diligent effort has been expended to ad- behind the strategic plan and includes support for stu- dress these shortcomings for PharmSci 360. We are dents, AAPS chapters and career scientists advancing in confident that the 2018 experience will be positive for their current or new professional positions. One of the both the poster presenters and viewers. key areas where the changes have enhanced member With a vision toward AAPS 2020, the past few years engagement is in the number of volunteer opportunities have seen a significant shift in governance and methods and the process whereby members are selected for roles to deliver scientific content to both PharmSci 360 at- on various AAPS committees and working groups. tendees and to members at remote locations. Strategic There is an open call for volunteers that provides an planning has enabled the AAPS Leadership to streamline opportunity for any member to apply for a position or numerous processes, manage the association’s finances, committee. Applications are anonymized and reviewed by and address information technology demands. This ef- independent selection teams. Service is an important fort is almost complete, allowing the association to pros- aspect of being a member. Our goal is to connect as many per, focus on its mission, and enhance the capacity of its members as possible to volunteer roles that allow them to members. We acknowledge the countless hours that apply their scientific expertise and passion to enhance AAPS members, volunteers, leaders, and staff have pro- their personal development. vided to develop and implement these needed changes. The Awards Committee was charged with aligning the It is the belief of the AAPS Leadership that these awards program with the AAPS mission, goals, and changes will ensure the longevity of AAPS and its future membership needs to create value. Over the years, there success. Whether you are a long-term AAPS member, a has been a proliferation in the number of awards to over recently joined new member, or a first-time attendee, we one hundred, a reduction in overall quality and quantity look forward to seeing you at PharmSci 360 and sharing of nominations, and a lack in the transparency regarding our vision for AAPS 2020 with you. the purpose of the awards, all at a cost of more than Acknowledgements $250,000 annually. Furthermore, the association con- The authors would like to thank all our members for their service to AAPS. tinues to receive new award requests in an external envir- onment where obtaining sponsorship can be challenging. Funding The revised awards program, implemented in 2018, Not applicable. focuses on significant recognition of scientific contribu- Availability of data and materials tion and innovation, leadership, and service (American Not applicable. Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 2018). This re- flects the association’s mission and core values. There Authors’ contributions are currently 11 major AAPS awards that will be pre- All authors wrote or contributed to the writing of the commentary and approved the final manuscript. sented at PharmSci 360. The Awards Committee will continue to review the program and is open to adding Competing interests additional awards provided they are aligned with the All authors are elected AAPS Board of Director Members and have no mission of AAPS. competing financial interest. The AAPS Leadership recognizes that changes have come with some disruption to the membership and the Publisher’sNote association staff. We acknowledge that we did not always Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in clearly communicate the need, reason, timing, and/or published maps and institutional affiliations. Polli et al. AAPS Open (2018) 4:8 Page 4 of 4 Author details GlaxoSmithKline, Mechanistic Safety and Drug Disposition, Room 27-3053, 709 Swedeland Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA. Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Medical Science Building, P6-33, 1345 Center Drive, PO Box 100485, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. Division of Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, College of Pharmacy, 308 Pharmacy Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Bristol-Myers Squibb One Squibb Drive, Mail Stop B105 2437, Building 105, Room 2485, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Pharmacy, Room 435, 881 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. Merck and Co Inc, RY119-A100, 126 E Grand Ave, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. 3601 Sweeten Creek Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. Received: 12 October 2018 Accepted: 15 October 2018 References American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. (2018) Annual Meeting: PharmSci 360. https://www.aaps.org/pharmsci/annual-meeting. Accessed 24 Sept 2018 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.(2018) AAPS Awards Guide. https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AAPS/bfc3a388-f31c-452f- 88fd-941c2a445a10/UploadedImages/2018_AAPS_Awards_Guide_v1_Final_ Updated.pdf. Accessed 24 Sept 2018
AAPS Open – Springer Journals
Published: Nov 3, 2018
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