The Central New York Region of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (CNYSGNA) is currently accepting applications for grants to be used for the SGNA Annual Course. Information about the upcoming SGNA Annual Course can be found online at [http://www.sgna.org/Education/events.cfm].

Individuals eligible for the grant application must meet the following requirements:

• Actively support the CNYSGNA in function and philosophy.
• Apply in writing in a professional and legible manner stating his/her intention to attend the meeting, goals, and objectives and what he/she has contributed to CNYSGNA.
• Read and agree to the Policy and Procedure for Educational Grants listed on the CNYSGNA Web site [http://www.cnysgna.org/scholarships.html].

The letter of interest and the grant application must be received no later than January 31 of the upcoming Annual Course. Please mail the letter of interest and grant application to the scholarship officer at the address listed on the CNYSGNA Web site [http://www.cnysgna.org/officers.html], or Terry Markiewicz, 104 St. Stephen's Lane, Scotia, NY12302.

For more information, please contact the Education Chair [education@cnysgna.org].

Policy and Procedure

Subject: Educational Grants

Purpose: To establish guidelines for administration of educational funds and to define criteria for the receipt of educational grants.

Scope: The entire structure of the Central New York SGNA (CNYSGNA) will adhere to this policy.

Responsibilities:

It is the responsibility of:

• The Board of Directors of CNYSGNA to announce to the membership, at the Annual Fall Regional Meeting of the CNYSGNA, the funds that will be available for scholarships to attend the SGNA Annual Course the following spring.
• The Education Chair or his/her designee to accept applications from members.
• The Recipient of any scholarship or educational grant, to forward documentation of actual use of funds to the Education Chair. (Note: Scholarships may also be made available for CNYSGNA regional education programs as funds permit. )

Procedure:

1. Funds will be derived from commercial sources in the form of donations for educational meetings.
   1. The amount of the scholarship or education grant will be determined based on the availability of funds, but every effort will be made to award the grant in an amount equal to or greater than the tuition of the SGNA Annual Course.
   2. The number of grants awarded will be determined by the amount of funds available after funding has been allocated for the President and Delegates as the region's representatives to the Annual Course.
   3. For the SGNA Annual Course, a point system will be utilized to determine the applicant's SGNA activities during the previous two years. (Note: For the CNYSGNA regional education program, the applicant may choose to be evaluated using either the point system or writing an essay describing his/her contribution to CNYSGNA. )
      1. Two points:
         1. Awarded for attendance at each CNYSGNA sponsored single speaker meeting of one to two hours duration.
         2. Awarded for bringing a non-member colleague to a meeting or teaching day, CNYSGNA sponsored, member's name must appear on colleague's registration form.
         3. Awarded for membership on a CNYSGNA committee.
         4. Awarded for submitting an article for the CNYSGNA newsletter.
      2. Three points:
         1. Awarded for sponsoring a member, points will be awarded when a current member sponsors a new member. The new member must not have been a member of any SGNA regional group for at least two years.
         2. Awarded for attendance at any multi speaker or full day or greater teaching program, sponsored by CNYSGNA.
      3. Four points:
         1. Awarded for each person who organizes, plans and obtains CEU's for a single speaker educational event, such as a dinner meeting.
         2. Awarded for serving as a Chairperson of a CNYSGNA committee.
      4. Five points:
         1. Awarded for each person who participates in the planning of a full day or greater, multi-speaker, teaching day by chairing a committee for the program.
         2. Awarded for serving as an officer of CNYSGNA.
   4. The recipient(s) will present a report to the membership following attendance at the educational meeting.
   5. The funds will be returned to the treasurey if they are not utilized.

Eligibility:

2. Any person who has been an active CNYSGNA member for two years.
   1. The applicant will actively support the CNYSGNA in function and philosophy.
   2. The applicant will apply in writing, in a professional and legible manner, stating their intention to attend the meeting, their goals and objectives and what they as an individual have contributed to CNYSGNA. The application will include a breakdown of how the points were earned. (list meetings attended, names of colleagues who attended meetings which meetings they attended, which new members were sponsored and names and dates of programs planned).

Ineligibility:

3. A member will be ineligible if they have received educational funds within the previous two years.

3. Applications for the SGNA Annual Course will be directed to the Education Chair or his/her designee by January 31. (Note: The application for the CNYSGNA regional education programs will be directed to the Education Chair or his/her designee two weeks before the regional program.)
   1. Recipient(s) for the SGNA Annual Course scholarship will be selected by the Board of Directors. (Note: The recipient(s) for the regional education programs will be selected by the Education Chair or his/her designee.)
   2. Recipient(s) will be notified of the grant by mail, by the Education Chair prior to the SGNA Annual Course. (Note: The recipient(s) will be notified by phone or E-mail, by the Education Chair or his/her designee prior to the CNYSGNA regional program.)