The name of the organization shall be the Midwest Pediatric Nephrology Consortium (MWPNC)

The MWPNC was formed to improve the care of pediatric nephrology patients and facilitate collaborative research. The MWPNC will encourage and facilitate multi-center retrospective and prospective research that cannot be adequately addressed at a single center. The MWPNC will help train the next generation of pediatric nephrology investigators by encouraging the research efforts of both fellows and junior faculty.

Application for membership shall be solicited by invitation from the Steering Committee.

Membership shall be granted upon a unanimous vote of the Steering Committee. The Committee shall have the right to deny, or terminate, the membership of any member or member center due to inadequate participation.

The Steering Committee shall review at least annually the Consortium membership to determine eligibility for continued membership.

The Steering Committee shall have the authority to establish and define categories of membership.

Each center of the MWPNC is expected to have at least one representative attend at least one meeting per year, either in the Fall or Spring. Attendance at two meetings per year is strongly encouraged. New member centers are expected to have at least one representative at 2 meetings per year for the first 2 years of membership.

Each member center must be an active participant on at least one research project at all times.

Members may notify the MWPNC coordinator in writing if they wish to resign. Similarly, institutions are expected to notify the MWPNC coordinator in writing if they wish to withdraw from the MWPNC.

Semiannual Meeting. The date, time and place of the semiannual meeting shall be set by the Steering Committee.

Steering Committee Members. The Steering Committee consists of five officers.

Purpose: To oversee the operations of the MWPNC and to ensure that the objectives of the consortium are met.

The Steering Committee Members will meet via conference call or in person intermittently, but at least four times per year.

The purpose of the Research Review Committee is to review all proposals to ensure that study design is appropriate, that there is multi-center involvement, and that IRB issues have been appropriately addressed. The Steering Committee will select members for this committee from volunteers from the MWPNC. The Steering Committee will also appoint a leader of this committee. Membership on the Research Review Committee is for 3 years, with 2/3 of the members remaining in place each year to ensure continuity. Each member of the committee is expected to review research proposals, and present these reviews at phone conferences, which will be scheduled monthly, as needed, based on application submissions. The committee will review proposals and provide feedback to investigators within 1 month of formal submission.

The Steering Committee will create additional committees when needed.

Resignation from any Committee must be in writing and received by the Coordinator.

The Coordinator will be available to assist all investigators to coordinate all MWPNC studies.

These Bylaws may be amended when necessary by a unanimous vote of the full Steering Committee.

To oversee the operations of the MWPNC and to ensure that the objectives of the consortium are met.

Denis Geary, MD; Larry Greenbaum, MD; John Mahan, MD; Tej Mattoo, MD; William Smoyer, MD

To review all study applications to ensure adequacy of study design, multi-center involvement, and all IRB issues addressed.

Gina-Marie Barletta, MD; Deepa Chand, MD; John Mahan, MD; Corina Nailescu, MD; Abiodun Omoloja, MD; Rudy Valentini, MD