We're pleased that you have agreed to participate in the Immunogenomics Data Analysis Working Group (IDAWG). We anticipate that this collaboration will result in a considerable contribution to the field. We would like to update you on our progress and efforts so far, and enlist your assistance in shaping the goals and focus for this group.
First, we have scheduled the first meeting of the working group to coincide with the EFI meetings this May in Ulm. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 11 9:30-10:30 AM in the "Hamburg" room. Please let us know if you will be able to attend. For those of you who will not be in Ulm, we are hoping to arrange a video conference (e.g. via Skype), and we hope that you will be able to participate in that manner. Please let us know if you have questions or conflicts; we are hopeful that many of you will be available.
Next, we will be presenting a poster at the EFI meeting announcing the formation of the group. We are attaching the abstract. Please note that at the time of submission authorship was limited to those of you that had already agreed to participate; the poster and future abstracts and publications will reflect the current composition of the working group. We will also be submitting an abstract for the ASHI meeting in San Francisco in November based on our progress up to that point. We hope that many of you will be attending that meeting and that it will provide us with another opportunity to meet in person; we are looking forward to seeing you here in beautiful Northern California. It is also our hope that the working group will be made an official ASHI committee.
In advance of our meeting in Ulm, we are putting together an agenda and would greatly appreciate your input. Each of you brings to the group a different perspective on data analysis and data management, and we are hoping that you can provide a list of specific issues that the working group should address. Our general outline has been detailed in the attached abstract, but we envision this as a jumping off point for in depth discussion.
Also, in on order to make this a truly international effort, we are actively recruiting colleagues from Asia and Africa to join the working group; if you have any one in mind that might be interested in participating in the group, please forward their contact information.
We are in the process of applying for funding to support the efforts of this working group, and hope that you will be able to supply a letter of support in this regard. We anticipate that this funding will provide support for meetings and travel expenses, as well as programming and IT support. Our first submission deadline is April 27; if possible we would appreciate your letter of support by April 1. A PDF version of your letter is preferable, otherwise it can be faxed to +1 510 450 7910, or mailed to us at:
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute
Attn: Steven Mack or Jill Hollenbach
5700 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Oakland, CA 94609 USA
Finally, we have begun building a website for the working group, both to keep the working group connected as well as to provide a means to communicate our efforts to the larger immunogenetics community. We will forward the URL when it is online, and as always, welcome and appreciate your input.
Many thanks,
Jill and Steve