The BALR Committee has been working over the recent months to secure a number of important improvements to the Association.
 

1. ‘Experimental Lung Research’ as our adopted journal
   We have now reached an agreement with Informa Healthcare, USA to make ELR our adopted journal. This has a number of advantages for the Association:
   - We now have a ‘home’ in which to publish abstracts and key note speakers summaries from our annual summer meeting
   - Increased publicity by having the BALR logo on the front cover of the journal
   - An opportunity to influence future directions for the journal by having a presence on the Editorial Board
   - For a modest increase in annual fee (our first in many years) BALR members will enjoy free access to the new look journal
   - Information on the journal can be found at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713722902
    
2. Reorganisation of finances
   Our Treasurer, Dr Mike Letham, has done a fantastic job in sorting our finances, establishing a new bank account and re-affirming our status as a charity. We are now in a sound financial position and can face the future with confidence. However, this change means that members will have to set up a new standing order – see details below.
    
3. Prizes, bursaries and studentships
   Whilst continuing to offer bursaries to help students attend our annual summer meeting, from December 2007, we will support a BTS/BALR Prize in the Young Scientist of the Year competition at the BTS Winter Meeting. Also from summer 2008, we will sponsor Vacation Studentships to support BSc students interested in Lung Research to undertake summer projects in UK Laboratories.
    
4. Support for UK Respiratory Research Collaborative
   The BALR is striving to enhance research into lung disease in the UK by continued support of the UKRRC chaired by Prof. Stephen Holgate.

These changes and ongoing endeavours will bring significant benefits for our members

To take advantage of continued membership of the BALR you will need to arrange for a new standing order for your annual fee (£20 for students and £35 for full members) to be paid (either electronically for those with ebanking or by post) to our new bank account. For security reasons details of our new account will be sent to you by post. Please ensure that our Secretary, Dr Leona Merolla ( Leona.Merolla@unilever.com ) has your current postal address to facilitate this.

The BALR faces a new and exciting future; I hope you will want to join us
and trust that we can count on your continued support