What is the Virginia Association of Genetic Counselors?
The VaAGC is an organization that was developed in the fall of 2007 by a group of genetic counselors representing various regions in Virginia as an outgrowth of conversations begun at recent state meetings. The intended purpose of the organization is to facilitate communication among counselors in Virginia and to serve as a resource for relevant information to the public.
Our Mission
The mission of VaAGC as outlined by our bylaws includes:
- To increase our profession's visibility within Virginia
- To improve collaboration and networking opportunities among genetic counselors in Virginia
- To mobilize Virginia genetic counselors who wish to take action on issues relevant to our profession
- To encourage professional growth and continuing education among genetic counselors in Virginia
- To increase accessibility to and provide a centralized location for relevant information regarding genetics in Virginia
Our Vision
We aim to maximize the quality of genetic health care and to improve and promote the practice of genetic counseling in the state of Virginia.
Our History
Genetic counselors in Virginia began meeting in the 1990’s to network and discuss issues of importance to the profession. These meetings began in a small and informal way but progressed, through the efforts of many dedicated people, to a well-structured and professional format. Several members representing various regions in the state laid the groundwork for an organization that would increase the profession's visibility in the public domain and provide representation and greater networking opportunities among genetic counselors in the state.
In February 2008, the Virginia Association of Genetic Counselors (VaAGC) was established and membership was opened to all genetic counselors practicing or living in the state of Virginia. An interim Board of Directors was named to define the Association’s goals and to begin coordinating activities. The first slate of Officers was elected in October 2008 and the structure of the VaAGC rapidly began to take shape. The organization’s Bylaws, including its Mission and Vision, were written and three standing committees were formed: licensure and public policy, state meeting and education, and communications, marketing and web design. Since inception, the VaAGC has created a website, coordinated annual state education meetings, held multiple elections, and successfully obtained national grants to aid in licensure efforts. In 2012, the VaAGC became incorporated as a Virginia nonstock corporation.
VaAGC Student Research Award - Spring 2021
Purpose
The purpose of the VAAGC Student Research Award is to support quality graduate-level research that supports the VAAGC vision: To maximize the quality of genetic health care and to improve and promote the practice of genetic counseling in the state of Virginia.
Eligibility
Current Masters of Genetic Counseling students who are in good standing at an accredited program.
Award
The VAAGC plans to fund up to four proposals at a maximum of $500 each. The number of awards may vary depending on the quality of proposals, requested budget, and availability of funds.
Important Dates
Proposals must be submitted via e-mail by 11:59 PM EST on March 26, 2021.
Award notification via e-mail by April 23, 2021
We will announce winners at this year’s Annual Education Conference on April 29-30th, 2021
Questions
Please direct any questions about the award to treasurer@vaagc.com or centralregionrep@vaagc.com.
Proposal Instructions
The proposal consists of the following sections:
- Project Description
- Reference List
- Budget
- Appendices (optional)
Project Description
The Project Description provides an overview of your project aims, rationale, and methods. This section is limited to 500 words (not including references, budget pages, and appendices). Please note, the review committee will not consider any text beyond the first 500 words of the Project Description.
Include the following sections in your Project Description:
- Goal – In one or two sentences, describe what general research question you hope to answer.
- Objectives and/or Hypotheses – Number each specific project objective and, when appropriate, your testable hypothesis for each objective.
- Background – Briefly summarize relevant literature justifying the need for your project and supporting your objectives/hypotheses.
- Methods – Describe, as appropriate, the study design, sample population, recruitment plan, intervention, key variables including instrumentation/measures, and analytic plan. Generally, this section will comprise at least half of the Project Description.
- Limitations – Provide a brief critical assessment of your methods and any anticipated problems. Explain how your project is valuable despite these potential challenges.
Reference List
Within the Project Description use in-text citations and include a separate reference list page. Use either APA or AMA formatting for the citations.
Budget
On a separate page, provide a table itemizing each budget item, and include the total cost of the project. Typically, sections of the budget will include items such as recruitment costs (e.g., advertising), participant honoraria, equipment (e.g., audiovisual recording devices), services (e.g., transcription, statistical consultation), and/or survey/instrumentation fees. If your total budget exceeds $500, explain how you expect to fund the additional cost.
Appendices
If appropriate, you may attach separate documents in appendices (e.g., consent form, survey instrument).
Review Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on the following:
- Alignment with the VAAGC vision
- Need/rationale for the project
- Innovation
- Feasibility
- Budget appropriateness
- Quality of the proposal
Proposal Submission
Email your proposal as a single attached Word document or PDF file to treasurer@vaagc.com and centralregionrep@vaagc.com.
In your email include your full name and date of anticipated graduation.