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Project ALIVE was founded by the European Society of Veterinary Endocrinology (ESVE) in 2016 and endorsed by the Society for Comparative Endocrinology (SCE) in 2017.
It aims to expand the function of both societies by creating a common voice within veterinary endocrinology.
Specifically the project focuses on creating agreement over the definition of common terminology as well as certain "hot topics" within our field.
A common language will help both in clinical and research practice; among its advantages, it enables comparison of clinical and research results, as well as setting of clinical standards. Creating a common language is therefore desperately needed and fully within the remit of both societies' constitutions.
Project ALIVE will aim to tackle the terminology of one endocrinopathy every year, as well as one "hot topic". In addition, previous ALIVE definitions and "hot topic" responses can be revisited each year and can therefore evolve over time.
Each cycle an ALIVE panel will be set up from volunteers from the membership of both societies. The panels will consist of a mix of academics, as well as those in private practice, and will include some key opinion leaders. This mix of the panel is essential in order to create a draft document of definitions that are both scientifically as sound as possible, as well as achievable in daily practice.
After the panel discussions, the draft document will be shown to both memberships with a view to ask for endorsement.
A majority endorsement (>50%) would 
enable the definitions to become the official ALIVE-approved definition and can from then on forward be referred to as such in any publication or in clinical practice.
Once agreed, all members are encouraged to use these ALIVE definitions in research and practice.
Please note that we encourage you to endorse if you do not feel strongly opposed to the statement. Currently we have no consensus and therefore no uniform voice that can help colleagues in practice. ALIVE statements and definitions were created after weeks of intense debate of the entire panel. They often aim to create more clarity in confusing areas and would therefore help colleagues practise better endocrine practice. By definition consensus statements do not reflect any one individual's ideal opinion; nevertheless, agreement and therefore a uniform message we can share with colleagues is better than the current situation, where we have no agreement and therefore only confusion. A uniformly endorsed statement enables our societies to create clarity for those colleagues who perhaps lack the experience, time to gain insight or confidence to understand the current state of affairs. If you choose to endorse the ALIVE statement, you can still make comments on how you think the statement could be improved - these comments will go forward for consideration in subsequent ALIVE meetings.
In short, the ALIVE project is as much a political process as it is a scientific one.
Thank you for being part of project ALIVE - let's create a common language to achieve our common goal - improved welfare of patients with endocrine disease.
Best wishes,
Stijn Niessen - President ESVE - Chair project ALIVE
Patty Lathan - President SCE