This application requests funding for partial support of the 2015-2019 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) meetings. The FASDSG meeting is held annually as a satellite conference preceding the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) meeting. The FASDSG meeting provides a unique opportunity for a broad range of researchers, including basic, clinical, and social scientists, to meet and discuss fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). As such, the FASDSG meeting allows for interdisciplinary integration among basic science, human, clinical, and epidemiological FASD-related research efforts and progress. The meeting allows its members to provide updates on new research, discuss and debate issues in the field, stimulate interest among new investigators (including students), and interact and form scientific collaborations. The goal of the meeting is to move the field forward and, ultimately, to identify means to prevent and treat FASD. As the FASDSG membership continues to grow, partial support from NIAAA has been critical for inviting high quality speakers who are leaders in their field, including areas outside of alcohol research, to the FASDSG meeting. Outside expertise stimulates novel ideas and approaches that may be applicable to FASD research. This support has also been essential to grow the cadre of young scientists entering the alcohol field, by providing travel awards for the brightest and most promising students and new investigators. More specifically, this application requests funding for travel and registration fees for young investigators (students and postdoctoral fellows), as well as meeting-related expenses, such as fees for invited keynote speakers. Additionally, this application requests support for the FASDSG website, which provides a mode of communication both within the FASDSG and with the public. Finally, publication of a meeting synopsis documents the annual proceedings and affords availability of the meeting content to the larger scientific community. In sum, the FASDSG meeting provides a critical venue for communication and collaboration among FASD researchers, fostering progress in the FASD research field.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) constitute a major international public health problem. Estimates indicate that prenatal alcohol exposure affects 1% of live births in the U.S., with higher rates in other areas of the world. The annual meeting of th FASD Study Group provides a premier forum for discussion and collaboration among FASD researchers. This grant will provide support for young investigators and experts outside the field of FASD to participate in this meeting and to inform and engage efforts to better recognize, prevent and treat FASD.
