This application requests funding for partial support of the 2010-2014 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. As such, the FASDSG meeting allows cross-fertilization between animal, human, clinical and epidemiological FASD-related research efforts and research 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 to interact and form scientific collaborations. The goal of the meeting is to move the research field forward and, ultimately, to identify means to prevent and treat fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. As the FASDSG membership continues to grow, partial support from NIAAA has been critical to bring in high quality speakers that are leaders in their field, including areas outside of alcohol research. This support has also been essential to grow the cadre of young scientists entering the alcohol field through travel awards for the brightest and most promising students/new investigators. This application requests funding for travel and registration fees for 6 young investigators (students and postdoctoral fellows), and all meeting- related expenses plus speaker fees for invited keynote speakers each year. Support for the website, which provides a mode of communication both within the FASDSG and with the public, is also being requested. Publication of a meeting synopsis, as proposed herein, will document the annual proceedings and afford availability of the meeting content to the larger scientific community and public.
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group annual meeting is a satellite meeting to the larger Research Society on Alcoholism meeting. This meeting allows basic, clinical, and social scientists interested in the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure to discuss new research findings and directions, debate on issues in the field, stimulate interest among new investigators, and form new collaborations. The goal of the meeting is to move the research field forward and, ultimately, to identify means to prevent and treat fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
