The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) was founded in 1994 to address the need for coordinated scientific discourse on research related to the many direct effects of nicotine and tobacco, the use of tobacco products in our society, and the prevention and treatment of tobacco dependence. It is still the only national organization primarily devoted to promoting the conduct of research on nicotine and tobacco and disseminating findings from this research. SRNT is a multidisciplinary organization including members whose interests range from neuroscience to clinical and prevention interventions to tobacco policy. SRNT will hold its ninth annual meeting in February 2003 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. We are requesting partial support for this and four subsequent annual meetings from NIDA, with NCI and CDC as secondary funders, through the conference grant mechanism. At the annual meetings, a multidisciplinary group of scientists, many of whom are funded by NIDA, NCI, and other NIH institutes, will present talks, posters, symposia, and other sessions that highlight the latest research on nicotine and tobacco. This research will cover the broadest possible scope of the influence of nicotine and tobacco on public health, including neuroscience, clinical pharmacology, treatment, prevention, epidemiology, and health policy. Theme lectures by three distinguished researchers will highlight developments in the three general interest areas: basic research, clinical, and public health/epidemiology. The work of new investigators will be highlighted via special oral sessions and awards programs. In addition, just prior to the 2003 annual meeting, we plan to hold a 1-day special topics meeting on global collaborations in nicotine and tobacco research (although support for that meeting is not being requested here). Overall, the SRNT annual meeting serves a valuable function by providing a forum for dissemination and discussion of the latest findings in nicotine and tobacco research and the opportunity for cross-fertilization of ideas across research areas. Partial support of the meeting by NIDA, NCI, and CDC would further highlight these agencies' commitment to the importance of nicotine and tobacco research.
