Support is requested for the 36th annual meeting of the International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC) to be held in Annapolis, Maryland from July 10-15, 2005. INRC has for many years been the most prestigious international meeting for the dissemination and exchange of information about biomedical research on opiate drugs and the endogenous opioid system. The topics range from molecular to behavioral and clinical studies. While the main topic is still opiate drugs and abuse, there is increasing discussion of other abused drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol, since extensively interactions between these drugs and the endogenous opioid system has been documented. Support is requested primarily for partial travel support to enable young scientists, i.e. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, to participate in the Conference. A small portion of funds will support distinguished plenary speakers from other disciplines, relevant to research on addictive drugs, who will describe strategies, concepts or techniques likely to be useful to an INRC audience. Invited symposium speakers, not normally INRC participants, will receive partial support. Funds requested for administrative and meeting expenses represent about 15% of the total. This year INRC has five confirmed plenary speakers on various topics, including Drs. N. Volkow, Director of NIDA, S. Snyder, Johns Hopkins Univ., T Robbins, UK, R Huganir, Johns Hopkins Univ., and M Caron, Duke Univ. Dr. Mary Jeanne Kreek was elected the Founders' Lecturer for the 2005 Meeting. Eight symposia will cover a wide range of topics described in the application, including human genetics of drug abuse, prescription versus non-prescription drug abuse, and new advances in pain research. A number of relevant contributed papers will be chosen for oral presentation at each symposium. There will be three poster sessions, at which there is always much exchange and discussion. There will be a workshop on NIDA updates and grant writing. The location of this meeting will allow investigators the opportunity to interact with NIDA and NIH staff. For participants from many countries, this international meeting is their only chance to meet and exchange ideas. We feel that participation by many pre- and postdoctoral trainees has resulted and is likely to continue to result in recruiting promising scientists to a career of drug abuse research.
