SRNT 2024 Annual Meeting Global Support - SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT) is the only scientific association dedicated exclusively to the support of researchers, academics, treatment professionals, government employees, and other partners in the field of nicotine and tobacco research. With members in more than 40 countries, SRNT is truly global in its reach. The SRNT Annual Meeting is the main venue for presentation of novel findings from global tobacco control research and for networking among scientists in the field. To promote its international mission, SRNT has a longstanding policy of waiving registration fees and providing travel awards for low- and middle-income country (LMIC) researchers to ensure representation of global tobacco control science in the meeting program. The SRNT Global Research Network (GRN) supports SRNT members in LMICs; provides guidance to the SRNT Board and committees, as necessary, to inform discussions around issues related to research and researchers in LMICs; and enhances SRNT’s mission by promoting and encouraging sustained involvement in global tobacco control science. For over a decade, LMIC researchers from across geographic regions and with extensive research experience and professional networks across LMICs have been GRN Chairs and have led GRN committees. Despite SRNT’s support, global tobacco control and LMIC-based science are underrepresented at its annual meeting especially given that 80% of the world’s tobacco users live in LMICs. Further, the promotion of implementation science is desperately needed to close the critical implementation gap in global tobacco control. SRNT seeks a conference grant to elevate the visibility of global tobacco control research and implementation science at the SRNT 2024 Annual Meeting to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland. This location will allow participation of researchers from regions that typically have less presence at the annual conference. We will form a GRN Steering Committee to pursue the following specific aims: 1) Organize a pre-conference workshop and presidential symposium to promote bidirectional learning in global tobacco control and implementation science; 2) Increase abstract submissions in global tobacco control science to highlight advances in the area, foster scientific discussion and debate, and stimulate collaboration among global tobacco control researchers; 3) Offer travel scholarships for LMIC-based researchers presenting on topics related to the NCI Center for Global Health research priorities; and 4) Support post-conference article submissions led by LMIC investigators to Nicotine & Tobacco Research (SRNT’s journal) that focus on implementation science in global tobacco control. Meeting the proposed aims will bolster how the SRNT annual meeting facilitates bidirectional learning opportunities among LMIC and high-income country (HIC) investigators working in global tobacco control, building capacity to conduct implementation research that is relevant and impactful in low resource contexts.
