Learning Objectives: Explain how to develop a formal structure and gain commitment from universities to participate in a collaborative research initiative. Explain methods to develop and maintain collaborative research projects on experimentation with tobacco products, addiction and subsequent disease. List methods to identify research specialties within research institutions and to gain their participation in projects.
Abstract: The Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (VTSF) has developed a unique structure to fund research efforts in the state. The VTSF organized the Virginia Research Consortium (VRC) which serves as an advisory group to the VTSF research committee to ensure that research projects maintain scientific and ethical validity. It also serves as the mechanism to gain high level commitment for university participation. The VRC’s membership includes the vice presidents of research from the major research institutions in Virginia who have committed to proposing research that is multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary. This approach has never been taken in Virginia and has been described as a “first-in-the-nation” effort.
The VTSF is funding two projects to investigate the etiology of tobacco use among youth and specifically to research the factors involved in the progression from experimentation with tobacco products to addiction and to the development of disease. The VTSF has made a commitment to fund only collaborative research projects in order to utilize the best resources of all universities, to ensure that there is no duplication of efforts and to leverage resources to find additional sources of funding for long-term sustainability of projects. This session will describe the steps taken and barriers to achieving buy-in to a consortium model, methods used to identify the “correct” disciplines and faculty from each university, and the success of the two collaborative projects that are underway.
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