Policy and Procedures for Determining Support for Projects - updated 9 April 2009

Background

The Society is a charitable organisation funded from the income generated by the journals Addiction and Addiction Biology and from investments. The Society's aim is to add to and promote the scientific understanding of addiction and problems related to it. The Society's objective is to advocate the use of the evidence-base in policy and practice.

Policy for Supporting Projects

The Society aims to support projects in the following areas:

• Evidence-based policy implementation
  
• Multi-disciplinary reviews in neglected areas directly relevant to addiction policy
  
• Stimulation and support for addiction researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas across countries and subject areas

Projects can be proposed in a number of different formats. For example, the project may consist of a closed meeting designed to generate ideas, discussion and a publication, or be a more formal project using paid staff.

Criteria

Support will only be given to projects and initiatives from members of the Society, including the Executive.

Co-sponsors are welcomed, and the Society will continue to support some joint initiatives with other international bodies or groups of international researchers.

The Society will not support initiatives that also receive support linked to the alcohol, tobacco or gambling industries.

All projects should produce written output suitable for publication.

Procedures

1. Members of the Society are encouraged to discuss any project ideas with members of the Executive and will be asked to prepare a full proposal in partnership with other members of the Executive if appropriate.

2. A proposal of at least two sides of A4 should be submitted. The proposal must contain:

a) CV of project proposer - no more than 2 sides of A4. The proposer must be a single individual who will liaise with the Society on behalf of the project team

b) The aims of the project

c) Relationship of the project to the aims and objectives of the Society

d) The potential involvement - practical and/or financial - of SSA Executive and other members

e) Timetable of the project

f) Full budget details:

i) A complete, itemised, detailed breakdown must be provided. If the project output includes publication, full allocation of editing, proof-reading, proceeds, royalties, projected print-runs, distribution and any other costs must be obtained - eg from the proposed publisher - and detailed
ii) Proposals must state: 'This is the full and entire budget requested for this project. I, on behalf of the project-organisers, understand and accept that the SSA will not fund un-budgeted overspends. In the event that the proposed budget is likely to be exceeded, the SSA will be consulted in advance, and its consent requested'
iii) Project proposers must specify contingency plans in case of budget over-runs, and specify which area(s) of the project has the potential to exceed the budget
iv) Preferred funding schedule (for negotiation with the Executive)

g) Project outputs, including key objectives essential for the success of the project

h) Dissemination plan for outputs

3. Proposals should be submitted on this form, and sent to the President of the Society at the Executive Office address.

4. The Executive Office will assess applications to ensure the applicant has supplied sufficient detail, and the application meets the stipulations set out in the Policy, Criteria and Procedures (above). Suitable proposals will be considered by the Finance and Strategy Committee and forwarded with a recommendation for acceptance/rejection to the following Executive Council meeting. These meetings are normally held in November, March and July each year.

5. Applicants should be informed of decisions within one week of the Executive meeting and if not already decided, nominate an Executive member to liaise with the project team. For larger projects a steering group would be appointed containing some other members of the SSA Executive.

6. Requests for additional funding can only normally be approved at an Executive Meeting. Prior to the meeting a full budget and plan justifying the additional support should be circulated to the Executive Members.

7. The project officer should provide short written reports of the progress of the project for Executive Meetings.

8. Any publication arising from the project should acknowledge the source of the funding.

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