The SSA is providing funding through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme to establish and support special interest groups and events. Applications close on 14 January 2027.

What are special interest groups?

Special interest groups bring together people with shared interests and complementary expertise to collaborate in order to influence understanding, policy, and practice. They draw on the strengths and insights of different people to produce solutions to problems.

Special interest groups can, for example, bring people together to:

  • develop new research collaborations or grant applications
  • develop standards for research or treatment
  • identify ways to improve research or the implementation of research
  • provide a basis for future innovative research
  • produce reports, academic papers, or other resources
  • share expertise across research, policy, treatment, and lived experience

The Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme is investing in special interest groups and events as a way to drive innovative responses to addiction to illicit drugs and alcohol.

If you are interested in establishing a special interest group, wondering whether your existing special interest group could be eligible for funding, or organising an event around an area of specific interest, find out more below.

What will the SSA fund?

The SSA can provide up to £10,000 over a minimum of two years to help establish, maintain, and promote your special interest group or hold an event. Applications for continued support beyond this period may be considered based on the group’s progress and future ambitions.

Every special interest group or event should be multidisciplinary and include people working across research, policy, and treatment, as well as people with lived experience of addiction.

Funding can be used for costs associated with bringing people together and sharing the group’s work. This could include:

  • conference attendance
  • developing and sharing reports, grant applications, research papers and other outputs
  • expert contributions or training
  • organising conferences or symposiums
  • small refreshment costs
  • running online meetings
  • travel and meeting room costs

Funding cannot be used to cover salary costs. However, it can be used to reimburse participants with lived experience for their time.

Most other costs will be considered as long as they are clearly justified in the project plan.

Am I eligible to apply?

In this round of funding, the SSA welcomes applications for special interest groups that further the goals of the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme. They should:

  • Relate to alcohol and illicit drugs: Special interest groups relating primarily to tobacco or behavioural addictions will not be eligible for funding.
  • Align with the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals: Strong applications may align with the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals, the ten James Lind Alliance priority questions for addiction research, and the UK Government’s 10-year drug strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’.
  • Show the potential impact of the special interest group: This could include developing new research collaborations or grant applications; developing standards for research or treatment; identifying ways to improve research or the implementation of research; providing a basis for future innovative research; producing reports, academic papers, or other resources; and sharing expertise across research, policy, treatment, and lived experience.
  • Involve people with lived experience and organisations working in research, policy, and treatment: The panel would like to see meaningful involvement from people with lived experience of addiction as well as relevant professional groups.
  • Include links with relevant organisations or industry: This could include treatment providers, criminal justice bodies, policy organisations, or an appropriate industry partner, such as a pharmaceutical or technology company.
  • Plan for the special interest group’s future beyond the funding period: The two-year funding period must end by 31 October 2031. Applications should therefore explain either how the proposed work will be completed by this date or how the group could continue independently afterwards.

Applications also need to meet the following conditions to be considered for funding:

  • The lead applicant must be resident in the UK. However, the special interest group should include members from more than one UK nation – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
  • The lead applicant must be based within an organisation with appropriate governance and over the special interest group. This could include a UK university, NHS organisation, third-sector treatment provider, registered charity, or policy organisation.
  • The proposed terms of reference and project plan must be relevant to and supportive of the aims and objectives of the SSA and Addiction Healthcare Goals.
  • The special interest group must include at least one person who identifies as having lived experience of addiction.

You will be ineligible to apply for funding if, in the past three years, you have been employed by, or received funding directly from, non-pharmaceutical ‘addictive product industries’. Addictive product industries are defined as businesses, people or other legal entities that make money from selling, promoting, or lobbying to promote the use of non-pharmaceutical addictive products. This includes, but is not limited to, the alcohol, non-pharmaceutical cannabis, gambling, tobacco and non-pharmaceutical nicotine (e.g. vaping) industries.

You will also be ineligible if you are an employee of an ‘Industry Social Aspect Organisation’. Industry Social Aspect Organisations are organisations funded by addictive product industries – sometimes through secondary organisations – that often have a stated purpose to reduce the harms associated with those products.

How will the SSA assess conflicts of interest?

Before awarding funding, the SSA must be satisfied that there is no risk of bias, ethical concerns, or risk to the reputation of the SSA.

You must declare all potential conflicts of interest on the application form. These should include financial, professional, personal, and other interests that are either specific to your proposed special interest group or relate more generally to addiction.

The SSA will review all declared conflicts of interest and reserves the right to reject an application if the risks to research integrity are deemed to be too great.

What do I need to prepare before applying?

All applications must be made using the online application form below. Applications close on 14 January 2027.

You will need to provide information about your proposed special interest group or event, including its background, membership, plans, intended outputs, and potential impact.

You will also need to prepare the following documents:

  • terms of reference
  • proposed membership
  • project plan and Gantt chart
  • budget covering all proposed costs
  • risk management plan

You will be asked to provide details of one referee. They should be in a position of sufficient authority and will usually be a current or previous employer, supervisor, or mentor. They should not be a colleague or employee of the lead applicant.

Your referee will be asked to comment on the application, the lead applicant’s skills and abilities, and the special interest group’s potential contribution to addiction science.

How can I prepare a strong application?

There is a robust review process for applications. All applications will first be checked to ensure that they are complete and meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Eligible applications will then be reviewed by someone with relevant expertise who does not have a conflict of interest in relation to the proposed special interest group.

Reviewers will consider three broad areas:

1. The people:

  • The lead applicant’s skills, experience, and previous outputs
  • The core team’s skills, experience, and previous outputs
  • The multidisciplinary strength and diversity of the team

2. The project:

  • Whether the scope of the project is appropriate for the proposed timeline
  • Whether the plans are informed by existing evidence and literature
  • The potential impact of the special interest group

3. Outputs and dissemination:

  • The suitability and innovation of the proposed outputs and dissemination plans
  • Collaborations and external support
  • Whether the application clearly identifies its audiences, intended outputs, and potential impact

A small panel will then consider the applications alongside the expert reviews and recommend which special interest groups should receive funding.

Applications will first and foremost be assessed on their potential impact. The SSA and Addiction Healthcare Goals may then consider the overall balance of awards across factors such as UK region, substance and intervention, study type and population, and applicants’ professional or scientific backgrounds.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback based on reviewers’ comments.

What can I expect if my application is successful?

Funding is provided subject to a contract between the SSA and the lead applicant’s host institution. Payments will be made directly to the host institution following receipt of an appropriate invoice.

Special interest groups will be required to:

  • submit annual reports covering progress, any changes to the project plan or timeline, current membership, expenditure, and risk management
  • submit an end-of-funding report outlining the group’s outputs
  • have a representative attend the SSA’s Annual Conference each year
  • contribute to the SSA community, for example by writing content for the SSA website, getting involved in a subcommittee, or contributing to the Annual Conference
  • acknowledge SSA support and use the SSA logo on relevant presentations and outputs

Requests for extensions or interruptions relating to personal circumstances or unavoidable delays will be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to satisfactory progress and an updated project plan.

What if I have questions or need assistance with the application process?

If you have questions about your eligibility or the application process, please contact the SSA team via the enquiry form.

If you require reasonable adjustments or assistance to complete the application, please contact Graham Hunt.