International Networking Forum and International Task Force Report

By Brenda A. Miller

Brenda Miller

The International Task Force (ITF) is currently comprised of the following members: John Toumbourou (Australia), Moshe Israelashvili (Israel), Josipa Basic (Croatia), Jeff Lee (England), Hanno Petras (USA), Zili Sloboda (USA), and Brenda A Miller (Chair-USA).

The ITF meets on a (nearly) monthly basis via teleconference calls. We have established a number of ongoing efforts for the later part of 2012 and for 2013.

First, we are providing networking opportunities for international colleagues to meet during the yearly pre-conference networking forum at the annual meetings. We will continue to provide this International Networking Forum at the 2013 conference in San Francisco (click here for agenda http://www.preventionresearch.org/2013-annual-meeting/international-focused-events/) .

The ITF has been engaged in facilitating and supporting the exchange of prevention science scientific knowledge and ideas worldwide. Members of the ITF have actively supported the Drug Prevention and Health Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their efforts to develop international prevention standards that emphasize science based prevention strategies. Towards this end, the SPR Board has written a letter of support to the UNODC effort. The ITF has been actively engaged in the yearly SPR conference planning, supporting development of roundtable, plenary, paper, and poster sessions.

An ongoing effort has been made to identify opportunities for establishing “seed monies” for international collaborations to become established for the purposes of advancing prevention science globally. To support collaborations, there is a need to provide opportunities for face-to-face encounters between prospective research teams so that ideas and proposals can be developed. One source of support for these seed monies has been the funding from NIDA that has supported travel funds to a small number of international colleagues who are presenting posters at the NIDA International Poster Session. The Task Force wants to identify other possible sources of funding to support opportunities and make members aware of these potential opportunities.

The ITF is incorporating an advisory board to the task force that will represent different regions around the world and will assist the board in identifying issues, strategies, and opportunities for achieving our goals. In addition the advisory board will assist the ITF in reviewing and updating our goals as we move forward. We are currently developing this board and to date, the following individuals have agreed to serve on this advisory board: Harrie Jonkman (Netherlands), Renati Solomon (India), Jeremy Segrott (UK), Meen Chhetri (Nepal), Dale Weiss, (USA-NIDA), Gregor Burkhart (Portugal), Giovanna Campello (UNODC), Hanna Heikkila (UNODC), Methinin Pinyuchon (Thailand). Additional names are currently being considered and this advisory board will be participating at the 2013 SPR Annual Conference International Networking Forum.

Brenda A. Miller, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, is chair of the International Task Force, a former member of the Society for Prevention Research Board of Directors, and chaired the 2011 Conference Program Committee.