11th Annual Meeting
"Research to Policy"
Washington, DC
Annual Meeting, June 12 - 14, 2003
Pre-conference Workshops, June 11, 2003

Annual Meeting Media Kit

OVERVIEW [top]

The Society for Prevention Research is an international organization focused upon the advancement of science-based prevention programs and policies through empirical research. The membership of the organization includes scientists, practitioners, advocates, administrators, and policy makers who are concerned with the prevention of social, physical and mental health problems and the promotion of health, safety, and well-being.

The goal of the meeting is to present the latest in prevention science from around the world in the areas of epidemiology, etiology, preventive intervention trials, demonstration projects, policy research, natural experiments, program evaluations, clinical trials, prevention-related basic research, pre-intervention studies, efficacy and effectiveness trials, population trials, and studies of the diffusion/dissemination of science-based prevention.

The conference theme "Research to Policy" is meant to be comprehensive, comprising a number of sub-topics relating to research that would enable informed decisions regarding the establishment and funding of prevention programs and services including:

• Development of research and evidence-based principles or strategies for prevention. There are a number of such principles available to date but there is a need to establish criteria for the selection of the principles with the objective of developing a standard for researchers, program planners and policy makers at all levels.
• Dissemination of the results of prevention research including evaluation methodologies and the diffusion of evidence-based prevention programs in the community. Dissemination models of early adoption of innovation have only recently been applied to prevention science. This research along with research that studies how programs found effective under controlled research conditions are transferred to and implemented in the community help understand what logistic, manpower, and structural barriers and enhancers to the establishment of effective prevention programming need to be addressed by planners and policy makers to bring these programs to scale.
• Programming response to community needs. Integration of prevention programming within the community context is key to the effectiveness of these services. Comprehensive prevention however requires infrastructures to support and sustain effective services over long periods of time. Most of the research in this area focuses on community coalition models. There are others that have not been studied as extensively. What effective models are available? What components or elements make these models effective?
• Tailoring prevention programming and services to meet the needs of diverse populations. The research literature supports making the content, structure and delivery of prevention programs and services appropriate to targeted populations. There is a need for more information as to how to design prevention programs for (1) infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children, (2) children and adolescents at high risk, (3) girls, (4) Native Americans (on and off reservations), Alaskans and Aleuts, African-Americans, Asians and Latinos and Hispanics.

In addition to emphasizing the conference theme, SPR continues its interest and commitment to:

• Basic Prevention Science
• Recent Developments in Efficacy Research
• the Role of Gender, Social Class, Culture, Rural/Urban and Ethnicity in Prevention Research
• Recent Issues in Research Methods.

(Click here to register)

ABSTRACTS [top]

Abstracts for presentation at the 11th Annual Meeting were solicited across the conference themes and basic prevention science. As of November 18, 2002, abstract submission was closed. The complete interactive schedule is available at the abstract management website by clicking here. For the complete printed schedule in .pdf format click here.

LOCATION [top]

The meetings will take place from June 12 through June 14, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency Washington. The hotel is located on Capitol Hill at 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW in the heart of Washington, DC and within a short walk to all major attractions, shopping and commerce areas, including the U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Smithsonian Museums, Union Station and Congressional offices.

2003 ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Three plenary sessions
• A full day of pre-conference workshops
• More than 100 organized symposia, roundtable discussions/scientific dialogues and paper presentations
• Two evening poster sessions/receptions and technological demonstrations

Click here to access and print out the complete meeting schedule in .pdf format.

PLENARY SESSIONS

Plenary Session I, Thursday, June 12, 8:30 AM – 10:15 AM

• SPR President’s Address, Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin
• Speaker: Mary Ann Solberg, Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Research to Policy: The Role of the Community

Plenary Session II, Friday, June 13, 8:30 AM – 10:15 AM

• Prevention Science: its influence on prevention programming decisions, future directions for using science to advance prevention policy and practice within states and communities.
• Panel: General Arthur Dean, Chairman and CEO, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Dr. Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst, Director, Institute of Education Sciences, DOE

Plenary Session III, Friday, June 13, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

• Prevention Research: progress in the field, gaps in the knowledge base and future research initiatives.
• Panel: Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Dr. Mary C. Dufour, Deputy Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Dr. Richard K. Nakamura, Deputy Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse

PRE-CONFERENCE TRAINING
SPR provides training opportunities in prevention science during pre-conference workshops scheduled for Wednesday, June 11. All events require registration.

Pre-Conference #1
DATE: June 11, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
The ABC's of Effective Legislative and Media Advocacy
This workshop will provide participants with the basic information they need to be effective advocates for prevention at all levels of government and with the media. Participants will:

• Learn the differences between education, advocacy and lobbying


• Learn the tools and techniques for effective advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels and how to make your case


• Learn how to most effectively communicate with elected officials, policy-makers and their staffs to create better policies and more funding opportunities for prevention programs.


• Learn how to develop key messages for the media.


• Learn the tools and techniques for interacting effectively with print , radio, television and electronic media.

Presenters: Sue Thau and Jessica Nickel, Chair: Zili Sloboda

Pre-Conference #2
DATE: June 11, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Systematic Reviews in Social Science and the Campbell Collaboration
The use of evidence in policy making and program planning has a long history, particularly in medical sciences. In recent years efforts to promote the synthesis of evidence for social policy and programs have seen an upswing, and the efforts of the Campbell Collaboration (C2) are one instance of that trend.

This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to the history and structure of the Campbell Collaboration as well as its relation to its sister organization in the health sciences, the Cochrane Collaboration. One of the Campbell Collaboration's goals is to promote the systematic tracking of sound review efforts, so the workshop will describe the process of submission and vetting of protocols for reviews of evidence, one part of the overall C2 effort.

Many C2 reviews will involve quantitative synthesis or meta-analysis, so the remainder of the workshop will present an overview of the meta-analysis process, using examples from published syntheses and C2 reviews to illustrate key points.

Instructors will be Betsy Becker of Michigan State University and Therese Pigott of Loyola University, Chicago.

Pre-Conference #3
DATE: June 11, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Lunch on your own)
Economic Research as a Policy Tool: Considerations for the Application of Cost/Effectiveness Analysis and Cost/Benefit Analysis.

While the need for cost analysis is universally acknowledged, it
presents dilemmas regarding how best to balance the rigor demanded by
the researcher with a sometimes very different set of requirements
among policy-makers who are more interested in simple, bottom-line
answers. Cost analysis can be the justification either for continuing
funding for prevention and treatment programs, or for cutting spending
for those same programs. They are also a way of strengthening the
argument that investing in these programs is worthwhile. The workshop
will focus on both Cost/Effective Analysis and Cost/Benefit Analysis.

The workshop will address issues related to using Cost/Effectiveness Analysis to determine which of the array of alternate treatment services produces the largest return in clinical improvement for a given dollar investment in treatment. Instructors will discuss issues related to defining "improvement" and what can be considered "reasonable" added expense, factors that may make all the difference in determining whether something is "cost-effective." The workshop will also focus on the value of Cost/Benefit Analysis as a policy and budgetary tool. Instructors will discuss cautions including the need to assure that both the costs and the benefits pertain to the same entity.

Instructors will include Jeffrey Merrill, Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Dr. Brian Yates who is a visiting professor at the Center for Mental Health Services Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts. He also is a tenured professor in the Department of Psychology at American University in Washington, DC.

Pre-Conference #4
DATE: June 11, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Lunch on your own)
Evaluations: Sound Methods on Small Budgets
This workshop will explore issues involved in conducting excellent research on small budgets. The session will focus on the need for careful specification of a research strategy and tactics required to implement the strategy. The workshop will walk through activities involved in constructing a sound strategy for all phases of a study from planning to implementation to analysis. Topics will include:

• The need for precision in framing the questions to be addressed and limiting the scope of inquiry to only what can and must be done;
• The importance of minimizing extraneous sources of error;
• How careful selection of measures can help compensate for limited resources; and
• Methods for using data analysis to help compensate for limited resources.

The course will be taught by Lee Sechrest, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Arizona.

ECPN FUNDING FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS SYMPOSIUM AND LUNCHEON
DATE: June 12, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
SYMPOSIUM TIME: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
LUNCHEON TIME: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
COST: $20, Registration Required. Limited to first 100 registrants

Funding for Early Career Researchers
A 90-minute panel symposium has been organized to present information on funding opportunities for early career scientists. Program officials will present information on prevention initiatives for their agencies, followed by discussion of specific funding mechanisms targeted to the early career population with tips for applicants on successful applications. The session will be followed by a boxed lunch where early career researchers will have the opportunity to talk in a small group setting with program officials.

ECPN "MEET THE SCIENTIST" DINNER
DATE: June 12, 2003
TIME: 7:15 PM - 9:15 PM
COST: $30, plus beverages

One of the many exciting opportunities that the upcoming SPR meeting affords is the chance to meet the people whose research has been meaningful in the development of our own work in the prevention field. For the past two years, ECPN has organized a series of "Meet the Scientist" dinners in response to a suggestion by the board of SPR. ECPN will once again be organizing this event at the 2003 SPR conference in Washington, DC. We recognize that it is not always easy for early career folks to network with senior scientists, and hope that this event provides a helpful mechanism for doing so. The dinner will be buffet style at the Hyatt Regency Washington. Click here to sign up. If you have any questions, please e-mail Julie@tanglewood.net.

NIH EVENTS

Event #1:
NIH/NIMH/NIDA NEW INVESTIGATORS WORKSHOP
DATE: June 13, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 7:15 AM – 8:30 AM
NO CHARGE. Tickets required (check off on Registration Form). Limited to first 50 registrants.

The New Investigator’s Workshop is an opportunity for researchers who want to obtain NIH funds to learn about the submission, review, and funding process. After a presentation on the steps to submitting an application and tips on developing a successful application, there will be time for questions and discussion with program staff on current research priorities and initiatives in mental health and substance abuse prevention research. Tickets required. Limit: 50 people.

Event #2
NIH/NIMH ROUNDTABLE
DATE: June 12, 2003, Hyatt Regency Washington
TIME: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
NO CHARGE. No tickets required.

NIMH Research Funding Opportunities for Prevention in Health Psychology.
NIMH staff will answer questions about applying for prevention research grants in the areas of health psychology. The Health and Behavioral Science Research Branch supports epidemiologicand descriptive research to clarify basic behavioral processes and mechanisms underlying co-morbid mental and medical disorders (e.g., depression and heart disease, anxiety disorders and cancer), and research to modify these processes and mechanisms through preliminary tests of preventive interventions for co-morbid mental and medical disorders. The interventions may be pharmacologic, behavioral, or psychosocial. Basic behavioral factors include decision-making, motivation, persuasion, cognition, emotion, and social interaction between health care providers and consumers.

Presenter is Peter Muehrer, Ph.D., Chief, Health and Behavioral Science Research Branch, Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research, and AIDS, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (for further information contact at 301-443-4708 or pmuehrer@nih.gov).

SPR ANNUAL MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP DANCE
Date: June 13, 2003, 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM

Dance to the music of the Mothers of Prevention featuring your favorite musicians and colleagues: Brian Bumbarger, drums and vocals, Gil Botvin, trumpet and flugelhorn, Jim Emshoff, electric piano and vocals, John Graham, guitar and vocals, David Hawkins, acoustic guitar and vocals, John Jimenez, lead guitar, Michael Newcomb, guitar and vocals, and Randy Swaim, bass guitar.

Tickets are $20, register on-line in advance or purchase at the conference.

(Click here to register)

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

This program is co-sponsored by the University of South Florida College of Medicine and the Society for Prevention Research.

The University of South Florida College of Medicine is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. The University of South Florida College of Medicine is offering this activity for up to 18 hours of continuing education credit. The University of South Florida College of Medicine maintains responsibility for the educational integrity of the program.

The program, the SPR 11th annual conference, is being offered for 1.5 - 18 Continuing Education Credits. The conference, which is a series of plenary and symposium sessions, runs from 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM each day, Thursday, June 12 through Saturday, June 14, 2003. There are four sessions, each day, which are 1.5 hours in length.

The fee for 1.5 - 18 CE Credits is $75. No partial fees are accepted. Cancellations will not be accepted after June 02, 2003. Refunds are less a $10 processing fee.

To register in advance click here for the payment form and return it by mail or fax to the SPR administrative office at 1300 I Street, NW, Suite 250W, Washington, DC 20005, 202-216-9671. For information call 202-216-9670 or e-mail info@preventionresearch.org.

REGISTRATION RATES

PRESENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

Oral presentations click here

Poster presentaions click here

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE[top]

You can now access the SPR/COS abstract management website by clicking here. After you log on, go to Attendee Tools to view presentation schedules, abstracts, and plan your personal schedule.

Hotel Arrangements [top]

SPR respectively requests that all conference attendees making hotel reservations in Washington, DC stay at the Hyatt Regency Washington. The relatively low cost of SPR's conference registration fees is directly tied to its financial obligation to the host hotel and satisfying the guest room block requirements.

Please note that the cut-off date for hotel reservations and to receive the discounted rate is May 12, 2003. Reserve early for the best selection.

Room Rates per Night

Single/Double: $185.00, plus state and local sales tax. Triple: $210.00 plus state and local state tax.

Hotel Confirmations and Cancellations

A deposit of one night's room and tax for each of the confirmed rooms will be due from individuals attending the meeting fourteen (14) days after the room is confirmed by the Hotel but no later than May 12, 2003. All deposits for individual room reservations are fully refundable if a room is cancelled seven (7) days or more prior to the arrival date. Personal checks, money orders or a valid American Express, Diners Club, Visa or Mastercard number and expiration date will be needed for deposit.

What to Expect in Washington, DC [top]

For information on Washington, DC, visit the Washington, DC Convention and Visitors Association website at www.washington.org. The website includes a visitor's guide with information on restaurants, shopping, sightseeing activities, and guided tours.

Attire [top]

Suggested dress for the SPR meeting, receptions, and dinner is business casual.

No Smoking Policy [top]

Smoking is prohibited during all sessions and in public areas of the hotel.

Accessibility [top]

Anyone requiring special administrative assistance in order to participate in the SPR Annual Meeting is asked to contact the SPR Office, 202-216-9670 or email jenniferlewis@preventionresearch.org.

Future Meeting Dates

SPR's 12th Annual Meeting will be held May 26th to 28th, 2004, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Quebec City is a beautiful city with lots of charm. It has a European feel and due to its small size provides a retreat atmosphere. Ray Peters, one of SPR's Canadian members, will chair the 2004 Executive Program Committee.

The 13th Annual Meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. in either late May or early June 2005.

Questions [top]
Please address questions to:
Society for Prevention Research
1300 I Street, NW
Suite 250 West
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Tel: (202) 216-9670
Fax: (202) 216-9671
info@preventionresearch.org