FDA Tobacco Research Meeting – Upshot & Action Needed Now!

by Scout, Ph.D.

De-Fluff It Scout! What Do We Really Need To Know?

• FDA is rolling out a large wave of new tobacco research via many different mechanisms. Watch for a slew of new NIH funding lines, new researcher training grants, new tobacco research centers of excellence. This is a large new infusion of resources into this arena, probably biggest since Master Settlement Agreement.

  

• We need to make sure this research includes LGBT people too, which was spotty or missing in their first such announcements.
• Do you want to know where all the funding is coming out? Pore over the whole day’s webcast which will soon be archived here.
• Some of the new research is biomedical — but there’s plenty of room for population based research too. Including how to get info out via social media channels, how their regulations impact different populations, etc. Read their 57 priorities at bottom of this page.
• We need to rally LGBT and vulnerable population researchers to submit lots of proposals!
• FDA is really feedback focused now – sign up for their emails to know when they have open comment periods.
• FDA had originally announced their mega-study without mentioning LGBT data collection — so we pushed back and today they committed to at least include LGB! (partial) Win! (Fast Fingers Award to Joseph Lee for the screen capture above documenting the win.)
• Know someone who ran a prior tobacco center of excellence, time to go say hi and see if you can partner if they’re putting in new proposal. Or submit one yourself!

What Should We Do First?

• We have real opportunity to push them to collect LGB & *T* data routinely in ALL the funded research + and include vulnerable population focus in coming general research including those centers of excellence. Just email workshop.CTPOS@fda.hhs.gov and ask them to do items above.