Title: UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies Network Manager
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Please note: the first part of this abstract relates to the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies in general, of which the Network Manager post is a key component Tobacco smoking is the largest avoidable cause of premature death and disability in the UK and in the world, and the largest known cause of social inequality in health in most developed countries. Preventing the smoking epidemic in all of its stages, and acting to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use, is therefore a fundamental priority in public health. The UK now has several established academic tobacco control research and policy groups working to reduce the burden of disease caused by tobacco smoking, and this proposal is made to bring seven of the leading groups together into a strategic partnership of organisations, the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS). We propose to use Centre of Excellence funding to integrate and coordinate the activities of these organisations and thus to underpin the delivery of an ambitious programme of original research, policy development, advocacy, teaching and training, and public engagement. The Centre will deliver a coordinated programme of research, development and implementation across a range of scientific disciplines relevant to tobacco control, including epidemiology, basic science, translational research, randomised clinical trials, complex interventions, policy development and evaluation, and advocacy. Our overall objective will be to improve the science base underpinning the understanding, development and implementation of methods to prevent the uptake of smoking, and to promote smoking cessation and harm reduction. Our research will be grouped into four topic areas reflecting the life course of smoking, from exposure before birth (smoking in pregnancy), through smoking uptake and addiction (determinants and prevention of smoking), to stopping smoking (cessation), and efforts to reduce the damage caused by addiction to tobacco (reducing harm). Our work will also include four cross-cutting themes relevant to several or all of these topic areas; methodological innovation and expertise; inequalities in health; policy analysis, evaluation and learning; and public involvement and partnership. This specific proposal is for one element of UKCTCS, which is a network manager post to support the partnership, public engagement, knowledge transfer and dissemination activities of the Centre. The post would be based at the University of Bath with the UKCTCS co-applicant who will lead on partnership and public engagement for the Centre (L.Bauld). The network manager will play a key role in building tobacco control research capacity in the UK by linking the new centre with a wider range of researchers interested in tobacco control, building networks with policy makers and practitioners, helping to engage smokers and service users in the work of the Centre and the tobacco control community in general, and communicating the work of the Centre to a range of audiences in a range of formats. This application is for a five year post, reflecting the intial period of funding for UKCTCS. However, from CR-UK's perspective it may be more appropriate to fund the post for for 3 years in the first instance, followed by a review which, if satisfactory, could pave the way for the additional 2 years funding.


Research activity codes: 3.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (PREVENTION)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS