Annual Conference of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors: Preparing an underrepresented workforce for editorial board leadership

ABSTRACT/SUMMARY The overall goal of this 5-year R13 grant is to address the substantial underrepresentation of knowledge production and dissemination by individuals from underrepresented populations in addictions research. [For the purposes of this application, underrepresented populations include: (a) individuals from underrepresented and/or structurally minoritized racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and women; (b) individuals from low- and middle-income countries; and (c) individuals from non-English-speaking countries.] This project will specifically increase the involvement of individuals from underrepresented populations in the annual meetings of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE), an international society which was formed in 2001 to foster collaboration between addiction journal editors globally. It serves editors, associate editors, reviewers and authors of addiction journals and offers trainings and resources in addition to an annual meeting. Our long-term goal is to foster increased participation of underrepresented populations in addiction journal publishing as editors. The current project builds a foundation for this via proposing to support: (a) in-person attendance of editors from underrepresented populations at each ISAJE meeting through a travel award; and (b) attendance of a Keynote Speaker to deliver an address on a topic that is crucial for equity, diversity and inclusion in addiction publishing at each ISAJE meeting. We will cover meeting attendance costs of five competitively- selected editors from underrepresented populations including a Keynote Speaker selected from existing addictions journal editors from underrepresented populations. Meetings over five years are planned to take place both internationally and domestically in: Lisbon, Portugal, in 2024 (just prior to the Lisbon Addictions conference); Seattle, USA (2025); Johannesburg, South Africa (2026); Montreal, Canada (2027); and Istanbul, Turkey (2028). Our meeting will foster increased dissemination of science by and about underrepresented populations, thereby addressing some of the bias in research published in addiction journals.