We live in challenging times. We hear that phrase repeated almost daily by our government leaders, our business community, the news media and even our friends. Unfortunately, in some ways 2008 proved to be a challenging year for ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research. Like most foundations, universities and other charitable organizations, ABMRF experienced a significant decline in our reserve and endowment funds as a consequence of the worldwide decline in equity markets. The details of these declines are reflected in our financial reports. The rapidity and the extent of the decline was a surprise to everyone including our Board and our professional investment managers. As the banking and credit crisis unfolded, it appeared that there were few safe investments, and none that offered much potential for future growth. Fortunately, the magnitude of our losses was less than that which would have been predicted by tracking the major indexes. In addition, continued support from the brewing industry provided sufficient annual income to insulate our programs from the type of program cuts that are under discussion at many other foundations.

At our semi-annual meeting in November, the Board of Trustees confirmed that maintaining the stability of our research granting program is the number one priority for ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research. Over the last 26 years, we have established a reputation for providing financial support to new investigators in the field of alcohol studies. These young investigators have few other sources of independent support outside the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Recent reviews of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research portfolio have shown that the average age of investigators obtaining extramural independent research funding (usually in the form of RO1 grants) has increased steadily over the last decade and is now around 40 years of age. Even though bright and energetic young scientists enter the research community each year, their opportunities for independent funding are more limited today than during any time in the last 25 years. Nonetheless, independent research funding remains the benchmark for success in academia and is usually a requirement for progression along the track to tenure at most universities and research institutes. While other groups provide independent research funding for these young investigators as well, we are especially proud of the role that ABMRF plays, and the strong reputation which we have earned, in helping new investigators launch and develop their careers in this field.

The dedicated scientists who serve on the independent Advisory Councils for ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research deserve our thanks and our congratulations for their outstanding work in identifying those individuals whose work appears most promising for funding from among a large number of highly qualified and talented applicants. The decisions, which are always difficult, are magnified by the stress of not being able to fund all those proposals that would generate important new knowledge to aid our understanding of the effects of alcoholic beverages on human health and behavior. Guided by our Council members, the Foundation has opted to fund the best proposals that we receive without attempting to select particular areas of research for support. Significant discoveries in science often arise from unexpected lines of investigation. For example, the original observation that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages was associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, made by our newest Board member and an early grantee, Dr. Arthur Klatsky, was unexpected. This observation arose from a much more general study of lifestyle factors in the risk of myocardial infarction. As part of the application process, we encourage applicants to be innovative in their thinking and in their approach to problem solving while building on what is already known. A better understanding of how alcohol affects human health and behavior is an important foundation for developing solutions for problems associated with alcohol use and providing sound advice for the public regarding the safe and appropriate consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The Advisory Councils operate independently of the Board of Trustees and staff in making decisions about which applications should be funded. Once these decisions are made, the Board appropriates the funds necessary to conduct the research without reviewing the topic of study or the scientific merits of individual proposals. Although we request acknowledgement of support from ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research, our grantees are encouraged to publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals without prior Foundation approval. Because of our limited resources, we also encourage our grantees to seek support from the NIH or other funding agencies after receiving a grant from ABMRF so that their work may continue. Maintaining transparency of these operating principles is essential to the Foundation’s success.

ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research has chosen not to be involved directly in policy development. Our role as research foundation is to support those studies that will inform our understanding of how alcohol affects everyone in society from those who drink in moderation to those who drink to excess. Providing more detailed descriptions of what effects alcohol has as well as an understanding of the mechanisms underlying these effects are of particular importance to ABMRF. This research ultimately may provide a part of the knowledge base that will guide development of better policies surrounding the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in North America and throughout the rest of the world. Within the next year, the World Health Organization (WHO) will convene various meetings to discuss a platform of policies regulating the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages that will be recommended to member states as tools to reduce the harm associated with consumption. To speak on behalf of ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research, we submitted a response to the WHO request for submissions regarding needed areas of research. Our submission reflects our position as an organization that sponsors research and believes that our understanding of alcohol use disorders, and other problems related to consumption, needs to be strengthened through additional research. The submission also reflects a belief that we need to understand how such policies might impact the health of those who consume alcoholic beverages in moderation.

Our most direct challenge in the next few years is to increase the amount of funding available to support our grants program. Over the past year, members of the Foundation staff and Board have met with potential new donors as well as our current donors to find ways that we can address these needs. These are challenging times to solicit donations, particularly in the current economy. However, we have a significant opportunity to seek additional contributions from the smaller brewers as well as from private donors and other sources outside of the brewing industry. We will continue to encourage support from interested parties within the brewing and related industries as we enlist the help of our Board members in reaching out to other groups and individuals who would be inclined to support ABMRF. We have a powerful message -- a strong and steady history in helping build knowledge, careers and leadership in alcohol studies; we benefit from the respect of the alcohol research community; and we are prepared with tools to assist in fund-raising efforts. I am proud of the commitment that has been made by our Board of Trustees to increase support for young investigators in the field of alcohol research. The future of the field is promising. With support, I am confident that the next generation of scientists will add vital new knowledge that will help improve the lives of our societies.

Mack C. Mitchell, Jr., M.D.
Taken from the 2008 Annual Report