Outlook: Newsletter of the Society of Behavorial Medicine
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Development Committee Update

By Geoffrey C. Williams, MD, PhD, Development Committee Chair; and Eric Hekler, PhD

The Development Committee for the Society of Behavioral Medicine has been working to renew past sources of support for our Society, and to establish new relationships with organizations that share our interest in supporting and disseminating evidence-based behavioral interventions that maintain and improve physical and mental health and quality of life for patients.

Led by SBM Board member, Dr. Sherry Pagoto, SBM submitted an R13 proposal to the National Institutes of Health for support of the Annual Meeting. Sherry's extensive efforts entailed conferring with various NIH Institutes and Centers to ascertain funding interest and drafting the proposal itself. It is anticipated that we will hear of a decision in mid to late March 2013. Many thanks to Sherry and her team!

The American Cancer Society has pledged $4,000 of support for the Annual Meeting and, as in past years, American Legacy Foundation/The Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies have provided $3,000 of support. Alere Wellbeing has again provided $2,000 for the Research to Practice award and Springer publishing company is again supporting student travel awards. We are very grateful to all these organizations for their generous support; it allows SBM to offer a meeting rich with multi-disciplinary sessions that advance knowledge and the field of behavioral medicine.

Exhibitors and advertisers from previous meetings are also being contacted. In light of the meeting theme "Technology: The Excitement and the Evidence", several health technology companies will be demonstrating their products in the exhibit hall.

New this year, a meeting app will allow attendees to easily search the entire program on their electronic devices and we're hoping to find a sponsor for it.

SBM Members are encouraged to contact the Development Committee if you know of any organizations that may be interested in supporting the Annual Meeting at geoffrey_williams@urmc.rochester.edu or ehekler@asu.edu.

 

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