21.05.2021
Dear participants of KBS 2021 Helsinki,
Below you can find upcoming deadlines, general pre-conference reminders, a link to the new version of the conference program as well as information about an exciting satellite event after the conference.
1. Test sessions on May 25th
The technical host team has arranged two test sessions where you can test out the different functions of Zoom and Remo. The test sessions will be organised on Tuesday May 25, 2021, at 10:00 – 11:30 EEST and 18:00 – 19:30 EEST. You can find the Zoom and Remo links here: https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com/test-sessions.html (only available to registered participants). If you have difficulties getting access to Remo, you can pose questions in the Zoom session.
2. Social program platform (Remo)
KBS 2021 Helsinki, will use an online conference platform Remo to facilitate networking and social interaction despite physical distances. During most days of the conference, social program will be organised both in the morning and in the evening to account for time zone differences. If possible, we highly recommend you create a Remo account well before the conference as you will need one to join the social program sessions. The platform is intuitive, but we have also written short instructions on how to create a profile and use Remo, here: https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com/remo-guide.html. If you experience any problems with creating an account, please do not hesitate to contact kbs2021@helsinki.fi. You will have an opportunity to test Remo at the test sessions, where technical assistants can also help you create your account.
3. Deadline for sending in presentations & Conflict of Interest (COI)-slide
Please send us your presentation slides to kbs2021@helsinki.fi by May 26. Make sure to name your presentation document after your surname, Zoom room name, and session number (e.g. Hakkinen_Sibelius_13.pptx). If you specifically wish to share the slides from your own computer, we recommend sending the slides to us anyway, just in case. Please note that you must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in your presentation. Your COI-statement can be included in the first slide of your slideshow or as a separate slide at the beginning of your presentation. Please declare funding you have received in the past 5 years from an alcohol industry body, or from an organisation receiving funding from the industry, e.g., ERAB, ABMRF, DrinkWise. "Funding" includes research costs, salaries, speaker fees, accommodation, transportation, and meals, but is not restricted to these. If you have no potential conflicts to declare, please add: “Conflict of interest: none”.
4. Updated conference program
A May 20th version of the programme is now available on the website https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com/full-programme.html.
Any future changes in the programme are updated to the website and the changes will be listed on the News section. At the beginning of the program document, you can also find information about Helsinki, the technical host team, our conference “dinner” performers as well as all Zoom and Remo links. Presenters, discussants & chairs: Please remember to join your sessions’ Zoom rooms 15 minutes before your session starts!
5. Webinar: Evidence into action: building a SAFER WHO European Region, free from harms due to alcohol.
On Friday June 4 at 13:45 – 15:45 EEST, the WHO European Office will organise a webinar about evidence-based alcohol action in the WHO European Region. Although the event is not a part of the KBS conference, it is targeted especially to the KBS membership and the KBS conference participants. This is a free online event, but registration is required: https://who.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0rfuqtrz0sHdAMq59pCIz34L82dEZZlNBY. The link is also provided in a flyer of the webinar attached in this email.
You can get excited for KBS 2021 Helsinki by downloading the KBS 2021 Helsinki Zoom background (you can find it here: https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com/technical-guidelines.html
04.01.2021
The purpose of the Award for Advancement of International Research Collaboration is to recognise outstanding and exemplary contributions to the advancement of international collaborations on social and epidemiological alcohol research. The scope of this field is broadly defined to include, for instance, historical and policy studies, epidemiology and other public health research, studies of the ecology and functioning of treatment systems, and studies in ethnography, economics, psychology, sociology and other social sciences carried out in the interest of public health and welfare. The contributions should include sustained efforts in building cross-national research networks or collaborative studies, as well as a substantial publication record as an author or co-author in the field. The collaborations will not necessarily have been within the Kettil Bruun Society, and an awardee is not necessarily a Kettil Bruun Society member.
This is a call for nominations for the 2021 Award, which should be submitted to the Selection Committee for the award by 15 January, 2021. A nomination may be made by any member of the Kettil Bruun Society. It should include a statement of the candidate’s contributions to the advancement of international research collaboration in the field, and a curriculum vitae of the candidate. It should be copied by email to each of the three members of the selection committee, as here identified:
Link to the Award webpage.
15.12.2020
The 46th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society 30 May-4 June 2021, ONLINE
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
The annual KBS symposium’s primary purpose is to provide a forum for researchers involved in studies on alcohol to exchange ideas about their ongoing research. In 2021, the symposium is arranged online by the conference hosts in Helsinki, Finland.
The conference welcomes submissions from a broad spectrum of contributions: empirical research, theoretical papers and literature reviews are equally welcome. The social and epidemiological scope is to be interpreted in a broad sense including research from the social sciences, public health, psychology, the humanities, and other sciences.
The traditional KBS Symposium presentation and discussion formats will be followed in the conference’s online version. Pre-circulated as of yet unpublished papers are presented in 10-minute segments followed by a discussant's comments and general audience participation. This can be seen as a way to get early input or "live peer review" ahead of submitting a paper. In addition to presenters’ and possible discussants’ duties, any person submitting a paper may be asked to act as chair of a session. The conference will take place during daytime hours of Helsinki, Finland, which, at the time of the conference, belongs to the Eastern European Summer Time zone (EEST).
Researchers are kindly invited to submit informative abstracts by January 31, 2021 to https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com. The word limit for the abstract is 250 words (max 3 keywords). The abstract must include a brief declaration that acknowledges any potential conflicts of interest, for example through funding relationships (if so, a disclosure is required).
The KBS 2020 organizers have secured some funding to sponsor researchers who may not be able to pay for the conference fee. The deadline for applying for the Financial Support is also 31st January 2021. Instructions can be found on the web page under Register and submit.
Early Career Scientists are encouraged to submit their papers for consideration for the 2021 Ole-Jørgen Skog Award. The winner will be selected by a scientific committee, based on its contribution in advancing alcohol research and on its theoretical and methodological quality. The award is a cash prize of 250 Euros and two years membership of the Kettil Bruun Society. The winner will be announced during the 2021 symposium.
The symposium is hosted by the University of Helsinki Centre for Research on Addiction, Control and Governance (CEACG), the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL, the Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, the Association for Substance Abuse Prevention, The Network for Preventive Substance Abuse Work, Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs and The society for alcohol and drug researchers.
More information can be found at the conference website: https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com.
We are very much looking forward to seeing you online for our traditional annual symposium
On behalf of the Organizing Committee,
Matilda Hellman
University of Helsinki Centre for Research on Addiction, Control and Governance (CEACG)
Website: https://www.kbs2021helsinki.com
Email: kbs2021@helsinki.fi
Hashtag: #KBSconf
