Exploring Innovative Models for Funding Tobacco Control Research

The issue of tobacco industry funding of research is both important and controversial. It is important because of the science gaps and funding realities, and controversial because of past and current tobacco industry funding mechanisms have been used by tobacco companies as a means to gain credibility, respectability, and good public relations. Over the years, researchers, policy experts, and advocates have convened to debate issues surrounding the offer and acceptance of funding from the tobacco industry. This report provides a summary of a workshop to advance the dialogue on the contentious issue of what to do about the offer and acceptance of tobacco industry money for research. The objective of the workshop was to identify which funding models, if any, would be acceptable to pursue further.