Welcome to the AERC website
This site covers all aspects of the AERC’s activities especially funding alcohol research and development projects as well as providing small grants and studentships to individuals working in the alcohol field.
The Council's main aims are to:
- Generate and disseminate research based evidence to inform and influence policy and practice.
- Develop the capacity of people and organisations to address alcohol issues.
Click on the alcohol molecule to discover more about the AERC, the many succesful projects it's funded and it's areas of ongoing research.
The AERC Has Moved - Our new address is:
The Alcohol Education and Research Council, Willow House, 4th Floor,
17 - 23 Willow Place, LONDON, SW1P 1JH
Our New Telephone Number is 0207 821 7880
Research Grant Applications 2011
This year there are three possible routes through which a research grant can be obtained from Alcohol Research UK (A new charity that is replacing the AERC).
This year's deadline has passed for initial applications for a Research & Development Grant or a Studentship grant but Small Grants for modest projects up to £5,000 have noapplication deadlines.
AERC to Become an Independent Charity
In July, we reported that the Department of Health had published a Review of its Arms Length Bodies (ALBs). Because it was established through an Act of Parliament that conferred to Government some limited powers over its governance (e.g. the appointment of trustees), the AERC has always been classed as an ALB.
The Review stated that the AERC’s status as an ALB was to be abolished. Since then, we have been working with Department to identify the most appropriate way of making this happen. We reached the conclusion that the best solution would be for the AERC to use its powers to set up a new charity that is entirely independent of Government. All of the AERC’s functions, including its endowment fund, staff, grant programmes and its future plans and strategies would then move to the new charity. In September, the AERC’s trustees voted unanimously in favour of this option. Once the transfer has been completed, the Secretary of State for Health can use existing powers to wind up the AERC.
To all intents and purposes you will not notice any difference, other than a new name. You will also see the continued implementation of our exciting plans for growth, including a more ambitious research programme to inform some of the key questions on alcohol policy; this is something that we were already embarking on, regardless of the Department’s Review.
We are very excited by these developments. We believe that the creation of a new, independent charity will bring considerable benefits and open up significant new opportunities for both the organisation and our stakeholders. We expect the new charity and the transfer of functions to be completed early in the new year. We will keep you posted on progress and plan to have a “re-launch” to make sure everyone understands the change.
Latest Additions to the Alcohol Library
Alcohol Insights:
- Adult Consequences of Late Adolescent Alcohol Consumption: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies
- Providing web-Based Feedback and social Norms information to reduce student alcohol intake: A multisite investigation of Unitcheck
- Psychological Interventions with Families of Alcohol Misusers: A Systematic Review
Final Reports:
- Adult Consequences of Late Adolescent Alcohol Consumption: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies
(links to Plosmedecine.org) - Providing web-Based Feedback and social Norms information to reduce student alcohol intake: A multisite investigation of Unitcheck
- Psychological Interventions with Families of Alcohol Misusers: A Systematic Review
Alcohol Insights are short easily digestible documents, which present findings from AERC projects.
Final Reports are the detailed findings made by AERC projects.
AERC News
Alcohol Concern Open Training Courses
Alcohol Concern has launched a new series of open training courses running this Autumn/Winter in London, Manchester and Cardiff.
Finance and Administration Officer
We want to recruit a Finance and Administration Officer to work 10 hours a week at our London office. Learn more and download an application pack.
Alcohol and Other Drugs
Essential Information for Social Workers
A BASW Pocket Guide
With some funding from the AERC the British Association of Social Workers Special Interest Group in Alcohol and other Drugs recently produced a pocket guide for social workers on alcohol and drugs.
This has been disseminated in hard copy to 12,500 social workers through the Professional Social Work magazine.
AERC Stakeholder Survey Results
The AERC would like to thank all 201 people who took the time to complete its 2010 Stakeholder Survey. The results are already providing valuable information that will help to inform our future activities.
AERC Alcohol Academy
Responding to combined alcohol and cocaine use
This briefing paper from the AERC Alcohol Academy notes that combined alcohol and cocaine use appears to be increasingly popular despite indications of significantly increased health and social risks. Combining alcohol and powder cocaine can form cocaethylene in the liver, a unique metabolite that can enhance the user's experience but significantly increase the risk of heart attack or sudden death. Its use has also been linked to other conditions and an increased risk of violence.
Download 'Cocaethylene: responding to combined alcohol and cocaine use' as a PDF 
763KB
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