Research

Biographical Sketch

In 1954, the Tobacco Industry Research Committee (TIRC) was established by a group of tobacco manufacturers, growers and warehousemen to fund a program of scientific research into questions of tobacco use and health. As initially configured, the TIRC's functions included both the funding of research and the coordination of public relations activities relating to tobacco and health. By 1958 the tobacco industry conceded the difficulty of managing scientific research and public relations within a single organization. As a result, the Tobacco Institute was created to assume public relations functions and duties and the Council for Tobacco Research was established to underwrite scientific research. Research support was provided through a program of grants-in-aid supplemented by contracts for research with various institutions and laboratories.

The Council did not operate any research facilities of its own. Funds were provided by the member companies. The Council cease operations in 1998 as part of the national litigation settlement between the various states and the tobacco industry. The organizational structure of the Council included a Board of Directors, President, Scientific Director, Scientific Advisory Board, and various administrative and scientific staff. The Board of Directors was made up in large part of representative from Council member companies and was headed by a chairman who, from the 1960's on, was a retired tobacco industry executive. The Board was responsible for providing the necessary funds for the operation of the CTR, and for establishing policies and procedures for the Council.

Overall operation of the Council was placed with the President whose responsibilities also included the Literature Retrieval Division and special project grants. Scientific staff under the Scientific Director managed the day-to-day operation of the grants and special projects; they organized and managed the grants review process and monitored those awarded. The Scientific Advisory Board, composed of six to eight distinguished scientists, reviewed and evaluated research grant proposals.

Three types of grants were awarded by the Council for Tobacco Research: competitive research grants (those requiring submitted proposals, evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Board with administration and oversight by CTR scientific staff); staff special service projects (in the1960's and 1970's staff were allowed to award small amounts, $5,000-$10,000, to complete a research projects or to fund a small project of particular interest to the CTR); and Special Projects grants. Special Project (grants supporting research the tobacco industry thought necessary). Although funded by the CTR, Special Project grants were not reviewed by the SAB, but evaluated by the CTR Director who made the final funding decisions.