The International Narcotics Research Conference, 2016 Meeting. Bath, UK. July 10 th -14 th. General Information The 2016 Meeting of the INRC will be held in the historic town of Bath, England from 10 to 14 July. This meeting will be held jointly with the British Pharmacological Society (BPS). The scientific sessions will run from Monday am to Thursday pm, with an opening welcome reception on the Sunday evening and the banquet on the Thursday evening. On-line Registration Registration will open end of February, along with abstract submission. Full details will be posted on the INRC website (www.inrcworld.org) and BPS website (www.bps.ac.uk). The last day for abstract submission and the last day to register at early-bird rates will be April 15th. Travel to Bath Bath is located in the West of England, 115 miles due west of London and 15 miles east of Bristol. For those travelling to the UK by air there are a number of possible airports to fly into including Bristol, London Heathrow, and London Gatwick. Bristol Airport is the closest to Bath, being only 20 miles away. Of the London airports, Heathrow is the closest to Bath and therefore probably the most convenient.
There are direct flights to Bristol Airport from many European cities. It is possible to fly into Bristol Airport from North America, Asia and Australia by flying first to Dublin, Amsterdam or Paris and then taking a short (~1 hour) hopper flight to Bristol. For travellers from the USA, cheaper flights can often be obtained by booking a separate internal flight to an East Coast hub airport (JFK, Dulles) then a direct transatlantic flight. The easiest ways to travel from the airports to Bath are Bristol - Bus from airport to Bath (every 30 minutes, journey takes approx. 1 hour) - Taxi (journey takes approx. 30 minutes, cost approx. 40) Heathrow - By rail (fast train, Heathrow Express, from airport to London Paddington station and then train to Bath)(total time approx. 2.5 hours) - By rail (RailAir.com bus from airport to Reading railway station then train to Bath)(total time approx. 2.5 hours) - By bus from airport to Bath by National Express Coaches (approx. 2.25 hours if you take one that is direct and does not involve changing buses en route) - By taxi (cost approx. 150) Gatwick - By rail (change at Reading)(Time approx. 3 hours) - By rail (train to London Victoria station, underground across London to London Paddington station and then train to Bath) (time taken depends on connections). Meeting Venue The scientific sessions (lectures and poster sessions) will be held in the beautiful Assembly Rooms located near the centre of Bath (http://www.bathvenues.co.uk/galle ries/assembly-rooms). Most places in Bath (meeting and reception venues, rail station, hotels etc.) are in easy walking distance of one another as the city is fairly compact and there are lots of interesting sights to see while navigating around on foot.
Accommodation in Bath A block-booking has been made for delegate rates at the Bath Hilton hotel ( 132 per room, inc. breakfast). However, rooms are limited and delegates are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous delightful smaller hotels / bed-and-breakfasts within easy walking distance of the conference venue. Two of the best websites for booking these are: http://visitbath.co.uk/accommodation [HINT: After selecting check-in date and search, click on 1 mile within city centre under Location for accommodation within easy walking distance of the venue.] www.booking.com [HINT: type Bath Assembly Rooms into destination, search results will be in order of distance from conference venue.] Other recommended hotels where delegates can make their own bookings direct: http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/somerset/bath/bath-city-centre.html https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/361/bath-waterside-hotel A hotel booking website will be available on the online registration website, which will include the Bath Hilton delegate rates as well a range of other options. Bath is a very popular summer tourist destination, early booking is advised. Meals Breakfast should be taken at your hotel or in a neighbouring coffee shop. Lunches and morning and afternoon coffee and tea breaks will be provided at the meeting. For evening meals there are a huge number of fantastic restaurants and bars in Bath that cater for all tastes and budgets.
Social Events There will be a welcome reception on the Sunday evening from 8 to 10 pm in the Pump Rooms adjacent to the Roman Baths in the centre of Bath near the Abbey. Delegates can either register at the Assembly Rooms during Sunday afternoon, or, name badges will be available for collection during the welcome reception. Wednesday afternoon is free time for delegates to explore Bath and its surroundings. One idea would be to ponder on the great science you have heard while relaxing in the Thermae Bath Spa (www.thermaebathspa.com) with its steam rooms and roof top pool. Details of the many other things to do and visit in and around Bath can be obtained from the City of Bath Visitor Information Centre (www.visitbath.co.uk/visitor-information-centre). For those prepared to travel a bit Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle and the Cotswolds are not too far away. The meeting banquet followed by some after dinner entertainment will be held on the Thursday evening in the Assembly Rooms. To facilitate the convivial social interactions for which INRC meetings are famous the organisers will each day suggest a local bar where attendees can gather after dinner for a fun evening together. Activities for accompanying persons Tickets can be purchased for the Opening Reception and the Banquet through the online registration form. There will not be an official programme of events for accompanying persons but details of the many things to do and visit in and around Bath can be obtained from the City of Bath Visitor Information Centre (www.visitbath.co.uk). The Assembly Rooms, where the scientific sessions will be held, also houses the Museum of Costume (www.fashionmuseum.co.uk).
Bursaries Bursaries will be made available from a number of sources. All applications for bursaries can be made via the online registration website. NIDA-funded bursaries: eligible to young scientists based in the USA who submit an abstract and will be presenting in the poster and/or oral sessions. BPS-funded bursaries: eligible to BPS members of any age, based anywhere in the world, who submit an abstract and will be presenting in the poster and/or oral sessions. Other bursaries: it is hoped that further financial support will be available from sponsorship. Eligible to young investigators who submit an abstract and will be presenting in the poster and/or oral sessions. On Site Registration The meeting Registration Desk will be located in the Foyer of the Assembly Rooms. It will be open on Sunday 19 th July from 3-5pm. Registrants will also be able to collect their name badges at the Pump Rooms Reception (8 10pm). Thereafter the Registration Desk will be open from 8am each day throughout the meeting. Abstract submission Abstracts should be submitted through the on-line registration website. Full guidance on the format of abstracts will be given when registration opens. Abstract submission will open from mid-late February and close April 15 th. Talks and Posters The programme has space for 20 hot topic talks (10 min talk + 5 min questions) that will be selected from the abstracts submitted. Please indicate when submitting your abstract if you would like to be considered for a talk. Unfortunately not all those who request one will be able to give a talk so we apologise in advance to those who are unsuccessful. Poster sessions will be held on the Monday and Tuesday. Authors are invited to display their posters for the whole day and attend their posters at the time indicated in the programme. There will be a Datablitz session before each poster session. Those participating at the Datablitz session will have two minutes and one slide to convince the audience that their poster is worth visiting. If you wish to present in the Datablitz then please sign up when you submit your abstract. The poster boards will measure 2m high x 1.0m wide (portrait). We suggest making your poster no larger than 90cm wide x 120cm high (or A0 portrait). Slide Preview There will be facilities for slide preview at the Assembly Rooms. Speakers are requested to ensure that they upload their presentation before the session in which they are speaking. Wi-Fi There is free wi-fi for delegates throughout the conference venue.