Smart T ots: a public–private partnership between the U nited S tates F ood and D rug A dministration ( FDA ) and the I nternational A nesthesia R esearch S ociety ( IARS )

Summary A history of the public–private partnership ‘ S mart T ots’ between the IARS and FDA is presented. In order to raise money for research to better understand the relationship between sedative and anesthetic agents and neurotoxicity in the developing brain, the FDA approached the IARS in 2008. A partnership was developed over the following 2 years, then a S cientific A dvisory B oard was created to develop a research agenda. The IARS contributed $200 000 in 2011 to provide initial funding; 33 proposals were submitted in response to a request for proposals in late 2011 and resulted in the awarding of two, $100 000 grants in 2012. An E xecutive B oard was appointed under the leadership of M ichael R oizen to spearhead additional fund‐raising efforts, and a director of development is working with D r. R oizen and the B oard to raise funds from individuals and organizations. D r. R oizen has personally committed to a matching grant for anesthesiologists, up to $50 000 per year for 20 years ($1 million). Readers of the journal are encouraged to go to the website www.smarttots.org in order to better understand the issue, to contribute to the research fund themselves, and to encourage their own professional organizations to partner with S mart T ots in fund‐raising.