“Under Pressure“, Queen
Dear Members of TIAFT,
Doesn’t time fly! It only seems like yesterday that we were saying goodbye in Auckland and goodbye to 2025, yet here we are nearly half-way through 2026. With many meetings and opportunities to connect coming up this year, the pressure is on to meet deadlines, and I know we are all busy (indeed I nearly missed my own self-imposed deadline with this message as well). I hope you didn’t miss the recent March deadline to pay your annual membership dues and also log on to the members site. If you did, then unfortunately the increased late fee will be imposed so maybe to avoid it next year, set a reminder as it’s much cheaper to pay within the time. I also hope you didn’t miss the March deadline for the Huestis & Smith International Travel Award for up to 3 members (DCF or Standard) to go to the SOFT-TIAFT annual meeting in Chicago in September.
Don’t worry there are some deadlines still achievable though for Chicago, not least the TIAFT Travel Grants (16th May, with this year for DCF members only), as well as the abstract submissions deadline for the meeting itself which is 30th April, with registration opening on 19th May. Expect much more information to come about Chicago from the various TIAFT and SOFT channels so please look out for that in the coming months and start thinking about your plans now.
If you can’t wait until September to go to a TIAFT-related meeting then there is the 2nd African Regional Meeting of TIAFT taking place in Algiers 28-30th April, organised by the TIAFT Board Member for Africa, Sara Abdennour. It’s been a long time since TIAFT was in Africa (especially with COVID-19 disrupting the 2020 plans) so attendance is encouraged where possible. Furthermore, as previously announced, there will be TIAFT involvement at the International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) in Bulgaria in May. The programme is being finalised but the TIAFT symposium within the agenda will be on 27th May with various drug and toxicology-related posters and talks across the days. The deadline for standard registration is 1st May.
Other deadlines to look out for are for the Bryan Finkle Visiting Scientist Grant, nominations for the annual TIAFT awards to be presented in Chicago as well as the bid applications for TIAFT 2030 (I know, I can’t believe I’ve written that date either). If all that is causing you some panic then you’re not the only one, as the TIAFT Board has to review everything so lots to be done. One thing that will be announced shortly though are the outcomes of the applications for involvement in the second TIAFT Task Force (TTF2), Green Toxicology. Thank you to everyone for expressing an interest, with 29 received, even more than for TTF1 – AI. You will also be seeing further updates to the TIAFT public website and the members’ site (especially in relation to the members’ Resources Hub with validation aspects recently added). We are also excited to announce a new Board initiative driven by Board Member for Oceania, Jennifer Schumann, involving corporate sponsorship of TIAFT activities. We thank Waters and Golden West Diagnostics for being the first to support this and look forward to engaging with more corporations interested in creating closer links with TIAFT for mutual benefit.
So in amongst the panic and pressure of deadlines, I hope you see there’s lots happening for a busy and exciting year for the Association with much more to come. Now breathe.
All the best,
Dr Simon Elliott, TIAFT President