SAVIR Special Interest Groups

SAVIR currently has two Special Interest Groups, which are groups that meet around specific topic areas aligned with SAVIR’s mission. Learn more about the two SIGs and how to join: 

Drowning Prevention (partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide)
SAVIR partners with Safe Kids Worldwide to host the Drowning Prevention Research Interest Group. Beginning at the SAVIR conference in 2024, several researchers shared their research activities around drowning prevention. Finding common ground, they expressed interest in establishing a drowning prevention interest group as part of SAVIR.

The interest group discussions are grounded in the US National Water Safety Action Plan (USNWSAP) research agenda. The agenda, based on evidence gaps put forward by the USNWSAP working groups and a childhood drowning prevention research summit hosted by the National Drowning Prevention Association (NDPA) in 2022 is intended to provide guidance to researchers and funders on key applied research questions to move the drowning prevention field forward. The SIG meets quarterly in virtual meetings with one in-person meeting at the SAVIR annual conference. 

For further information, please contact Morag MacKay at mmackay@safekids.org.

Global Gun Violence Prevention

Firearm related harm continues to be a major public health burden in the United States. This burden is also global in scope and nature. There is an estimated 250,000 firearm related deaths each year, tens of thousands more are injured and disabled. Six countries, all in the Americas account for over half of these deaths: US, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. A recent study revealed that bullets are the leading cause of death of youth in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. In the United States, gun violence death rates vary between states by a factor of 7! Gun violence death rates among nations have a similar “range’ of rates. 

The Firearm Violence Research Special Interest Group (SIG) is a multidisciplinary forum designed to connect researchers, clinicians, practitioners, and policy scholars working to prevent firearm-related harm and improve outcomes for those affected. The SIG will emphasize both domestic and global perspectives, recognizing that cross-country collaboration offers important opportunities to advance methods, generate new insights, and translate evidence into effective programs and policies.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

This group is open to anyone with an interest in firearm violence research — from experienced investigators to trainees and those newly entering the field. Together, we aim to build a collaborative community that advances science, informs policy, and ultimately reduces firearm-related harm in the United States and around the world.

Interested in joining? Contact Stephen Hargarten at Hargart@mcw.edu.