This was a collaborative project between the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), NDRI, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, and the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction. It involved the identification of a strategic agenda for future research on alcohol related issues. The first stage of the project involved development of review papers summarising the existing knowledge-base in six major areas: patterns of drinking, acute harm, chronic harm, community interventions, public policy and treatment. NDRI had main responsibility for the community interventions and acute harms papers as well as contributing to three others. Presentations were made at a national workshop held in March 2001 at which priority areas were agreed among invited stakeholders. These were finalised at a follow up meeting of alcohol researchers and DoHA staff.