About us

GRIT is an inter-disciplinary research group which includes members from the three Colleges at the University of Edinburgh: the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS); the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM); and the College of Science and Engineering (CSE).

Its members have a range of disciplinary back grounds including health policy, health promotion, geography, political science, social marketing, sociology, social epidemiology and social policy.

GRIT’s mission is to promote research in tobacco control in order to develop understanding of the determinants of smoking uptake and cessation and, in particular, inequalities in these determinants. 

We are policy orientated and work to use our research expertise to inform effective policies and practices for reducing inequalities in the harms caused by tobacco use.

GRIT’s aims

1. To promote inter-disciplinary research that recognises and investigates the role of different processes and social factors, from the individual to societal level, in smoking uptake and cessation, particularly in relation to inequalities and smoking.
2. To encourage policy relevant research that recognises and investigates the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic and of the tobacco industry.
3. To utilise and develop a range of public health and social science-based methodologies, theories and concepts.
4. To develop and strengthen post-graduate training and capacity building in tobacco control and health inequalities research.
5. To pursue collaboration with other university departments, agencies and research groups, within and beyond the University of Edinburgh.
6. To ensure appropriate dissemination of our research in order to influence policy and practice and to engender wider public debate at national and international levels.