Translational Training in Addiction

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This proposal seeks competitive renewal (years 11-15) of the UAMS NIDA T32 training program “Translational Training in Addiction”. Spanning five academic departments and three Colleges, the program provides multi- level, cross-disciplinary, team science training that spans the full translational research gamut from molecular to population-based approaches to solutions to curb or halt drug addiction. With program priorities of training innovation, diversity, connectivity and outcomes, this renewal request seeks to further the development of a program of training excellence that is dynamic and evolving in response to the rapidly changing societal, legislative, research, clinical and community responses to addiction. Quantitative and qualitative data support the claim of program excellence for the current funding cycle. A program evaluation plan is based on progress towards seven training objectives including (1) foster a shared knowledge of the broad societal and health impacts of drug use disorders and of the diversity of engaged scientific disciplines, (2) provide an individualized path to diverse addiction impact career areas and maximize post-training outcomes, (3) foster diversity as a strength for maximizing program impact, (4) provide career building environments emphasizing interdisciplinary, team science, translational research, (5) innovate advances in training approaches to research ethics, professional development, and program connectivity, (6) evaluate both bibliometric and translational science benefit outcomes of the program, and (7) foster the engagement of physicians and other clinicians in the career building processes of the program. Program administration, connectivity and oversight would remain the roles of the program Director, co-Associate Directors, Governance and Steering Committees, and external evaluators/advisers. Continued support is requested for three levels of trainees involving three predoctoral students, four postdoctoral fellows, and four annual M2 summer addiction research interns, complemented by institutional support of one annual PGY3 psychiatry resident, to foster the addiction translational science training objective of the program. Program-wide courses, faculty-facilitated seminar and presentation series, professional development lectures and workshops, and elective mentored research training emphasis/impact areas would support translational research training opportunities across the full spectrum of T0 to T4 translational science. Mechanisms of trainee and program evaluation focus on both scientific bibliometric and translational human health and society benefit indicators of program impact. Significant institutional commitment and resources support the accrued value and continued success of the training program. A continued trainee-led program of community outreach would support a program goal of bringing addiction science and impact into the community. The UAMS T32 training program has established a cross-discipline network of connectivity between addiction researchers and clinicians that were previously unlinked to contribute to the building of a translational science workforce.