Advancing the Next Generation: Mentoring and Pilot Papers

更新布兰迪斯/哈佛中心以改进系统性能的试点/指导核心

The Pilot/Mentoring Core for the renewal of the Brandeis/Harvard Center to Improve System Performance of Substance Use Disorder Treatment will continue to advance the addiction health services research field by encouraging, developing, and supporting investigators who are interested in conducting innovative research related to delivery and payment of SUD treatment services. The activities of this new Core will focus on early career investigators (doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, early career faculty/researchers), but also will benefit mid-career and senior researchers. Key elements will include mentoring programs, networking activities, and educational opportunities, including a new Brandeis/Harvard Center of Excellence Systems Performance Scholars Program. In addition, the Center will continue to support the development of important new research by expanding awards to early career investigators to develop mentored “pilot” papers or small studies that will advance the science in this area and serve as foundational work for their research agendas. Additionally, the Center renewal will have an intentional focus on racial/ethnic diversity outreach in mentoring to expand the range of perspectives in the field and to support the addiction health services research careers of underrepresented populations. The aims of the Pilot/Mentoring Core are to: 1) expand mentoring, networking, and educational opportunities for a racially/ethnically diverse array of early career investigators interested in conducting research in areas related to the theme of the Center; and 2) continue to advance the field by offering opportunities for early career investigators to develop new, cutting-edge research ideas related to the Center theme through funded pilot papers. The Pilot/Mentoring Core will work synergistically with the Research Core to further the combined aims of advancing the science and developing the next generation of addiction services researchers. The renewal Center is well poised to advance these dual goals building on successes in the current Center. Our focus on mentoring and training will allow the Center to provide both formal and informal experiences that will lead to the expansion of research on SUD delivery and payment systems and a broadening of the field of researchers working on these important issues. Through the mentoring and networking opportunities created, the Center will provide forums for the exchange of ideas, both to and from the Center, to be incorporated into future research. These activities will serve to expand and advance the field of addiction health services research and create strong, diverse networks of early career and senior investigators who will collaborate to address the most vexing research questions in the field.