Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute (IRTI) on Hispanic Drug Abuse seeks to promote the career development of pre-doctoral, postdoctoral and early career clinically-focused scientists interested in conducting research as it affects the Hispanic population. This comprehensive and coordinated research education program aims at providing research experience and increasing the skills required for development of testable hypothesis, preparation and submission of research applications for appropriate NIH extramural funding (i.e. K01, K08, F31, F32, R03, R21, etc). Building upon the National Hispanic Science Network's Summer Research Training Institute, the IRTI has two short-term goals and two long-term goals as follows: (1) enhancing the fellows' knowledge and skills for conducting interdisciplinary research on drug abuse; (2) increasing the number of early career faculty who establish vibrant and independent programs of drug abuse research, (3) increasing the amount and quality of research on minority health and health disparities; and, (4) improving the health of minorities in part by decreasing minority health disparities. The aims of the IRTI are: 1. Provide an educational training opportunity that will enhance the skills for conducting interdisciplinary Hispanic drug research and developing applications for NIH funding among pre-doctoral, postdoctoral and early career faculty (fellows) through the implementation of a 14 day intensive summer research training program; 2. Execute a mentoring plan that would be organized and structured around a team of interdisciplinary mentors that would be accessible and available to provide selected fellows with focused mentoring and continual support; and 3. Provide a networking structure and process that will assist fellows in building and maintaining relationships and communication with leading experts in the field of Hispanic drug research and fellow peers. Overall, mentoring activities will focus on guiding and assisting the fellows in achieving benchmarks of progress including: a) Academic Career Progress; b) Scientific Publications; c) Scientific Presentations and d) Research Funding. These outcomes will be facilitated through various types of support including: Mentor Commitment, Travel to Mentor Institution, Conferences/Workshops, and IRTI Mentoring Annual Meeting and IRTI Scientific Conference. The complex and technical nature of contemporary drug abuse research and the growing demands for drug-related knowledge across several disciplines requires that competitive research investigators develop a broad-based set of scientific knowledge and scientific research skills that will facilitate the conduct of interdisciplinary drug abuse research in the interest of public health. The proposed IRTI and its mentorship and networking components will begin to fill the gap in knowledge of how to effectively develop specific incubators that will be successful in growing a special generation of drug abuse research scientists. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute (IRTI) on Hispanic Drug Abuse seeks to promote the career development of pre-doctoral, postdoctoral and early career clinically-focused scientists interested in conducting research as it affects the Hispanic population. The complex and technical nature of contemporary drug abuse research and the growing demands for drug-related knowledge across several disciplines requires that competitive research investigators develop a broad-based set of scientific knowledge and scientific research skills that will facilitate the conduct of interdisciplinary drug abuse research. Interdisciplinary research teams of tomorrow are needed in addressing health disparities, a major public health problem for which new knowledge from several areas of science must be integrated to define and address extant vulnerabilities, and to develop effective prevention and treatment interventions.