Enhanced Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute

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Project Summary This resubmission application requests support of the enhanced Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute (eIRTI) that will implement a research education program aimed at strengthening the research pipeline by enhancing and increasing the number of independently funded Hispanic investigators that have gone underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral and clinical drug and alcohol abuse and addiction research. This program builds upon the nine years of a successfully developed research education program (IRTI 5R25DA026401) aimed at promoting the career development of a broad range of career status investigators interested in conducting drug research among the Hispanic population. The proposed eIRTI is being enhanced to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated effort focused on providing research experience and increasing the skills required for the preparation and submission of competitive research applications for NIH extramural funding. The specific aims of the eIRTI are to: 1) Provide an educational training opportunity to enhance the research experiences and skills for conducting Hispanic substance abuse research and developing applications for NIH funding among 6 pre-doctoral, postdoctoral and early career investigators per year with the implementation of an intensive summer research training program; 2) Execute a mentoring plan (Tri-Mentoring) structured around a team of interdisciplinary senior faculty mentors and IRTI alumni peer mentors who would be accessible and available to provide selected fellows with focused mentoring and continued support; and 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 substance abuse research and fellow peers. Mentoring activities will focus on guiding and assisting the fellows in achieving benchmarks including: a) NIH research funding; b) academic career progress; c) scientific publications and presentations. These outcomes will be facilitated through various types of support provided by the eIRTI including: Mentor Commitment, Travel to Mentor Institution, eIRTI Mentoring Annual Meeting, Conferences/Workshops, and E-Mentoring Technologies (Zoom). The eIRTI is incorporating several programmatic innovations including the addition of a peer network component using our large pool of IRTI alumni and the opportunity for our participating mentors to participate in professional development workshops for mentorship. The complex and technical nature of contemporary drug and alcohol abuse and addiction research requires that competitive NIH investigators develop a broad- based set of scientific knowledge and scientific research skills that will facilitate the preparation and implementation of competitive NIH research. The eIRTI is well positioned to provide an enriched environment driven by a “culture of mentorship” that has a clear organizing structure as well as mechanisms to enhance and facilitate the successful transition of participants to their subsequent career stage.