This is a competing continuation application requesting 5 years of support for an Institutional NRSA to support training in psychological research on alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. Objective: To train future psychologists in alcohol research. Trainees are mentored to develop competencies ultimately leading to them becoming independent investigators, directing their own research programs, and serving as effective members of multidisciplinary research teams. All trainees at the predoctoral level and most trainees at the postdoctoral level will be from psychology, but they will receive training in the varied subfields of psychology and in the diverse research areas represented among the training faculty. Such areas include behavioral pharmacology, behavioral and psychiatric genetics, social and affective neuroscience, experimental and descriptive psychopathology, nosology, individual differences, clinical trials, social influence processes, experience sampling, longitudinal research, multivariate statistics, and comorbidity. Rationale: Excessive alcohol use and alcohol dependence represent major public health problems in the US. Effective prevention and treatment require a multidisciplinary understanding of the causes and consequences of these problems and an evidence base on the effectiveness of available interventions. Training researchers capable of integrating biological, psychological, and social factors is a major priorit for advancing alcohol science and is critical for training the next generation of researchers who must be able to adapt to rapidly changing science and function effectively in multidisciplinary research teams. Design: We request support for 7 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral fellows for all 5 years of support. For each trainee, training grant support typically will be of two years duration. When not supported by the training grant, predoctoral trainees typically will be supported by other mechanisms (e.g., fellowships, research assistantships, F31 awards). Postdoctoral trainees typically will move into faculty or research scientist positions at the conclusion of their period of support, usually at other institutions. The training plan for predoctoral trainees involves two interrelated components: (a) general training from a primary area of research specialization (Clinical, Cognition and Neuroscience, Counseling, Developmental, Social, and Quantitative Psychology) and (b) specialty training in research on alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. Research training emphasizes an apprenticeship model with trainees supervised by one or more research preceptors (mentors), supplemented by other training faculty. The specialty training features a required, semester-long, didactic course in alcohol studies, a weekly research seminar, supervised alcohol research experiences, and (for clinical and counseling psychology trainees) supervised exposure to individuals receiving services for alcohol- related problems. Postdoctoral trainees participate in all of the specialty alcoholism training along with the predoctoral trainees, with additional experiences tailored to fi their training needs.
Excessive alcohol use and alcohol dependence represent major public health problems in the US. Effective prevention and treatment require a multidisciplinary understanding of the causes and consequences of these problems and an evidence base on the effectiveness of available interventions. Training researchers capable of integrating biological, psychological, and social factors is a major priority for advancing alcohol science and is critical for training the next generation of researchers who must be able to adapt to rapidly changing science and function effectively in multidisciplinary research teams.
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