The Research Support & Development (RS&D) Core will promote the Center's theme by enhancing conceptualization of, and methodological approaches to, longitudinal drug abuse research. The RS&D Core will join with the Coordination & Integration Core and the Statistical Support & Data Management Core in planning and implementing Center analyses and developing Center services and products. The RS&D Core will promote communication and collaboration among our multidisciplinary team of investigators, improve the quality and value of individual Center projects, create synergy across projects, and contribute to the study of drug abuse patterns and their interplay with drug treatment and other service systems. The RS&D Core has four specific aims. (1) Promote conceptual development and integration in longitudinal drug abuse research by identifying high-priority research questions and hypotheses for the Center's multiyear agenda, facilitating cross-project analyses, providing expert consultation to investigators at the Center and elsewhere, assisting in proposal development, and generating publications. (2) Enhance and standardize methodological aspects of longitudinal drug abuse research by promoting common use of measurement tools, conducting workshops on subject retention in longitudinal studies, and providing centralized assistance in administrative data acquisition. (3) Facilitate conformance with regulations relevant to longitudinal drug abuse research by maintaining research protocols consistent with human subject protection requirements and inter-organizational data sharing capabilities consistent with government requirements. (4) Aid in the dissemination of findings and methods to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Central to the Core's work is a conceptual framework built upon ISAP's research on drug abuse careers and incorporating career-relevant concepts from the fields of criminology, social psychology, and medical sociology. The framework focuses on longitudinal drug abuse patterns and the interplay of drug abuse with treatment and other service systems. Application of the framework will promote coherence across Center projects and guide development of an infrastructure to serve current and future projects. The framework will also serve as a platform for generating research questions and hypotheses to be addressed in the Center's cross-project analyses. Dr. Douglas Longshore and Dr. Debra Murphy will lead the work of the RS&D Core, guide the activities of its workgroups (Conceptual Development and Integration, Database Acquisition, and Regulatory Affairs), ensure coordination with the Center's two other Cores, and link the RS&D Core to the Center's Executive Committee.
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