The primary goal of the proposed MIRDP is to develop UTSA's overall capacity to conduct research on Hispanics and drug abuse. In addition, the project will assist three faculty members conducting two studies submitted for funding as part of this proposal. The project also will provide opportunity and support to other faculty members interested in developing their ability to conduct this type of research. While UTSA is ideally situated to conduct research on drug and alcohol abuse among Hispanics, any efforts in that direction have been on the initiative of individual faculty members. UTSA's relatively recent establishment, its early emphasis on teaching, and its very limited resources have combined to limit any sustained and coordinated effort to conduct this type of research. The MIRDP at UTSA will be housed in the Hispanic Research Center, which was established in the Fall of 1989. The Hispanic Research Center's long-term plans neatly compliment the goals of the MIRDP. The UTSA has demonstrated its commitment to conducting research on Hispanics by the establishment of the Center and providing it with a foundation from which to build. When funded, the Hispanic Research Center will initiate the following types of activities; facilitate grant/contract re- search by providing a clearing house and dissemination services relative to Program Announcements from NIDA; assist faculty members in the preparation of proposals to NIDA link them with possible collaborators in other universities and help them establish contacts with appropriate offices at NIDA; provide technical assistance to faculty members conducting substance use research on Hispanics; establish links and establish the possibility of future collaborative activities with local agencies and organizations involved in issues related to drug and alcohol abuse among Hispanics; collaborate with the UTSA library staff to establish a UTSA collection of literature on substance abuse and related literature on Hispanics; and disseminate information among UTSA faculty and students of relevant findings on drug abuse. In addition, the Center will work closely with faculty members conducting studies included as part of this proposal: """"""""Intravenous Drug Use Prevalence Study for Latino Urban and United States-Mexican Border Communities"""""""" and """"""""Cognitive/Personal Characteristics as an Influence on Substance Abuse Among Hispanic Students in Grades Four through Eight"""""""".
