The objective of this contract is to train and educate clinical staff in the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University (Washington) in the conduct of state-of-the-art clinical trials research through the mechanism of a bi-directional collaboration with the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Integral to this collaboration is the advancement of NIAAA's goal through this RFP to advance the scientific understanding of alcoholism and its treatment in ways transcending regional or cultural boundaries. Additionally, this proposal aims to transfer clinical research technology from established NIAAA treatment investigators at UTHSCSA to Howard University, a minority institution without an existing track record in this line of research. The objectives will be achieved in three phases: Phase I will establish the collaborative relationship between the University of Texas and Howard University through the development of a two-site clinical treatment research project involving the medical and psychosocial treatment of alcohol dependence, and the training of a lead investigator at Howard University who will be responsible for conducting the study at that site; Phase II will train and educate a core of clinical research staff at Howard University in both general research methodology and that specific for the proposed clinical project, and Phase III will fully implement the research project developed in Phase 1. Through the collaborative research training experience gained in Phases I and II, the ultimate goal of Phase III will be achieved as investigators at Howard University develop research capability in alcoholism treatment research to conduct a parallel state of the art clinical trial with clinical partners at UTHSCSA.
