We propose to create the Center for the Prevention of Multiple Problems in Early Adolescence. A centeron early adolescent prevention is needed to integrate the multiple disciplines and methodologies that arerelevant to reducing the prevalence of multiple problems in early adolescence. The Center will bring togetherscientists from five organizations, Oregon Research Institute, the Center for Families and Children and theInstitute on Violence and Destructive Behavior at the University of Oregon, Oregon Social Learning Center,and Paxis Institute. This P30 Center grant would create three Cores to integrate and support as many as 15research projects. These basic and applied projects address family, school, peer, neighborhood and communitynfluences on substance use, antisocial behavior, depression, and high-risk sexual behavior. They include:esearch on the dissemination of empirically supported practices and work developing, refining, and:omparing statistical techniques for the analysis of complex, multi-level data sets.The Administrative Core is designed to facilitate integration and synergy through formal and informalmechanisms. There will be an Executive Committee consisting of Project PI's and elected research staff. TheAdvisory Committee will include five prominent scientists, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and twoother educators. The Center Director will be Anthony Biglan and the Associate Director, Thomas Dishion.Using a set of management techniques that have evolved at ORI over the last 25 years, the AdministrativeCore will convene regular meetings of the Center staff and facilitate formal and informal interactions.A Committee on Theory Development will articulate a comprehensive theory of the influences on earlyadolescent development that can guide further research. With input from Center investigators, it will define atheoretical framework in broad outline, and will then facilitate further discussions to arrive at a theoreticalmodel that encompasses the multiple levels of influence on early adolescent development and the interactionsiamong influences. Specific, testable models and hypotheses will be derived from this work that will guide theanalyses of the Methodology Core. A Committee on Research Development will define the highest prioritySearch projects to be developed by the Center. With input from Center investigators it will define one or twogh priority research projects to be developed by the Center. A Committee on Scientist Development willrture the development of students and early career scientists.
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