While drug abuse in the U.S. continues to disproportionately impact ethnic minorities, particularly Hispanics, the number of researchers studying the problem remains relatively small. Moreover, few training and research centers exist that focus on current drug abuse issues among Hispanic populations. There exists a need to prepare the next generation of drug researchers in this field. Specifically, there is a need to train researchers to develop a broad-based set of scientific knowledge and research skills that will equip them for the conduct of interdisciplinary drug abuse research.

Research Education Program

The Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute (IRTI) on Hispanic Drug Abuse seeks to promote the career development of pre-doctoral, postdoctoral and early career scientists interested in conducting research on drug abuse among Hispanics. The IRTI is associated with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse. The IRTI will provide three core activities to prospective research fellows including: Training, Mentoring and Networking. The IRTI aims to ensure a constant support infrastructure for fellows to conduct, present, publish and acquire funding for drug abuse research. To achieve this, the IRTI will conduct an intensive interdisciplinary training program along with a formal mentorship program. To foster a formal mentoring relationship between the fellow and a senior faculty mentor, the IRTI will provide a variety of organized mentorship activities for each of the participating fellows during a period of two years. These will include mentor commitment and support for travel to 1) mentor institution, 2) conferences/workshops and 3) IRTI Mentoring Annual Meetings.

Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute Summer Program

The IRTI on Hispanic Drug Abuse Summer Program will be the core activity of the training program. Selected fellows will attend a 12 day interdisciplinary training, led by NIDA funded scientists. The training will include a series of didactic sessions of lectures imparting general and specialized knowledge and specific research skills. An equal balance of clinically focused social and behavioral scientists and bio-medical scientists will lead this training. Additionally, fellows can choose one of two intensive workshop series specific to the socio-behavioral or bio-medical areas of Hispanic drug abuse. The summer program will integrate the overarching theme of translational research bringing the social, behavioral, biological and medical sciences to the clinic or to community prevention and service provision.

During the course of the 12 day program, fellows will have the opportunity to meet, receive consultation and begin to foster potential mentoring relationships with senior faculty with expertise in the fellows’ area of interest. The fellow will be required to develop a research prospectus during the course of the summer program. This will take the form of an abbreviated (8 pages) NIH research application. The prospectus will be submitted and presented on the final day of the institute. The IRTI Summer Program will be held at the University of Houston main campus. Selected fellows will receive travel to/from Houston, Texas, lodging, meals and a $500 stipend.

Expectations

The selected IRTI fellows are expected to make a two year commitment beginning with their participation in the IRTI Summer Program. During this two year period, fellows along with their respective mentors will be expected to achieve benchmarks of progress including academic career progress, if applicable (i.e. thesis, candidacy, dissertation); scientific publications in peer reviewed journals; scientific presentations at national scientific meetings; and preparation and submission of an application (K awards, F31, F32, R03, R21, or R01) for funding to NIH as well as support for diversity supplements and loan repayment program opportunities.

Criteria

Applicants currently must be pre-doctoral, postdoctoral or early career faculty/investigators (having less than six years of academic experience after completing doctoral dissertation) who have a strong professional interest in drug abuse issues among Hispanics. Social-behavioral, biological and medical scientists are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to students who have previous research experience and knowledge of the Hispanic population.

Description of Training Site

The University of Houston is a state university located only minutes away from downtown Houston. Its enrollment is roughly 35,000 with a large community of international students. The spacious campus has a state-of-the-art athletic training facility, and both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. There are several specialized libraries, such as architecture, and pharmacy, located across the campus in addition to the main library, M.D. Anderson Library, located a few minutes walk from the Hilton Hotel. The University of Houston Hilton Hotel/ Hilton College is an 86-room facility. Each guest room features voice mail, video service (if purchased), and a computer modem phone line. Guests may receive faxes at the Front Desk. Covered parking is available at an additional daily cost. The Hotel features over 40,000 square feet of meeting space with both tiered lecture rooms and smaller seminar rooms available. Each meeting room has audio-visual capability with Satellite, Internet, and Ethernet access. Eric’s, an Italian/Latin fusion café, is located on the first floor of the Hotel and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner dining plus a full bar.

TO APPLY

Submit via postal mail or e-mail: 1) application form; 2) 500-word essay describing your research goals, preparedness to participate actively in a research program, evidence of scientific scholarship such as publications in peer reviewed journals (if applicable), and how you would benefit from participating in this institute in pursuit of a career on Hispanic drug research; 3) résumé, listing social security number, current address and e-mail, phone number, computer skills, and research software with which you are familiar; 4) two letters of recommendation, and 5) official transcripts from currently enrolled institution or last completed degree.

DEADLINES

Applications must be postmarked by February 15, 2010. Applicants will be notified of award decisions by March 15, 2010. For more information, please call Evelio Salinas Escamilla, Institute Coordinator at (713) 743-8345 or

e-mail: eescamilla2@uh.edu.

Download Application Form here.

Mr. Evelio Salinas Escamilla

University of Houston

Center for Drug and Social Policy Research

110 HA Social Work Building

Houston, TX 77204-4013

713.743.8345 - phone

713.743.3985 - fax

eescamilla2@uh.edu

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