The purpose of this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Implementation Science for Substance Use Prevention and Treatment (K01) is to provide support and “protected time” (3-5 years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience leading to research independence in this area of specialization.
Realizing the return on public investment in the development of evidence-based treatments and preventive interventions to address the ongoing overdose crisis depends on a cadre of skilled researchers with expertise in implementation science, who can help move these interventions into routine practice. Implementation science focuses on identifying modifiable barriers to the uptake and sustained use of evidence-based practices in real world settings and developing replicable and scalable strategies to overcome those barriers. While this field has grown rapidly over the past 15 years, there remain a limited number of independent researchers with dual expertise in addiction research and implementation science, constraining the field’s capacity to respond to continued calls for research in this area. There is a pressing need for a deeper bench of researchers who can be called upon to meet ongoing and emerging implementation challenges in the addiction field.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support early career investigators who have foundational training in substance use prevention or treatment research and will provide support and protected time to acquire training and research experience in implementation science. Development and execution of an independent NIH-defined clinical trial applying implementation science methods to one of the four domains of the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy (prevention; evidence-based addiction treatment; harm reduction; or recovery research) is required.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, should consult the NIH Research Career Development Awards website for alternative funding opportunities.