# Postdoctoral Training in Drug Abuse Research: Behavior & Neurobiology

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · 2021 · $234,147

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 This application responds to PA-20-142 and is the second competing continuation of a postdoctoral
training program entitled “Training in drug abuse research: behavior and neurobiology” at the University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). This Program has become an integral component of the
recently launched Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, the umbrella organization for
a large variety of activities related to substance use disorder (SUD) on campus and extending into the San
Antonio community. During the current period of support, all 6 training positions were filled with fellows selected
from a pool of highly qualified applications. Since 2016, a total of 14 trainees have been or are currently
supported by the Program, including 11 women (78%); 4 of the trainees (28%) are underrepresented minorities.
Among 10 fellows that completed training, 8 are in academic positions. During the current period of support,
trainees published 40 manuscripts (28 as first author), submitted 11 grant applications, and made 111
presentations at scientific meetings. Increasingly trainees are participating in community outreach activities,
advocating for SUD research, education, and treatment. This Program sponsors numerous career development
activities, many of which are attended by students and fellows, in addition to trainees in this Program. The well-
funded research programs of the 18 Regular and 3 Junior faculty mentors span cell signaling to neurochemistry,
preclinical behavioral pharmacology, and human clinical trials. The Program enjoys outstanding financial and
other support from UTHSCSA (e.g., 10% salary for the Director), including an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs that
offers many programs on career development, grant writing, and teaching, among others. Program Leadership
includes a Director, Associate Director, Coordinator, and an Internal Advisory Committee. An External Advisory
Committee evaluates the Program as part of an annual Advisory Committee Meeting in San Antonio; the details
and operation of the Program as well as the training experience of fellows have improved as a result of
recommendations by the Advisory Committees. The training environment at UTHSCSA is outstanding and
includes excellent seminars, grand rounds, journal clubs (including the Addiction Journal Club hosted by this
Program), formal training in rigor and reproducibility, formal training in the responsible conduct of research, and
an annual international SUD meeting entitled Behavior, Biology & Chemistry: Translational Research in
Addiction. This competing continuation requests 5 additional years of support for 6 positions in this highly
successful, vibrant Program that is contributing to the NIDA mission of recruiting and training the next generation
of SUD researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10200482
- **Project number:** 2T32DA031115-11
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLES P FRANCE
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $234,147
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2011-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10200482

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10200482, Postdoctoral Training in Drug Abuse Research: Behavior & Neurobiology (2T32DA031115-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10200482. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*