The purpose of this Institutional T32 program is to provide promising young scientists with mentor-based training in a dynamic, highly collaborative and interactive environment to promote their development as independent investigators engaged in alcohol research. Highly qualified candidates are competitively selected from a large applicant pool recruited through advertisements in addiction- and neuroscience-related societies and publications, referrals from established colleagues in the field of alcohol research and addiction, and from letters of inquiry resulting from the Training Faculty’s publications and public presentations. A rigorous training program develops trainees’ skills in (i) identifying important testable hypotheses, (ii) experimental design and conduct, (iii) data analysis and interpretation, and (iv) scientific communication through written and oral presentation. Emphasis is placed on career development. Upon admission, trainees complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and Postdoctoral Competencies assessment to generate trainee-mentor discussions of career goals and benchmarked plans for achieving them. Progress and goals are dynamically reassessed during the training period. Trainees will receive significant didactic experiences at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and affiliated institutes to develop expertise in scientific, career skills, mentoring and outreach domains. Program mentors, TSRI and UCSD career development faculty, and distinguished visiting researchers will engage trainees individually and in workshops and seminars to enhance scientific knowledge, technical training, extensive career skills, and professional networks. Extramural individualized courses and workshops are encouraged and recompensed. Trainees are educated in the responsible conduct of research and in rigor and reproducibility via extensive faculty-led curricula from the TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services Office, contracts with UCSD, the Neurobiology of Addiction Course taught by Program Faculty, and day-to-day input from mentors and Program Faculty regarding ethical practices in research and society. Mechanisms are in place to recruit trainees from underrepresented groups; provide education in and promote program values of diversity, equity and inclusion; and reduce social disparities in the field and science of addiction research. The collaborative group of 16 Program Faculty is characterized by strong, well-funded programs in alcohol and addiction research that incorporate multidisciplinary, cutting-edge edge biochemical, morphological, physiological, and behavioral experimental approaches. This translational training program is associated with the longstanding TSRI P60 ARC and Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, situated in the rich San Diego-area neuroscience and addiction community. Trainees can engage in studies spanning from molecular and cellular domains through neurobiological and circuitry mechanism in whole a...