# Graduate Research Training in Alcohol Problems: Alcohol-Related Disparities

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2024 · $280,582

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This proposal reflects the renewal of an NIAAA-funded alcohol training program at the Alcohol Research
Group (ARG) in operation since 1971, which has provided 279 fellows with training and support. The main
goal is to continue to support a program designed to prepare trainees for a path of active research in
alcohol studies. This will be accomplished by offering applicants with backgrounds in public health,
epidemiology, psychology, sociology, social welfare, economics, and related professional disciplines the
opportunity to carry out their own research and grant-writing with the support of a collegial and highly
interactive environment of researchers and faculty actively working in the alcohol field. The Director of
Training is Dr. William Kerr, a Senior Scientist at ARG and Director of NIAAA National Alcohol Research
Center Epidemiology of Alcohol Problems: Alcohol-Related Disparities. Our program focuses primarily
on training in the incidence, prevalence, and etiology of alcohol use, use disorders and related
problems and secondarily on alcohol-related health services and alcohol policy research. The
program particularly emphasizes training in health disparities related to these areas. Fellows learn
from an intensive period of residence and involvement in the research environment and activities of the
Alcohol Research Group and its long-standing NIAAA National Alcohol Research Center. ARG's research
foci reflect the Program aims and include the social epidemiology of alcohol problems and alcohol-
related health services and policy research, with a strong emphasis on documenting and explaining
racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual orientation disparities. Fellows also benefit from
participation in mentorship, research, and training opportunities at the School of Public Health at UC
Berkeley, where the program resides and at collaborating institutions UCSF, UCLA and San Jose State
University. Three postdoctoral and three predoctoral fellows are supported by the program annually,
with most in residence for two years. Predoctoral fellows complete a dissertation on an alcohol-related
topic, while postdoctoral fellows publish papers, conduct new research, and submit NIAAA grant
applications. Fellows are advised and actively mentored by our 16 Training Faculty at ARG, UC Berkeley
and collaborating institutions. All trainees attend and contribute to a weekly Advanced Alcohol Research
Seminar, a formal course offered at ARG via UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. Other program
components include graduate courses at UC Berkeley, a Grant-Writing Seminar, visiting speakers, in-
house statistical and other trainings and training in the responsible conduct of research. The proposed
renewal would continue the only NIAAA-funded T32 training program to focus broadly on alcohol-related
disparities, supporting NIH's mission to address and eliminate health disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10853138
- **Project number:** 5T32AA007240-45
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** William C. Kerr
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $280,582
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1978-07-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10853138

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10853138, Graduate Research Training in Alcohol Problems: Alcohol-Related Disparities (5T32AA007240-45). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10853138. Licensed CC0.

---

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