# Psychology of Alcohol and Addiction Training

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA · 2024 · $560,845

## Abstract

Abstract
This competing continuation application seeks an additional five years of support for a pre- and post-doctoral
training program in the psychology of alcohol and addiction. The training program is housed in the Department
of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and has been led by Kenneth J. Sher
since its inception in 2002. The program takes advantage of a concentration of alcohol and addiction scientists
at MU, as well as affiliated addiction scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) and
MU’s sister campus, the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). The program has had remarkable success
in producing addiction scientists who have gone on to noteworthy careers at leading institutions. The program
will be co-directed by Drs. McCarthy and Sher for the proposed award period.
The 28 training faculty includes both Preceptors and Secondary Mentors, with Preceptors serving as primary
mentor and coordinator of a trainee’s experiences. Trainees are mentored to develop the skills and competencies
needed to become independent investigators, direct their own research programs, and serve as effective
members of multidisciplinary research teams. Trainees are drawn from Psychological Sciences, but receive
training in the diverse research areas represented among the training faculty, including molecular and behavior
genetics, behavioral pharmacology, nosology, cognitive neuroscience, ecological assessment, comorbidity,
psychophysiology, community-based research, longitudinal research, clinical interventions, health disparities,
decision making, and quantitative methods. Training that integrates biological, psychological, and social factors
is critical for advancing alcohol and addiction science, as the next generation of researchers must adapt to rapidly
changing science and function effectively in multidisciplinary research teams.
For the proposed period of award, we request to maintain our current level of 6 pre-doctoral and 3 post-doctoral
trainees for all 5 years of support. Pre-doctoral trainees will typically have a two-year training period, while post-
doctoral trainees will typically have a three-year training period. Pre-doctoral trainees are guaranteed a total of
five years of support from the Department, and will be supported by other mechanisms (e.g., fellowships,
research assistantships, F31 awards) in the remaining years of training. Post-doctoral trainees typically will move
into faculty or research scientist positions at the conclusion of their period of support, usually at other institutions.
Program specific training components include: 1) a formal course in alcohol and addiction studies, 2) a weekly
program workshop, 3) required non-thesis/dissertation research, 4) a grant writing course and writing workshop,
5) attendance at regularly scheduled colloquia, 6) attendance at the annual RSA meeting, and 7) some exposure
to alcohol-related clinical experiences (for some pre-doctora...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10876976
- **Project number:** 5T32AA013526-23
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** DENIS M MCCARTHY
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $560,845
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2002-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10876976

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10876976, Psychology of Alcohol and Addiction Training (5T32AA013526-23). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10876976. Licensed CC0.

---

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