Research supplement to promote diversity within the context of research involving recovery community centers

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R34 · $130,416 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Summary The goal of this administrative supplement is to provide Dr. Felecia Pullen with a half-time fellowship to contribute to the activities of the parent grant (R34 DA057604), and to engage in career development activities to build towards her own independent research career. Dr. Felecia Pullen is the director of a recovery community center (RCC), the PILLARS, located in Harlem, New York City. She completed her Ph.D. in May in 2022 at Fordham University, many years after she has been engaged in providing peer recovery support services and founding her own RCC. Dr. Pullen has demonstrated interest in and passion for conducting research in this space, as evidenced by her collaboration on local, state and federally-funded research projects. These collaborations, however, have not provided her with the opportunity to publish in peer- reviewed journals, or pursue NIH-level funding on her own. Dr. Bettina Hoeppner will serve as her primary mentor during her proposed fellowship. The goal of this fellowship is to provide Dr. Pullen with the experience, training, mentoring, and networking to enable her to conduct her own PI-led NIH-funded research and to publish her research in scientific journals, while continuing to lead her RCC. The parent grant provides an ideal context to achieve these goals. Namely, R34 DA057604 is a planning grant that seeks to prepare for a large-scale effectiveness trial that can test the effectiveness of RCCs. RCCs are recovery-oriented sanctuaries anchored in the hearts of communities, which provide a range of recovery-oriented, peer-delivered services. Despite recent rapid largescale investment in their growth, empirical data on their functioning and outcomes are extremely limited. Thus, our team is engaging in three preparatory studies that can inform the design and logistics of a planned subsequent rigorous R01-level trial, which will test if linkage from clinics that provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) to RCCs will result in improved recovery trajectories for people using MOUDs. During the proposed fellowship, Dr. Pullen will engage in research activities as part of the R34 team, including co-authorship on papers, while also engaging in mentored research activities to advance two specific research projects of her choosing: (1) submitting an NIH grant application on testing the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of offering the SKY Recovery program via RCCs; and (2) testing and publishing findings on the Mixed Method Recovery Capital Assessment Tool (MRCAT) developed by Dr. Pullen. Additionally, Dr. Pullen will engage in scientific network building activities. Together, these activities will optimally prepare Dr. Pullen for her next career step to conduct NIH-funded research alongside her active leadership role in delivering recovery support services role. This increased expertise and reach will amplify her ability to contribute to addressing and dismantling structural inequalities in the add...

Key facts

NIH application ID
11087847
Project number
3R34DA057604-01S1
Recipient
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Principal Investigator
Bettina B. Hoeppner
Activity code
R34
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$130,416
Award type
3
Project period
2022-09-30 → 2025-09-29