NIDA International Program Research Update

The International Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) works with scientists from around the world to research evidence-based solutions related to substance use and addiction. We build partnerships with countries, organizations, and individual researchers to promote new research initiatives, build international research capacity, and disseminate knowledge. NIDA supports the International Program mission because the Institute recognizes that addiction knows no borders, and that no country can solve substance use problems by acting alone. 

The proposed presentation will highlight NIDA’s research priorities in the areas of synthetic opioids, stimulants, cannabis, HIV, and tobacco. Emerging research in the areas of psychedelics and xylazine will also be discussed. Key populations addressed include women, children/youth, and incarcerated individuals. 

A particular initiative that will be discussed includes the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL), which is a NIH-wide effort that aims to speed up scientific solutions to stem the opioid and overdose public health crisis in the United States. The focus of HEAL is on implementation science research that addresses prevention, treatment, and recovery related to opioids and overdoses. To treat drug use and addiction, it is crucial to scale up evidence-based interventions into clinical practice and community health settings. NIDA’s implementation science portfolio aims to improve the effectiveness of substance use disorder screening and the quality of treatment in real-life settings, and to develop approaches to increase acceptance and adoption of systems and provider-level interventions. Key initiatives to be discussed include NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network, which supports research that aims to optimize and expand access to current treatments for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD); the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network, focused on expanding effective OUD treatment in justice settings; and the Preventing OUD Research Program, which is generating science to help health care organizations and public health systems make evidence-based services accessible to all people at risk for substance use disorders. Medication development initiatives from HEAL will also be discussed. 

Finally, the proposed presentation will also highlight NIDA’s training programs, which include resources for research collaborations as well as an overview of funding vehicles available to international applicants. In particular, the presentation will discuss the NIDA INVEST Drug Abuse Research Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NIDA Distinguished International Scientist Collaboration Award Program, both of which provide funding to support international scholars. Fellows will be part of a network of international scientists who exchange information and collaborate on drug use and addiction research globally.