The purpose of this K01 (Mentored Research Scientist Development) Award is to expand the applicant’s research capabilities in the development of systematic mechanisms for cultural adaptation of evidence-based substance prevention programs for diverse youth in school and community settings. The project has the following specific aims:

  1. Provide a structured program of: 1) mentoring by a team of nationally known federally-funded researchers, 2) course work in areas of theory, methodology, and intervention design, and 3) training visits to nationally known substance abuse research centers to gather information regarding theory, methodology, intervention strategy, project management, and grantsmanship.
  2. Provide a supervised research experience to allow the applicant to explore the role of acculturation and ethnic identification and their implications for prevention with multi-ethnic high-risk youth. The applicant will collaborate with co-mentors at Arizona State University  and University of Pensylvania in the implementationof the Drug Resistance Strategies (DRS-4) project, a school-based prevention curriculum with an acculturation component.
  3. Design an RO1 application to develop and evaluate new acculturatively appropriate prevention approaches with high risk youth in community settings.