Building an interprofessional and diverse workforce in substance use and pain

Project Summary Substance use—including substance misuse and use disorders—and chronic pain are very common conditions in the US and constitute an important public health problem. Substance use and chronic pain commonly co-occur, are highly interrelated, and often disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Given the degree of interconnectedness between substance use and chronic pain, addressing these conditions together is an important opportunity to improve outcomes for both. At the same time, impactful scientific inquiry is best accomplished by interdisciplinary and diverse teams; therefore, there is an urgent need for research teams to become more diverse. The mission of this new NIDA T32 training program entitled “BUilding an InterprofessionaL and Diverse workforce in substance Use and Pain” (BUILD-UP) will be to provide personalized and rigorous training to postdoctoral fellows who plan careers at the intersection of substance use and chronic pain. BUILD-UP’s mission includes prioritizing recruitment of postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds, including people who identify as being from a group excluded based on ethnicity and race, being from a disadvantaged background, having a disability, or being LGBT+, and will also recruit individuals from a variety of training backgrounds. Once enrolled, BUILD-UP fellows will be mentored on a longitudinal research project by experts in the field from the University of Pittsburgh, a hub for research at the intersection of substance use and pain; participate in a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum based on core clinical and translational science competencies that includes tailored career development sessions, the option to complete a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research, and seminars on pain and substance use-related topics. Fellows will come together in person for annual retreats, in-person conferences, and short-term research experiences. A critical and innovative aspect of BUILD-UP is that the majority of this 3-year training program will be conducted remotely, as a means to promote equity by reducing the barriers presented by having fellows move to a research hub. There are few training programs at the intersection of substance use and chronic pain, and even fewer remote postdoctoral fellowship options. In addition to being novel within this field, this program can serve as a model training program for others who wish to create a diverse workforce and build capacity for equitable research training not only at major hubs, but throughout the US.