New research funding addresses racial and ethnic disparities specific to substance use disorder
Indiana University's Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge is offering a new funding opportunity for Indiana University faculty tackling racial and ethnic disparities that exist specific to substance use disorder.
The new funding opportunity is divided into two categories: new research funded by the Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Substance Use Research Fund and supplemental funding for faculty with current Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge funded projects. The Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Substance Use Research Fund is open to all IU faculty working on research affecting and eliminating disparities around substance use.
"The Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge recognizes the racial and ethnic disparities that exist specific to substance use disorder, and that inequity in healthcare for a treatable condition presents a care gap of great urgency that must be addressed if efforts are to be truly comprehensive," said Robin Newhouse, the lead investigator for the Grand Challenge and dean of the IU School of Nursing. "Through this funding program, we hope to address that gap and to enhance collaboration among IU faculty, student researchers and our communities."
Researchers submitting proposals for funding through the Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Substance Use Research Fund can apply for funding of up to $25,000 per grant for research focused on addressing racial and ethnic disparities specific to substance use. Funding will be available to IU faculty without regard for field or discipline to address the critical issue of health equity as broadly as possible.
Priority will be given to proposals that incorporate effective engagement methods with partners or communities (such as community-based participatory research or person-centered outcomes research methods) which build sustainable relationships and trust in Indiana's communities.
"The Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Substance Use Research Fund as well as the Supplemental Funding Initiative for currently funded Grand Challenges PIs aligns with the university's continued commitment to the fight against racial injustice and addressing issues impacting marginalized groups," said IU Vice President for Research Fred Cate. "Through this work, President Pamela Whitten's investment in diversity hiring and the university's Racial Justice Research Fund, we continue to be at the forefront of addressing critical racial equity and justice issues."
The funding opportunity was created with the help and recommendations of an advisory council that examined how faculty researchers at IU can best confront issues surrounding racial disparities. In addition to an implementation plan specific to Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge activities, conversations and work by the council also led to recommendations on diversity, equity and inclusion for research broadly at IU.
Council members include Silvia Bigatti, professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health; Virgil Gregory Jr., associate professor in the School of Social Work; Khaula Murtadha, associate vice chancellor for community engagement at IUPUI; Alberto Ortega, assistant professor, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and Tamika Zapolski, associate professor in the Department of Psychology.
