Pragmatic Research and Innovation in Methods and Ethnography (PRIME) Program - Project Summary The United States is experiencing a substance use disorders crisis, affecting nearly 20.4 million Americans. Substance use is a notoriously complex human behavior, necessitating multiple methods to understand whether, how, why, when, and where people use substances and seek and receive treatment, and how substance use and its sequelae are related to other health conditions, such as (but not limited to) psychiatric disorders and HIV. For decades, qualitative methods have played a key role in elucidating people’s experiences of substance use and treatment. In particular, ethnographic methods have been used to situate substance use within a cultural context, often drawing upon mixed methods to describe (qualitative methods) and measure (quantitative methods) behaviors and relationships. Despite the value of ethnographic methods, they are underutilized and therefore not optimally impactful. To make ethnographic methods more accessible and applicable in substance use research, the proposed Principal Investigators, with expertise in substance use and related research, have developed pragmatic healthcare ethnography, which is grounded in core principles of ethnographic research while emphasizing feasibility, impact, timeline-driven deliverables, and dissemination. We propose the Pragmatic Research and Innovation in Methods and Ethnography [PRIME] Program,” in response to RFA-OD-25-003, Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies and Approaches in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. The goal of the PRIME Program is to equip applied researchers, clinicians, practitioners, and implementation and improvement scientists with the necessary skills to incorporate pragmatic ethnographic methods into their substance use research and practice. Our multi-institutional team will accomplish the following Specific Aims: 1) Develop the PRIME Program, to include: (a) comprehensive in- person training; and (b) a facilitated Community of Practice (CoP); 2) Implement the PRIME Program in-person training at three geographically distinct sites (Los Angeles, San Antonio, Boston), supporting development of a national cohort of research and improvement experts trained in use of ethnographic approaches; and facilitate the PRIME Program CoP; 3) Evaluate the PRIME Program using both short-term and long-term metrics; 4) Disseminate refined course materials by developing a train-the-trainer model, workbook, and interactive online training resources. The PRIME Program builds upon a series of successful national conference workshops led by the faculty. Bolstered by an Advisory Committee of multidisciplinary investigators, completion of our aims will result in an established Short Course and a national cohort of trainees with the expertise to conduct agile, innovative, and impactful ethnographic research that is responsive to NIDA’s Priority Scientific Areas.
