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.