The SUD Systems Performance Scholars Program offers:

Tailored ongoing mentorship

Individualized research project mentorship with experienced addiction health services researchers

Bimonthly virtual meetings focused on professional development and community building/ networking with other Scholars and leaders in the field

SPIRE Center Events

Participate in SPIRE Center educational and networking events

Attend Addiction Health Sciences Conference

Travel funds to support Scholars in attending an addiction health services conference

View the program flier 

Schedule

Time Commitment

Individual Mentoring

Scholars will receive one-on-one mentorship from an assigned Center researcher whose expertise aligns with their work and goals. Once paired, scholars and their individual mentors will schedule meetings, set goals, and work on specific details together.

Scholars meet with individual mentors approximately once a month.

Group Mentoring

The group of scholars will attend 7 1-hour meetings with the mentoring core throughout the program.

Our 2024-5 cohort met in Sept, Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb, Apr, and May.

In-Person Reception

The incoming cohort of scholars will receive funding to travel to AHSR in October 2026, at which SPIRE will host an after-hours reception for current and past scholars and the SPIRE team to connect and network.

All applicants meeting the following criteria are encouraged to apply, including candidates from departments or institutions with limited addiction health services research expertise

• Have completed their PhD, MD, or another terminal degree, 
• Are new to the field (PhD, MD or other terminal degree completed in last 5 years), and
• Have an addiction health services research project on which you are seeking mentorship with the goal of a product at the end of the program
  • can be in-process or under development
• Future plans to engage in grant-funded research in the US
• Based in the US for the duration of the program

Please Note: If you have a BA, BS, MA, or MS you are not yet eligible for this program, and we encourage you to sign up for our email list for other future opportunities.

Am I eligible if I'm a PhD candidate expecting to complete my degree by the time the program starts?

No. Since this program is targeted toward early career researchers who have graduated and are already established at their home institution you would not be eligible at this time. However, we encourage you to apply next year and join our mailing list for other opportunities in the meantime.

Am I still eligible if I completed my residency within the last 5 years but graduated with my MD more than 5 years ago?

Yes. For MDs, we start counting the 5 years after completion of clinical training program. So you are eligible if you completed your clinical training within 5 years.

Are you accepting applications from international candidates?

No, we are not accepting applications from international candidates in this cohort. 

Does the program include funding for scholars?

No. While this program does not offer funding for selected scholars, we dedicate significant time and effort to grant development, including NIH career development (K) grants which fund scientists at various stages of their careers.