Job Description

Learning for Early Careers in Addiction & Diversity Program
University of California, San Francisco

The Learning for Early Careers in Addiction and Diversity (LEAD) program offers mentorship and training to postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors who are pursuing independent research careers in substance use and substance use disorder treatment. This support is aimed at individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups who are underrepresented among NIH-funded investigators in this field.

The LEAD Program uses the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) as a platform for training early-career investigators. This 3-year training program is based at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and visiting scholars spend three summers in a 4-week intensive program at UCSF. During the academic year, scholars work with their primary mentor to collaborate on substance use and substance use disorder treatment research conducted in the CTN, develop a professional research network, and conduct a pilot study that will serve as a preliminary study for subsequent NIH funding. The program provides travel and housing funds for scholars, as well as pilot study funding. The 2025 summer program begins on July 7th and ends August 1st. Learn more about the program at

Selection Criteria and How to Apply: Selection will be based on the following factors:

• Strength of letters of recommendation, fit with the goals of the LEAD Program, and the match between a prospective candidate’s research interests and the research interests of the potential mentor at one of the universities affiliated with a NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Node.

To apply: visit or contact ast2dir@ucsf.edu for an application packet.

The application deadline is November 29, 2024

Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral-level professionals who are in the early phase of their research career and who meet the following criteria:

1. Doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.) in medicine, social or behavioral sciences, nursing, public health, health economics, or related fields.
2. Have not yet received a K award or an investigator-initiated R award from NIH.
3. Assistant professor, assistant research scientist, or equivalent with an academic appointment at a medical school, national research university (i.e., Carnegie Foundation classification as a research university-with very high research activity), or research institute in which the academic appointment is focused primarily on research. Postdoctoral fellows enrolled in an NIH T32 training program or equivalent are also eligible.
4. Racial/ethnic minoritized groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, as defined by the NIH (i.e., African American, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islanders)
5. Evidence of an established program of research in the field of substance use disorders and addictions as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, and/or intramural grant support as either a principal investigator or co-investigator, and/or extramural grant support as a co-investigator.
6. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (NIH guidelines apply)
7. Approval of the scholar’s home institution to participate in the LEAD program.

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