Increasing evidence-based substance use interventions globally: The National Institute on Drug Abuse postdoctoral fellowships

Abstract

As of April 2020, 121 individuals from 47 nations had completed 124 NIDA International Program INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellowships. This is the first comprehensive effort to assess the fellowships from the combined perspectives of career outcomes, migration patterns, publications, cost per publication, and funding. We searched electronic sources such as university websites, ResearchGate, LinkedIn, PubMed, and NIH databases to find current curriculum vitae, journal articles published in 2018 and 2019, and funding records. We found electronic records for 94.2% of former NIDA INVEST fellows (n = 114); 55.5% were male (n = 67). The majority are at least partially involved in addiction research, prevention, or treatment (85.9%; n = 98), primarily at academic institutions (73.7%, n = 84) as faculty members (65.8%, n = 75) conducting research (86%, n = 98). Nearly three-fourths (74.6%, n = 85) are still working in their home countries; and 74.6% (n = 85) coauthored at least one research article indexed in PubMed during 2018 or 2019. Of the 656 unique research articles, 52.4% (n = 344) were published by multinational groups. The average cost to NIDA for each peer-reviewed publication was $19,677. More than half (53.5%, n = 61) of the fellows received funding through 431 unique grants—led by NIDA (55), other NIH Institutes and Centers (57) and other U.S. funders (55). Using the measures of career outcomes, migration patterns, publications, cost per publication, and funding INVEST fellowships are cost-effective mechanisms to advance scientific knowledge, build addiction research capacity, foster international cooperation, and promote adoption of evidence-based addiction policies and interventions around the world.

Keywords:

• Research training
• postdoctoral fellowships
• NIDA
• international

Acknowledgments

We thank Vyjayanthi Kamath, Jessica Koman, and James Thompson for their help in preparing the figures. None of the figures have been published online or elsewhere.

Disclosure statement

SWG is an employee of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. JM is a consultant and N-HP is an employee of IQ Solutions. The design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation of the manuscript were performed as part of the normal duties of the authors as a NIDA salaried employee or contractor staff. Work performed by contractor staff was supported by Contract No. HHSN271201800032C to IQ Solutions, Inc. Following NIDA rules for publications authored by Federal employees, the Institute reviewed the manuscript and approved its submission without amendment. The views and opinions expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors only and do not necessarily represent the views, official policy, or position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its affiliated institutions or agencies.