Center for Drug Abuse Research
Program Overview
The Center for Drug Abuse Research (CDAR), funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and administered by the Howard University College of Medicine, was established to increase the involvement of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in federally supported research and other programs of high priority in the federal government. CDAR strives to increase the participation of faculty and students in drug abuse research at Howard University and at the Region 1 HBCUs. In addition to faculty investigators, CDAR is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, graduate research assistants, and administrators.
Dr. William L. West is the Principal Investigator and Dr. Ura Jean Oyemade Bailey, Co-Principal Investigator, serves as CDAR's director. CDAR's assistant director/administrator is Ms. Anita English, MPA. Dr. Kathy Sanders Phillips is the Director of the Research Program in the Epidemiology and Prevention of Drug Abuse and Recruited Scientist.
Mission
CDAR's mission is to increase the body of knowledge related to the prevention of drug abuse among African Americans. As a part of this mission, CDAR is a repository and a resource in the area of drug abuse research on African Americans with specific focus in the thematic area of epidemiology and prevention among African Americans from the prenatal period through adolescence.
Goals/Objectives
- Providing research development support to faculty and students at Howard University and other HBCUs through logistical support for meetings, literature reviews, data analysis, and research;
- Strengthening the institutional environment and its relationship with federal programs in order to promote and facilitate drug abuse research among faculty-staff and students by specifying both the institutional barriers to the conduct of drug abuse research and the strategies to be used to alleviate those barriers;
- Collaborating with other historically Black colleges and universities in drug abuse research, particularly those in the region;
- Building the infrastructure of the HBCU to enable it to become independently capable and productive in drug abuse research;
- Conducting/implementing research projects in the area of drug abuse nationally and internationally;
- Disseminating results of research through conferences, meetings, and publications in professional journals.
Significant Achievements and Events
- The Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell National HBCU Substance Abuse
- The Recruited Scientist Phase II launched