A Global Substance Use Crisis That Devastates Lives
Substance-use disorders (SUDs) or addiction is the fastest-growing health and well-being threat in western society. Abuse of drugs, including illegal drugs, alcohol and prescription opioid painkillers, exacts more than $850 billion annually in costs. In the United States alone, over 250 lives are lost to opioid overdoses every day, and excessive alcohol use claims an additional 300 souls daily. Despite these alarming statistics, the pursuit of effective therapeutics to combat SUDs remains vastly underfunded and underexplored. Existing interventions often fall short, either blocking the rewarding effects of drugs and showing poor compliance or substituting one addictive substance for another.
Unlocking Hope, Healing Minds
CRAVE is poised to inspire a new generation of scientists to explore the intricate world of SUDs and drive the translation of fundamental scientific breakthroughs into cutting-edge treatments for addiction and its comorbidities.
While drug development predominantly thrives in the for-profit sector, academic institutions, particularly principal investigator-led research laboratories that form the bedrock of biological and medical science education, play a pivotal role in equipping the next generation of scientists with the expertise required for therapeutic advancements against human diseases. This time-tested model, wherein basic research not only shapes the drug developers of tomorrow but also guides the identification and validation of therapeutic targets, has yielded resounding success across a spectrum of diseases and disorders.
While drug development predominantly thrives in the for-profit sector, academic institutions, particularly principal investigator-led research laboratories that form the bedrock of biological and medical science education, play a pivotal role in equipping the next generation of scientists with the expertise required for therapeutic advancements against human diseases. This time-tested model, wherein basic research not only shapes the drug developers of tomorrow but also guides the identification and validation of therapeutic targets, has yielded resounding success across a spectrum of diseases and disorders.
An Invitation to Make a Difference
We invite philanthropic partners to join us in this transformative journey. Your support will fuel our innovative research, empower the next generation of addiction scientists, and drive the development of life-changing interventions. Together, we can break the cycle of suffering and despair, offering hope, healing and a brighter future to countless individuals and their families.
The Opportunities
- Endowed Faculty Chair offers a powerful tool to recruit and retain a world-class leader in substance-use disorders research ($2,000,000 MIN)
- Postdoctoral Fellowships help recruit new scientists to substance-use disorders research and broaden the expertise of the next generation of scientific leadership ($125,000/YR)
- Pilot Research Grants support innovative, high-risk and potentially high-reward projects to catalyze new discoveries or directions ($75,000/YR)
- Community Education Program promotes awareness and education for the public about substance-use disorders and their comorbidities ($15,000/YR)
- Annual Scientific Research Symposium showcases substance-use disorders research and promotes new interdisciplinary collaborations ($10,000/YR)
- Undergraduate Research Award enables undergraduate students to gain hands-on lab experience in substance-use disorders research with faculty mentorship ($7,500/YR)
Support addiction research and education at CNS
- UX research concentration shows gets you deep into the data
- UX Prototyping shows you how to make an idea into a tangible concept
- Content Design shows you how important words can be in guiding users