Launched in 2025 with funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (T32AA032229), the Training in Research on Alcohol use and its Consequences and Etiology (TRACE) program is designed to prepare postdoctoral fellows for impactful research careers focused on the biological, psychological, and environmental factors that shape alcohol use and its consequences. Housed within the Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC), the program leverages Rutgers’ unparalleled resources and interdisciplinary expertise to train the next generation of alcohol researchers.

Mission

Our mission is to provide a rigorous, mentored research experience coupled with advanced methodological training that equips diverse postdoctoral trainees to become leaders in alcohol research. By integrating biological, psychosocial, and environmental perspectives, trainees gain the skills needed to address alcohol-related challenges across the lifespan.

Program Highlights

  • Expert Faculty Mentorship: Led by Dr. Kristina Jackson, the program’s 15 core faculty mentors and 5 supporting training faculty have extensive NIH funding, deep expertise in alcohol research, and proven success in guiding early-career scientists.
  • Customizable Training: Trainees tailor their learning through advanced methodological training in genomic analyses, longitudinal and intensive longitudinal analysis, digital health, community-based research, treatment implementation, and intervention design.
  • Comprehensive Professional Development: Includes a two-year sequence of mentored research, grant writing training, a faculty-led seminar series, journal clubs, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programming.
  • Career Launchpad: The program emphasizes communication skills, networking, and leadership development to prepare fellows for careers in academia, government, or industry.
  • Collaborative Community: Fellows engage with the broader Rutgers addiction research network through retreats, work-in-progress groups, and near-peer mentoring.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from November 1 – January 15 of each year. Interested applicants will submit a formal application including a CV, the names of 3 professional references, and a cover letter through a form hosted on the RARC website. Applications will initially be triaged by the Program Manager. Eligible applicants will be forwarded to potential mentor(s) for evaluation and invited for a Zoom interview and research presentation. Applications and feedback are then reviewed by the Training & Admissions Committee for final selection. Selection is based on professional merit, research potential, and alignment with program goals.  

Eligibility: Applicants must meet the following criteria: (1) professional merit in the alcohol field as evidenced by quality of proposed or ongoing research study, publications/presentations, and related academic activities and scholarship; (2) potential to become an independent productive investigator; and (3) motivation to pursue a career in alcohol research. All fellows must be a United States citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible for support. 

Why This Program Matters

Alcohol use is a complex and multifaceted public health challenge. This program prepares scientists to examine its causes and consequences from biological, psychological, and social perspectives, equipping them to develop evidence-based solutions that improve lives and reduce the burden of addiction.