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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Invites Input on 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Outline

Graphic promoting request for information on the NIAAA strategic planning process

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is currently developing a FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan to highlight priorities and guide activities for advancing the Institute’s mission over the next five years. I am pleased to announce the release of a Request for Information inviting comments on the draft outline. We are accepting comments until July 30, 2021 via this online response form.

The NIAAA’s mission is to generate and disseminate fundamental knowledge about the effects of alcohol on health and well-being, and apply that knowledge to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorder, across the lifespan. NIAAA is the world’s largest funder of alcohol research—so your input is vital.

The draft outline is composed of cross-cutting themes that describes research programs, priorities, and approaches that span across multiple scientific goals:

Cross-cutting themes

  • Promote health equity and enhance diversity and inclusion in the alcohol research enterprise
  • Characterize unique risks for and outcomes of alcohol misuse across the lifespan
  • Advance research on co-occurring conditions that interact with alcohol misuse
  • Encourage “whole person” approach to health (refers to the integration of diagnosis, prevention, treatment of and recovery from alcohol-related conditions across all aspects of care)
  • Support development and integration of innovative technology to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related conditions
  • Capture individual differences in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related conditions to identify opportunities to advance precision medicine
  • Increase use of data science approaches to advance alcohol research
  • Promote collaborative science to leverage resources and to integrate alcohol topics into other health research

Goals

  1. Identify and track the biological, social, environmental, and behavioral causes and consequences of alcohol misuse
  2. Prevent and reduce alcohol misuse and associated developmental effects, health conditions, and acute harms
  3. Advance diagnosis and treatment of alcohol-related conditions

We are seeking comments on the outline from diverse stakeholders, including scientific experts, health care providers, patients and family members, advocacy groups, other federal agencies, and non-governmental scientific, professional, and healthcare organizations. We encourage you to provide your input and also to share this opportunity with your networks.

Best wishes,
George F. Koob, Ph.D.
NIAAA Director

Need Help for an Alcohol Problem?

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The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator can help you recognize and find high quality treatment for alcohol use disorder. If you drink excessively, seek medical help to plan a safe recovery as sudden abstinence can be life threatening. NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking can help you assess your drinking habits and provides information to help you cut back or stop drinking.