Graduate/Professional Student and Postdoctoral Pilot Grants

Graduate/Professional Student Pilot Grants

This pilot funding mechanism provides resources to support innovative substance use research conducted by graduate and/or professional students from a basic science, pre-clinical, clinical, or community research perspective. All applications must address how the pilot project will advance the student’s research prospects in terms of publications, pursuit of extramural grant support, and/or job market competitiveness. The aim of the Graduate/Professional Student Pilot grant award is to train the next generation of substance use researchers. Requests for Applications (RFAs) will be released every 12 to 18 months.

Current Awardees: Postdoctoral Scholar

  • Hamed (Hami) Hemati (Chahardeh), Toxicology and Cancer Biology
    • Mentor - Dr. Xia Liu
    • Title: The Role of Alcohol Abuse in Osteoclastogenesis- Mediated Impaired Neutrophil Function
  • Erin Maher, Family and Community Medicine
    • Mentor - Dr. Cassandra Gipson
    • Title: Factors Driving Nicotine Use in Females: Role of Estrogen in the Reward Pathway
  • Mark Rzeszutek, Family and Community Medicine
    • Mentor - Dr. Mikhail N. Koffarnus
    • Title: Identifying Factors that Contribute to Suicide Risk for those with Alcohol Use Disorder

Current Awardees: Students

  • Kara Lynne Cook, Statistics 
    • Title: The effects of scheduling on nonmedical use of gabapentin in Kentucky
  • Emily Prantzalos, Pharmaceutical Sciences
    • Title: Role of Dynamic Signaling of NRG3-ErbB4 in the Prefrontal Cortex in Mediating Nicotine Withdrawal Phenotypes
  • Heather True, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics 
    • Title: Umbilical Cord Blood Derived Microglia as a Model of Impaired Neurodevelopment in Prenatal Opioid Exposure
  • Tanner Anderson, Neuroscience 
    • Title: An Evaluation of the Therapeutic Efficacy and Underlying Mechanisms of Psychedelic Treatment on Cocaine-Induced Cognitive Flexibility Deficits

Super Students Grant Opportunities

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Partnership Awards

At this current moment, SUPRA is not accepting applications for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Partnership Awards. If you would like more information, please contact SUPRA@uky.edu