Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2024–2028 | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Cross-Cutting Research Themes

The cross-cutting research themes provide a lens for examining high-priority topics that span two or more of the research goals and other areas of the strategic plan.

Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Alcohol Research Enterprise

Capitalizing on the range of talent in the nation and understanding and addressing the issues that face underserved and underrepresented populations

Advancing Research on Women’s Health

Understanding how alcohol use and misuse impact women and developing interventions tailored to the unique needs of women

Applying a Life Course Approach to Alcohol Research

Addressing critical knowledge gaps about the impact of alcohol misuse unique to each life stage

Encouraging a Whole Person, Integrated Approach to Health

Enhancing the understanding of whole person health and facilitating integrated care to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs

Innovating Alcohol Research and Care Through Data Science

Encouraging data science and multi-omic approaches to predict vulnerability to alcohol misuse, individualize AUD treatment, and guide recovery

Cross-Cutting Research Programs

Cross-cutting research programs are NIAAA-managed research portfolios that include topics spanning multiple research goals outlined in this strategic plan.

FASD Research Program
Alcohol and HIV Research Program

The strategic plan’s four major research goals cover the depth and breadth of research necessary to improve the understanding of and to address the effects of alcohol misuse on individuals and society.

Goal 1: Elucidate the Biological Mechanisms and Consequences of Alcohol Misuse

NIAAA aims to advance research on the brain cells and circuits that underlie and are altered by alcohol misuse, and the complex relationships between alcohol misuse and physiological effects throughout the body.

a bar graph and trend on a laptop screen

Goal 2: Identify Patterns, Trends, and Public Health Impact of Alcohol Misuse

NIAAA will continue to support epidemiological research to identify and track patterns of alcohol use and misuse, drinking-related outcomes and disparities, and individual and environmental variables that confer risk or resilience.

Goal 3: Prevent and Reduce Alcohol Misuse, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Associated Consequences

NIAAA encourages the development, evaluation, and implementation of culturally appropriate individual, family, school, community, and policy-based strategies to prevent alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder, and related consequences.

Goal 4: Improve Diagnosis and Expand Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcohol-Related Conditions

NIAAA encourages research to refine diagnosis, enhance treatment, sustain recovery, and ultimately, to reduce the treatment gap for alcohol use disorder and other alcohol-related health conditions.

Supporting the Mission

These goals aim to maintain and build a talented and diverse scientific and administrative workforce and to uphold optimal management and accountability, strategic collaboration, and communication of research results.

Goal 1: Building a Robust Research Capacity

At the core of NIAAA’s efforts are cultivating a talented and diverse scientific and administrative workforce to advance research to the next frontier and maximizing NIAAA research resources and infrastructure to promote discovery.

Goal 2: Serving as a Responsible Steward of the Public’s Investment

NIAAA upholds the values of responsible stewardship, research integrity, and public trust. These values are reinforced by NIAAA’s commitment to optimal management and accountability, strategic collaboration, and communication of research results.

NIAAA Strategic Plan 2024-2028 cover page image

Download the NIAAA Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2024-2028

To download and review a full copy of the current NIAAA Strategic plan, click the link below.

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