PROJECT SUMMARY Overall Plan The overarching goal of this application for a Phase 3 Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) award is to firmly establish the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health (VCBH) at the University of Vermont (UVM) as a sustainable center of research excellence. This multidisciplinary center investigates relationships between personal behavior (lifestyle) and risk for chronic disease and premature death. VCBH made considerable progress during Phases 1 and 2 towards becoming a vibrant and sustainable center. VCBH established a strong record of external grant support and peer-reviewed publications with $165.1 million in total cumulative funding, including $18.3 million from awards to COBRE Project Leaders (PLs), and 917 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including 515 listing PLs as 1st or co-authors. PLs succeeded in obtaining NIH, foundation, and industry awards as PIs, Project PIs, and Co-Is. Other Phase 1 and 2 notable accomplishments included establishing an NIH-supported UVM Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science with an initial P50 award that was renewed as a U54, twice renewing an NIH T32 training award in clinical addictions research now in years 31-36, and establishing the new HRSA-supported UVM Center on Rural Addiction and a new NIH T32 training award in neurobiological addiction research. VCBH cores continue to support a vibrant monthly lecture series, annual national conferences, and guest editorship of an annual special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Preventive Medicine based on the conferences. VCBH collaborations with other COBREs continue to grow, with VCBH PI Dr. Higgins chairing two COBRE External Advisory Committees and serving as a member of a third. In Phase 3, we propose to sustain VCBH competitiveness in obtaining external grant support and fostering new research and dissemination initiatives. We will continue mentoring early career investigators, leveraging our three cores that have strong institutional support and broad reach, and coalescing VCBH collaborations around five areas of scientific strength, each with its own working group. An innovative Pilot Project Program will be leveraged to support early-career investigators and generate preliminary data for grant applications in current areas of strength and to foster new research directions. We are confident that with Phase 3 support, VCBH is well positioned to succeed as a sustainable, impactful, multidisciplinary center of research excellence.

NARRATIVE Many individuals persist in personal behaviors or lifestyle (substance abuse, physical inactivity/obesity) that significantly increase risk for chronic disease and premature death. This relationship between personal behavior and disease risk is firmly established, but much remains to be learned about why certain individuals are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and how to promote behavior change.