DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a Senior Scientist Research and Mentorship Award (K05) application for Stephen A. Maisto, Ph.D. The primary goals of this application are to advance my research programs in (1) alcohol and other drug assessment and treatment research methods, (2) alcohol treatment outcomes, process, clinical course, and relapse, and (3) human alcohol challenge research, to continue to explore statistical methods and techniques of longitudinal research that may be applied to advance knowledge about alcohol treatment outcomes, mechanisms of treatment-related change, alcohol treatment clinical course, and relapse, and to add to my success in mentoring junior investigators and in science education. The K05 award would allow me to pursue these primary aims at the high level of activity that has characterized the period of my current K02 award, which ends on 8/31/07. During the K05 award period, I propose to continue my research program in the research areas noted above and that is based in Syracuse University and in collaboration with colleagues at SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY), the VA Medical Upstate NY Network, and at other institutions in the US. My initial Mentoring Plan made feasible by the K05 award includes two Ph.D. and 2 M.D. mentees, and I intend to maintain a cohort of 4 junior investigator mentees for each year of the K05 award period. In addition, my plan is to engage in science education activities centering on postdoctoral fellows or residents in psychiatry and family medicine throughout the K05 award period.