Abstract ‐ This proposal is for renewal of the National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) Annual Conference grant (R13 DA026647), to support five three day, stand-alone conferences. The NHSN is dedicated to improving health equity of Hispanics by increasing the amount, quality, and dissemination of interdisciplinary translational research and fostering the development, advancement, and promotion of future Hispanic scientists and leaders. The NHSN conference assembles members of the global research community focused on different aspects of substance use disorder including epidemiology, toxicology, environmental health, intervention science, psychology, sociology, health policy, and neurobiology as it pertains to Hispanic populations. The NHSN conference is unique in that it serves as a forum for transdisciplinary scientific discourse spanning from basic neuroscience to implementation science and policy. The NHSN conference serves as a venue for mentoring, networking, and professional development of scientists underrepresented in their respective disciplines. Because many of the sociocultural factors and comorbid conditions relevant to Hispanic communities are shared with other underrepresented minority (URM) populations, our goal is to expand the scope of the conference (on alternate years) to include African-American, Asian-American, and Native-American workgroup participation. The proposed yearly conferences will continue to serve as the unique venue for transdisciplinary and interprofessional scientific discussions on strategies towards minimizing the impact of substance use disorders and their comorbidities on health disparities in Hispanics and other URMs. In addition, the conferences will continue to foster recruitment, retention, development, and advancement of Hispanic scientists to promote future leaders in substance use disorder research and related areas. The NHSN conference is an opportunity for trainees of diverse gender, ethnicity, discipline, and geographic location to come together and participate in a multidisciplinary scientific meeting, establish peer support groups, and develop professional relationships that provide venues for innovative developments in the field.

Project Narrative Underrepresented minority groups are disproportionately impacted by substance use disorder, and Hispanics (the largest racial/ethnic minority population in the United States) are overrepresented in the total number of individuals affected by substance use disorder. Hispanics are also underrepresented in biomedical, socio- behavioral, and implementation science disciplines, and the lack of Hispanic representation in these disciplines contributes to health disparities as they pertain to substance use and related comorbidities. The annual National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) conference is the premier venue for transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional scientific discussions on strategies to minimize the impact of substance use disorder on health disparities in Hispanics and other underrepresented minority groups as well as for promoting and strengthening Hispanic interdisciplinary social professional networks to address the disparities.