NIH-funded research R21 grant

Creating tools to identify youth at risk for early substance use

Official title: Development of practical screening tools to support targeted prevention of early, high-risk drinking substance use

Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-10930960 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is working on creating easy-to-use tools to help find teenagers who might be at risk for drinking and drug use early on, so that we can better support them before these issues start.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Diego
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project startSeptember 30, 2023
Project endAugust 31, 2025
Funding year2024
Award (this year)$197,500
NIH project number5R21DA058314-02
Project IDNIH-10930960 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 10 to 21 who have not yet engaged in substance use but may be at risk due to various factors.

Less likely to help

Patients who are already engaged in high-risk substance use or those outside the age range of 10 to 21 may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research aims to develop effective screening tools that can accurately identify adolescents at risk for early high-risk drinking and drug use. By utilizing data from the large Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, the project will analyze various risk and resilience factors among a diverse group of youth. The goal is to create reliable methods that can be used in real-world settings to target prevention programs effectively before substance use begins.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better identification of at-risk youth, allowing for timely and targeted prevention efforts to reduce substance use.

How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using large-scale data to identify risk factors for substance use, making this approach both innovative and grounded in existing methodologies.

Where this research is happening

  • University of California, San Diego
    La Jolla, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Pelham Iii, William Ellerbe — University of California, San Diego
  • Study coordinator: Pelham Iii, William Ellerbe

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.