ICE Collaborative: A community-led approach to preventing adolescent substance use in rural America
Official title: Shifting the Landscape in Primary Substance Use Prevention for Rural America: The Integrated Community Engagement (ICE) Collaborative Cluster Trial
Funded at West Virginia University · NIH-11400494 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide study will test a community-driven prevention approach to reduce substance use among rural adolescents by strengthening local coalitions and adapting proven programs to fit local needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | West Virginia University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Morgantown, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,379,830 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA063662-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400494 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents aged 10–21 living in rural communities in the United States, and the caregivers and local stakeholders involved in prevention efforts.
✕Less likely to help
Communities lacking capacity-building resources or willingness to adopt local, coalition-based approaches may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with rural communities to build prevention capacity and support for evidence-based programs. It adapts a successful Icelandic model to fit local values, resources, and priorities, emphasizing local decision making and sustainability. The study uses coalition-based strategies to improve how prevention programs are chosen, implemented, and guided by data from multiple community stakeholders. Through iterative testing, it aims to create a flexible, principle-based implementation framework that can be applied in diverse rural settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could sustain effective prevention efforts that reduce early substance use among rural youth.
How similar studies have gone: Previous randomized trials show efficacy of EBIs, but there are few scalable implementations in rural settings; this study extends that work with a community-centered adaptation.
Where this research is happening
-
West Virginia University
Morgantown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kristjansson, Alfgeir — West Virginia University
- Study coordinator: Kristjansson, Alfgeir
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.