Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded $172,525.00 under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to the University of Michigan to support Dr. Grau's transition to independent investigator status through a K23 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award. The award, effective May 15, 2026, through April 30, 2031, funds the development and testing of a multimodal intervention integrating therapist-delivered and digital components to treat individuals with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and hazardous alcohol use (HAU) in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The research directly addresses a critical clinical gap, as co-occurring HAU significantly impairs treatment engagement and effectiveness in PTSD interventions, particularly among low-income populations served in under-resourced community settings.

The project combines targeted research and training activities responsive to NIMH Strategic Plan objectives 3.2 and 3.3, which prioritize tailoring existing interventions to optimize outcomes and testing interventions in community practice settings. Dr. Grau's comprehensive training plan encompasses three key areas: developing expertise in mobile health interventions, acquiring qualitative data collection and analysis skills, and obtaining specialized knowledge in optimization trial design and conduct. The deliverables will include a scalable, evidence-based intervention model designed to maximize patient engagement while treating PTSD and HAU concurrently, with attention to health disparities and implementation feasibility within resource-constrained community health settings.