A bold and unprecedented effort to confront one of America’s most devastating public health challenges is taking shape in Little Rock, Arkansas. A new national opioid research centre dedicated entirely to children, adolescents and families is rising from the ground up.

The National Center for Opioid and Addiction Research, known as NCOAR, launched in 2024. A $75 million investment drawn from Arkansas opioid and vaping settlement funds made it possible, with further substantial support from Arkansas Children’s hospital system. It stands as one of the most significant state-led commitments to substance misuse research in paediatric health in the country’s history.

A First of Its Kind Opioid Research Centre for Children

At the heart of NCOAR sits a purpose-built, 65,000-square-foot research facility now under construction on the Arkansas Children’s Golisano’s campus. Teams expect to occupy the building in early spring 2027. When it opens, it will set a new standard in opioid research centre infrastructure for children and families.

Designers built the facility specifically for translational and community-engaged science. It will house integrated imaging capabilities, a fully equipped phlebotomy and specimen processing space, and flexible modular dry lab spaces. The Family Clinical Research Unit alone contains eight interview rooms, three examination rooms, two one-way observation rooms and four multipurpose rooms. One room specifically accommodates children and adults with sensory needs.

Few states can match this level of dedicated investment in paediatric substance misuse research infrastructure.

Why This Matters Now

The opioid crisis has not spared the youngest and most vulnerable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drug overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 80,000 annually in recent years, with opioids driving the vast majority of those deaths. Rural states like Arkansas carry a disproportionate burden, and the damage extends well beyond mortality. It touches prenatal health, child development, family stability and community cohesion.

Historically, research into opioid and substance use among infants, children and adolescents has lagged behind adult-focused studies. Clinicians and policymakers have lacked the evidence they need to act effectively. NCOAR directly addresses that gap. It aims to become the national leader in substance misuse research in paediatric health.

Building on World-Class Research Infrastructure

NCOAR operates as a collaborative programme within the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, known as ACRI. ACRI is a nationally recognised paediatric research institute. It gives researchers access to a dedicated Paediatric Clinical Research Unit inside Arkansas Children’s Hospital, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Researchers also draw on pre and post-award grant services, biostatistics, informatics, community-based participatory research, and dissemination and implementation science expertise.

Incoming NCOAR faculty join an established, well-resourced research ecosystem. They connect directly to one of the most comprehensive children’s hospitals in the country and hit the ground running from day one.

Seeking Researchers to Lead Substance Misuse Research in Paediatric Health

NCOAR is now recruiting up to three open-rank faculty positions to join its founding team. These are not ordinary academic appointments. Each position carries a real opportunity to shape the future direction of opioid research centre work for children at the national level, backed by long-term public investment.

Experience determines the level of appointment. Early-career candidates compete for the Assistant Professor level. Mid-career and senior researchers need an active, externally funded programme to qualify for Associate or Full Professor level. In exceptional cases, outstanding candidates without prior faculty appointments may also qualify.

Faculty hold primary academic appointments in the Department of Paediatrics, or a department aligned with their expertise. They also receive generous start-up packages. Leadership roles and cluster hiring of entire research teams remain open for the right candidates.

Research Priorities at the Opioid Research Centre for Children

NCOAR actively seeks researchers whose work advances substance misuse research in paediatric health across a broad range of approaches. Priority areas span prevention and treatment of opioid and other substance misuse, recovery support services, community-level and population-based interventions, digital health tools, and health policy and systems-level reform.

Interdisciplinary researchers with strong community partnerships are especially welcome. The centre’s founding vision places rigorous science directly in service of families and communities most affected by the opioid crisis. Every study must move the needle in the real world.

Qualifications and How to Apply

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in a relevant discipline such as public health, nursing, social work or medicine. They must show a record of peer-reviewed publications and competitive research funding. Strong foundations in research methods and addiction science are essential.

Top candidates will bring sustained federal funding from the NIH, PCORI or SAMHSA. They will also demonstrate success in multidisciplinary collaboration, effective mentorship and communication with both scientific and community audiences.

NCOAR reviews applications on a rolling basis. Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Alicia Allen, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor and NCOAR Director without delay.

For researchers committed to protecting children and families from the devastation of opioid misuse, this is a once-in-a-career opportunity to build something that genuinely matters.

Source: dbrecoveryresources