FRANK J. VOCCI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Introduction
Friends Research Institute is pleased to provide advanced research training opportunities for the career development of its investigators and research staff through the Frank J. Vocci Professional Development Award. This award is designed to provide financial support to individuals, who either do not have sufficient funding currently available or for which funds may not exist, to help cover the costs for work-related qualified trainings, resources, and activities that expand research knowledge or skills through continuing education and contribute to professional skills development. To be considered, a Frank J. Vocci Professional Development Award Application, which can be obtained by requesting via email to mhipsley@friendsresearch.org, must be submitted to the Executive Management Committee (c/o Michele Hipsley).
Examples of qualifying uses of the Award include:
- Certifications
- Classes
- Conferences
- Seminars
- Training programs
- Workshops
Application Procedures
- Deadline: Applications must be submitted at least two months in advance of the planned professional development activity.
- Reimbursement Procedures: After approval, awardees may either pay for the activity and associated expenses using their company-issued credit card (if applicable) or request an advance to cover the expenses. If the awardee does not have a company credit card, they can use their personal credit card and submit for reimbursement. Awardees will be required to submit evidence of participation in continuing education activities (class/training program schedule, registration receipt) and receipts for expenditures (i.e., hotel, taxi, parking, etc.).
- Training support limitations: One award per year, per investigator or research staff member.
If there are any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact Michele Hipsley, Chief Operating Officer, at mhipsley@friendsresearch.org.
ABOUT FRANK J. VOCCI
Following a post-doctoral fellowship in addiction pharmacology at the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Frank Vocci spent 11 years at the FDA, rising to the level of Chief of the Drug Abuse Staff. At the FDA, he reviewed applications for marketing of medications for analgesic medications and for the treatment of substance abuse disorders. He also participated in domestic and international drug control issues. In 1989, he joined the Medications Development Program at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He became the Director of the Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (DPMC) in 1997 where he was responsible for overseeing research and development activities in medications development for the treatment of addictive disorders. He was also responsible for biomedical research in the medical consequences of drug abuse, primarily AIDS and hepatitis C research. During his tenure, the DPMC collaborated on the development of four addiction drug products that were approved by the FDA. Dr. Vocci has published over 125 articles in neuropharmacology and the treatment of substance abuse and its consequences. In 2001, he received a Meritorious Executive award from President Bush for his management of the NIDA medications development program. Dr. Vocci also received a Distinguished Service Award in 2003 from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence for his contributions to the development of buprenorphine as a treatment for opiate dependence. In 2006 Dr. Vocci received the Vernelle Fox award from the California Society of Addiction Medicine and the FeDerSerD (Italian Addiction Society) award. Dr. Vocci is also a Fellow and Past-President of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and a co-editor of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Vocci joined Friends Research Institute in 2009 and continues to be interested in developing medications for the treatment of substance use disorders. He collaborated on the development of an implantable form of buprenorphine (PROBUPHINE). He is a Principal Investigator on a project developing a long-acting opioid antagonist and is a Co-Investigator on a comparative effectiveness trial of injectable buprenorphine (BRIXADI) and injectable naltrexone (VIVITROL) in a carceral population. He is interested in the use of digital therapeutics and telehealth in the treatment of substance use disorders.