UK invests in next generation of research talent to tackle drug and alcohol addiction
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-11)

People experiencing addiction will have a ramped-up support system as UK government tackles the country’s critical shortage of world-class researchers in addiction healthcare.

- People experiencing addiction will be better supported as government invests over £10 million leadership programme to tackle the UK’s critical shortage of world-class addiction healthcare researchers.
- 3 schemes will support the next generation of leaders in addiction research, to help save and improve lives while cutting the cost of addiction to our society and economy.
- Resulting breakthroughs will help free people from addiction - supporting the healthcare and economic missions in the Plan for Change.
People experiencing addiction will have a ramped-up support system as UK government recruits the next-generation of the UK’s best and brightest to tackle the country’s critical shortage of world-class researchers in addiction healthcare head-on, announced today (Friday 12 September).

Over £10 million in funding – through the Addiction Healthcare Goals (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-healthcare-goals/addiction-healthcare-goals) – will kickstart and develop careers in the field to find ways to help people suffering with addiction improve their lives, examining the complex needs of patients, their triggers and what care works best for them.

Problematic alcohol and drug use claims over 15 thousand lives across the UK each year, a figure that has been rising. While the harm caused by illicit drug and alcohol use in England alone costs the country around £47 billion annually.

Tackling the profound harms caused by addiction reinforces the health and economic missions that underpin the Plan for Change (https://www.gov.uk/missions). That is why the UK government is stepping up its efforts to deliver innovative addiction prevention, treatment and recovery research studies that could unlock groundbreaking developments that support people suffering with addiction like smartphone delivered treatment and treatments for alcohol use disorder that can be delivered in A&E. Researchers will actively collaborate with healthcare providers and social workers spread awareness of the latest findings in their work, helping to develop training programmes and other support tools, so professionals address addiction more effectively.

The Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme delivers on the Life Sciences Sector Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan), by bolstering our nation’s research capabilities and capacity. By supporting innovations in treatment and recovery, the programme will help save lives, reduce the long-term impacts of addiction, and redirect public spending towards frontline services – improving lives and strengthening the UK economy.

UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance said:

Addiction is devastating lives across the UK every day. By backing the future leaders of addiction research, we are laying the groundwork for the vital, evidence-based prevention measures and treatments we need.

We know that exceptional talent can be found all over the country. That’s why this programme will look to every corner of the UK for researchers with high potential to pioneer addiction research that could save countless lives and save billions to be reinvested in our public services and economy.

The Society for the Study of Addiction (https://www.addiction-ssa.org/) (SSA) will deliver the Flagship scheme, providing funding for academic and career development programmes tailored to the specific demands of the addiction research field, so our future leaders can progress a successful career in addiction research.

The government is providing additional funding to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), to support career development opportunities across the UK. This funding will enable individuals to begin or take the next step in their addiction research career. Through this partnership, career development opportunities will be available to individuals across the UK, ranging from pre-doctoral to post- doctoral levels.

The government is also collaborating with the Medical Research Council (MRC) to ignite the careers of promising researchers with new fellowships. Supporting awards in:
- Clinical Research Training Fellowships (CRTFs)
- Clinician Scientist Fellowships (CSFs)
- Career Development Awards (CDAs)
which will give academics the springboard they need to establish themselves at the forefront of addiction science.

Professor Waljit Dhillo, Dean of the NIHR Academy, said:

Drug and alcohol dependency costs the UK tens of billions every year and devastates lives and communities.

The UK government is investing in and growing our critically important addiction research leadership, bringing new treatments and ideas to people quicker. NIHR’s ambitious new partnership will attract and support researchers from across the UK and from all professions and specialisms working in drug and alcohol addiction to deliver high quality research that effectively addresses these challenges.

Professor Owen Bowden-Jones CBE, President of the Society for the Study of Addiction, said:

The Society for the Study of Addiction is proud to support the next generation of addiction science leaders in partnership with Addiction Healthcare Goals and the UK government’s Office for Life Sciences. The unprecedented investment announced today will enable the addiction science community to attract skilled and passionate people to the workforce, and accelerate efforts to develop evidence-based solutions that improve lives.

Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Chair of the Addiction Healthcare Goals, said:

Addiction is associated with immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts. Research to develop innovative approaches plays a vital part in reducing such harms and improving treatment outcomes. To deliver such improvements, the Addiction Healthcare Goals is pleased to support more opportunities to those wishing to develop a research career in the addiction field through partnerships with MRC, NIHR and Society for Study of Addiction. We are keen to support development of a wide range of professions and skills to ensure sustainability and leadership in this critical area.

Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said:

Through MRC’s fellowships awards, we’re supporting this vital programme to strengthen the UK’s capacity in addiction research.

This partnership will invest in talented clinical and non-clinical scientists who will advance our fundamental understanding of addiction, from the molecular and cellular mechanisms of addiction to the neurobiological pathways that influence behaviour, leading to the development of novel strategies for intervention and treatment. We encourage researchers eligible for our fellowships to look out for funding opportunities opening later this year aligned to this healthcare goal.

These researchers will delve into complex addiction challenges, that can be used to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on the NHS and other health and care services.

The launch of the leadership programme comes as the government also commissions a Data Roadmap to identify key barriers facing researchers when using addiction healthcare data in their work and find ways to tackle them.

Notes to editors

Ipsos in the UK has now been appointed to deliver the Data Roadmap report and began work at the start of September 2025. The work will be shaped by engagement with researchers, academics, people with lived experience, and the treatment workforce.

The Society for the Study of Addiction (https://www.addiction-ssa.org/) was founded in 1884. Its mission is to advance the scientific understanding of addictive products and behaviours and the use of this knowledge in policy and practice.

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