Faculty positions National Center Opioid Research and Clinical Effectiveness; NCOR

Arkansas Children’s, in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), is seeking up to three faculty positions at the National Center for Opioid Research and Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR), a first-of-its-kind, state-launched national research center focused on transforming prevention and treatment of the opioid crisis for infants, children, adolescents and families.

These positions are backed by an unprecedented public investment and anchored in maternal and child health within Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI). This is a rare opportunity to build, lead and shape a new national research enterprise from the ground up.

NCOR was launched in 2024 through a $75 million investment from Arkansas opioid and vaping settlement funds, with additional substantial support from Arkansas Children’s. This unprecedented investment reflects a long‑term, statewide commitment to building a national leader in opioid and substance‑use research focused on maternal and child health, clinical effectiveness and community impact.

A new 65,000‑square‑foot, state‑of‑the‑art research facility is currently under construction on the Arkansas Children’s Golisano’s campus in Little Rock, with occupancy anticipated in early spring of 2027. The facility will house advanced research infrastructure, collaborative team science spaces and cutting‑edge technology, while also offering flexible areas designed to support convenings, workshops and community‑engaged activities. This space is dedicated to NCOR’s mission and has been purposefully designed to accelerate discovery and translation.

NCOR is a collaborative program within the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), a not‑for‑profit corporation that is a nationally recognized pediatric research institute where children are at the center of every discovery. Researchers at ACRI span the full continuum of science from basic and translational research to clinical trials and community‑based implementation addressing in‑utero development through young adulthood. ACRI includes the Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU), a dedicated research unit embedded in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as dedicated pre‑and post‑award grant services, specialized expertise in biostatistics, informatics, community‑based participatory research, and dissemination and implementation science.

ACRI is located in Little Rock on the campus of Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). ACH is a full‑service, state‑of‑the‑art medical facility, offering a complete array of clinical services ranging from well‑child care to the medical management of critically ill and injured children.

We welcome applicants whose research aligns with NCOR’s mission, particularly as it relates to opioid and/or other substance misuse among children, adolescents, families and rural communities.

• Prevention and/or treatment of opioid and other substance misuse
• Expansion of recovery support services and systems of care
• Community‑level and population‑based interventions
• Technology‑enabled and digital health interventions
• Health policy, implementation science and systems‑level approaches

Interdisciplinary, translational and community‑engaged researchers are especially encouraged.

Opening in Spring 2027, the NCOR building will serve as a hub for groundbreaking research that empowers children and families to prevent, address, and overcome substance misuse.

Link: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./ncor

Established in 1989 and opened in 1992, ACRI is located one block south of the main hospital building. ACRI's total research grant base in 1997 was $7.5 million. Today its researchers bring in over $21 million yearly in grants and contracts from federal and private agencies and industry and from philanthropic donations and professional organizations.

Link: https:///research

UAMS is an…