AUGUSTA -- A $3.1 million research grant is expected to fund a study of innovative Maine youth intervention programs and their effectiveness at combating substance abuse.

The study will focus upon Maine's 65 Communities for Children and Youth intervention programs, which look at a variety of "developmental assets," such as family support, caring neighborhoods, and high expectations, and seek to create or improve programs that support those assets, according to a news release.

The study will be conducted by the nonprofit RAND Corporation in conjunction with the Search Institute, with funding from a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant. The grant would pay for two full-time workers to provide technical assistance to participating communities over five years.

In addition, the grant would provide direct assistance to the programs, research funds to the University of Southern Maine, and administrative support to the Governor's Children's Cabinet to conduct the study. Preliminary results of the research are expected in three years.

First Lady Karen Baldacci, chairwoman of the cabinet, is scheduled to announce the research grant at a news conference Thursday at 2 p.m.