Extramural Policies and Review

Receipt, Referral, and Review

NIDA received 1239 applications, including both primary and dual assignments for which the Office of Extramural Affairs (OEA) managed the programmatic referral process during this council cycle. Of these, NIDA received the primary assignment on 1085 applications.

OEA arranged and managed 28 review meetings in which 602 applications were evaluated. OEA's reviews included applications in chartered, standing review committees and Special Emphasis Panels (SEPS). In addition, OEA's Contracts Review Branch (CRB) arranged and managed 10 contract proposal reviews, 2 Phase II SBIR contract review meetings, 11 concept reviews and reviews for Loan Repayment Program applications.

NIDA's chartered committees consist of NIDA-E (Treatment Review Committee), NIDA-F (Health Services Review Committee), NIDA-L (Medications Development Committee), and NIDA-K (Training Committee). In addition to meetings of each of these committees, OEA staff held 24 Special Emphasis Panels for a variety of reasons:

• Conflicts with the chartered committees
• The Minority Institutions' Drug Abuse Research Development Program (MIDARP)
• Center Grant Applications
• Program Project Grant applications
• Behavioral Science Track Award for Rapid Transition (B/START)
• Cutting Edge Basic Research Awards (CEBRA)
• Imaging Science Track Awards for Research Transition (I/START)
• Conference Grants (R13)
• 11 Special Emphasis Panels that reviewed RFA submissions

OEA managed the following RFA reviews:

• DA04-005: Novel approaches to phenotyping drug abuse
• DA04-006: Screening and intervention for youth in primary care settings
• DA04-008: Group therapy for individuals in drug abuse or alcoholism treatment
• DA04-009: Behavioral and cognitive processes related to adolescent drug abuse
• DA04-010: Targeted integrative research in drug abuse and HIV/AIDS in pregnancy
• DA04-011: Animal models of adolescent drug abuse: integrative studies of brain and behavioral development
• DA04-012: HIV/AIDS, drug use, and highly vulnerable youth: targeting research gaps
• DA04-013: Prevention research for the transition to adulthood
• DA04-014: Medications development for cannabis-related disorder
• DA04-015: HIV/AIDS and other infections among drug users in the criminal justice system
• DA04-016: Consequences of marijuana use on the developing brain

Completed Reviews from the Contracts Review Branch since the last Council are as follows:

• NO1DA-4-8845: Medications Development for Stimulant Dependence II
• NO1DA-4-9906: Taipei MDMA Usage Study
• NO1DA-4-9908: Washington University MDMA Study
• NO1DA-4-7747: High-resolution Genome Scan for Drug Abuse Loci
• NO1DA-4-8848: Medications Discovery for Addiction Treatment/Rat Relapse Models
• NO1DA-4-7739: Development of Novel Approaches in Human Neuroscience
• NO1DA-4-7746: Production, Analysis, & Distribution of Cannabis & Marijuana Cigarettes and Related Compounds
• N44DA-4-1112: Development of Science Education Materials Related to the Use of Animals
• N44DA-4-7738: Technologies for Proteomic Analysis in the Nervous System
• NO1DA-4-1119: Educational Marketing
• NO1DA-4-9905: Neuroimaging Branch Support Services
• NO1DA-4-2206: Clinical Laboratory Services

Concept Reviews

• NO1DA-5-2207: Data and Statistics Center
• NO1DA-5-2208: Clinical Coordinating Center
• N43DA-5-7750: High Throughput Cell Base Assays to Identify Therapeutic Targets for Substance Abuse & Addiction
• N43DA-5-7749: Development of New Chemical Probes and Discovery of Alternate Drug Dosage Forms for Drug Abuse Studies
• N43DA-5-1120: Develop Research Training Modules for International Application
• N43DA-5-8852: Regulatory Affairs Support
• N43DA-5-1121: Development of Science Education Materials or Programs
• N43DA-5-7751: Real-time Data Collection Paired with Ecological Momentary Assessment
• N43DA-5-5530: Internet-based Application of Existing Proven Therapies
• N43DA-5-5531: Prevention Training
• N43DA-5-5529: Develop New Technologies for Screening & Assessing Drug Abuse & Matching Patients with Appropriate Treatment Services

Staff Training and Development

The CTN Data and Safety Monitoring Board met July 15-16, 2004, in Bethesda, Maryland. The group reviewed several planned and ongoing protocols, focusing on their data and safety monitoring plans, progress to date, and feasibility. The DSMB recommended that study LIs attend future meetings to report on trial enrollment status and targets.

The OEA Symposium Series, a forum for staff training and sharing of ideas and information, continued through the spring and summer. Topics addressed have included extramural policy updates; implementation of the new Division of Extramural Activity Support (DEAS); Contracts and Consortium Agreements; the new R56 mechanism; modifications of the "standard" review criteria to accommodate clinical research grant applications; and uses of RFAs, PASs and other mechanisms for program development. The symposium series is organized and hosted by Dr. Mark Swieter.