Goals
The Special Populations Office, Office of the Director was established in the fall of 1993. The SPO has two goals: (1) to address the Research training and career development needs of underrepresented minorities and others (women, individuals with disabilities, etc.) in drug abuse research and (2) to ensure that minority and health disparity issues in drug abuse research are adequately represented in the work supported by NIDA. The goals of the Special Populations Office are executed through a number of programs and initiatives, which are outlined on this web page.
Staff
Special Populations Office
Office of the Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 4216, MSC 9567
Bethesda, MD 20892-9567
(301) 443-0441 - Phone
(301) 480-8179 - Fax
Lula Beatty, Ph.D.
Chief
Lb75x@nih.gov
Ana Anders, L.I.C.S.W.
Senior Advisor on Special Populations
Aa96o@nih.gov
Pamela Goodlow
Public Health Analyst
Pg46n@nih.gov
Flair Lindsey
Program Analyst
Fl20t@nih.gov
Charlotte Annan
Secretary
ca32z@nih.gov
Derrick Prather
Program Manager, Contractor
pratherd@mail.nih.gov
Programs
Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Diversity Supplements)
(PA-08-190) Full announcement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-190.html
Diversity Supplements are administrative supplements sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), intended to help increase the numbers of underrepresented scientists in biomedical and behavioral research. Funding is provided to existing NIH research grants to support an underrepresented minority, disabled or disadvantaged student or investigator, who wants to pursue a career in the biomedical or behavioral research sciences. The program supports individuals at the high school, undergraduate, predoctoral (graduate), postdoctoral and investigator levels.
For information on NIDA's Diversity Supplement procedures and policies, please visit the NIDA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About: Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health Related Research (Diversity Supplements) and the Instructions to Principal Investigators.
If you have any questions after viewing the FAQs and/or Instructions to Investigators, please contact Pamela Goodlow (pg46n@nih.gov).
Special Populations Research Development Seminar Series
Established in 1986, the Special Populations Research Development Seminar Series provides technical assistance on proposal development skills in drug abuse research to scholars underrepresented in the field of drug abuse and addiction. Participants are exposed to critical information related to research design, methods, scientific writing, the peer review process and grant application preparation by experts in the field of drug abuse research and addiction. Seminar Series participants will attend 2 day seminars in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
For more information regarding the application process, please contact Pamela Goodlow.
Grant Writing and Proposal Development Assistance
A new researcher can access grant writing tutorials, information on research design and links to the addictions community through http://www.theresearchassistant.com/.
Diversity-promoting Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program (DIDARP) (R24) (formerly MIDARP):
(PAR-09-011) Full announcement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-011.html
The Diversity-promoting Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program is designed to increase the drug abuse and addiction research capacity of institutions that historically and/or currently serve students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. Grants are provided to foster the research career development of a highly diverse cadre of students, faculty and staff who are underrepresented in drug abuse research. All capacity development and research activities must address scientific areas related to the mission and priorities of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The application must propose an institutional development plan, and research project(s) that will provide research support for faculty and research experience for students.
Research in any area of drug abuse research supported by NIDA is permissible. NIDA is interested in biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research and supports research on drug abuse in the following broad areas: epidemiology, etiology, prevention, treatment and services, basic research, and medications development. Research areas of particular interest are HIV/AIDS and its relationship to drug use and abuse, and understanding the disparities in drug abuse and addiction-related health outcomes that are experienced by racial/ethnic minority populations.
If you have any questions regarding the DIDARP, please contact Lula Beatty.
Recruitment & Training Program
The MRTP program is sponsored by NIDA's Division of Intramural Research (DIR) in Baltimore, Maryland. It gives talented students (e.g. undergraduates, graduate students, medical students) and faculty an opportunity to work in a lab during the summer with leading intramural scientists.
The program, which was started in 1991, has engaged 136 undergraduate, graduate and medical students in research activities at the IRP, NIDA. In this program, students will gain basic science and/or clinical laboratory experience, attend student seminars and participate in a summer participate in summer poster presentation. Participants are competitively selected from across the country.
If you would like more information on the MRTP please contact Dr. Jean Lud Cadet or go to http://www.nida.nih.gov/DIR/brochure.html.
Summer Research with NIDA
Summer Research with NIDA introduces high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to drug abuse research through research placements with NIDA grantees. Students work with the grantees for 8-10 weeks. The experience may include formal courses, participation in meetings, data collection activities, data analysis, laboratory experiments, manuscript preparation and library research. The program exposes students to drug abuse research and encourages them to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Since 1997, over 550 students have gained research experience in drug abuse research. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, citizens of the United States or a permanent resident, currently enrolled in high school or college and in good academic standing. Applicants under 18 years old can only be placed at research sites within daily commuting distance of their home.
Application materials for the Summer Research with NIDA 2009 program are now available here: http://www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/sposummer.pdf. The program's application deadline is March 17, 2009.
For more information regarding the Summer Research with NIDA program, please contact Flair Lindsey.
Publications
The minority health and health disparities efforts of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, coordinated by the
Special Populations Office, are featured in a special insert of the Journal for Minority Medical Students [pdf 1.1 MB] and in the NIDA booklet Minority and Health Disparities Research [pdf 704 KB].
Funding Opportunities for Minorities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative
Since 1993, the SPO has taken the lead on the HBCU Initiative at NIDA to encourage interest and increase the involvement of HBCUs in drug abuse research. Based on an assessment of the reasons for low participation of HBCUs in NIDA sponsored research, strategies were developed to provide various forms of infrastructure/capacity building support and research experiences to HBCU faculty and students. These have included technical assistance, support of a research center, support of the Lonnie Mitchell conference and the release of an HBCU Research Scientist RFA. One program, the Recruited Scientist Program co-funded by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, provides support to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Howard, Morgan, and North Carolina Central Universities). Through technical assistance efforts designed specifically for Historically Black Colleges and Universities faculty, awards were made to other Historically Black Colleges and Universities in response to ongoing program announcements.
For more information on HBCU programs and activities at NIDA, please contact Dr. Lula Beatty.
Work Groups (Internal)
Consortium on Minority Concerns
NIDA formed an institute-wide work group, the Consortium on Minority Concerns, which meets monthly to address research and research development issues of concern to minority populations. Each program division and office is represented on the Consortium.
Health Disparities Committee
In 2000, NIDA established a Health Disparities Committee, comprised of staff from all of NIDA's programs including the budget office and intramural program, to develop its Strategic Plan to Address Health Disparities. This committee was made a continuing committee by the Director to oversee the implementation of the strategic plan. As part of its work, the committee establishes institute-wide priorities, stimulates interest, and develops support for the goals and activities of the plan. This committee is chaired by staff of the Special Populations Office and reports to the Director of the Institute.
African American Initiative Committee
NIDA's Director established an African American Initiative to address the disproportionate experience of HIV/AIDS and criminal justice involvement on African Americans. The Committee is comprised of representatives from every division and office.
Work Groups (External)
NIDA Researchers and Scholars Expert Work Groups
The National Institute on Drug Abuse supports external minority work groups comprised of experts in the areas of substance abuse and addiction or health concerns of minority populations. Each work group provides recommendations to the NIDA Director and staff on research and research development needs of their particular communities that will lead to effective prevention and treatment approaches. Below are links to member listings of each minority work group.
National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse
The National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) evolved from NIDA's Hispanic Researchers and Scholars Work Group. The Network is designed to enhance communication, increase the dissemination of research knowledge to practitioners, clinicians, and the public, and mentor Hispanic students and scientists interested in careers in drug abuse and addiction research. Activities include an annual conference and a summer research training institute for students and new investigators. Click the link below for a listing of NHSN's Steering Committee. More information can be obtained at http://www.nhsn.med.miami.edu.
NHSN's Steering Committee Members [pdf 24kb]
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