NIH Announces the Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Administrative Supplements
(NOT-OD-09-056)
National Institute on Drug Abuse
The purpose of this program is to provide researchers supplementary funds that can be used to accelerate the tempo of scientific research on active grants, with the ultimate goal of promoting job creation and economic development along with accelerating the pace and achievement of scientific research.
This Notice is one of several initiatives being offered by NIDA to help fulfill the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to help stimulate the economy through support of biomedical and behavioral research. Additional information the Recovery Act and related NIH opportunities is available through the Office of Extramural Research (http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/ )
Areas of Scientific Priority:
Administrative supplement requests submitted to NIDA MUST be within the scope of the peer-reviewed activities and aims approved within the currently active NIDA parent grant. In general, administrative supplements should be used to accelerate the tempo of the research proposed in the parent grant. NIDA considers the following scientific areas high-priority although supplement requests in other areas will also be considered:
Additional Information
Medications and Immunotherapies
The development of safe and effective medications to treat substance related disorders (SRDs) is a top priority of NIDA. Through this FOA, NIDA will support administrative supplements to existing preclinical and clinical grants focused on medications development, to enhance and accelerate the discovery and development of new medications for the treatment of SRDs. Supplements to grants proposing the development of small molecules and enzyme-based therapies as new pharmacotherapies, and to grants proposing the development of immunotherapies, such as vaccines or monoclonal antibodies, represent a priority focus of this FOA. The supplements proposed should be well within the scope of the parent grant. It is expected that these supplements would provide support for the expansion of current studies, for subprojects that provide additional data which support the proposed hypothesis of the grant, or small pilot studies within the concept of the original grant.
When considering the appropriateness of supplement requests in response to this FOA, it is important to take into account that completion of the work proposed must be feasible within a period of two years.
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Jamie Biswas jb168r@nih.gov 301-443-8096
Genetics and Epigenetics
Administrative supplements to ongoing genetic and epigenetic research are sought in the following areas:
- Epigenetic Modifications of DNA and Chromatin produced by environmental stimuli.
- Analysis of non-coding RNAs.
- Meta-analysis of GWAS and family data for smoking associated phenotypes.
- Bioinformatic and statistical analysis of genetic data including gene expression and gene mapping studies.
- Map genetic loci for addiction-relevant phenotypes in model genetic organisms.
- Screening existing rodent strains for addiction-relevant phenotypes.
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Joni Rutter jrutter@nida.nih.gov 301-435-0298 or Jonathan Pollock jpollock@mail.nih.gov 301-534-1309
Comorbidity
Drug-use disorders frequently co-occur with other substance-use disorders, with other psychiatric disorders, and with many medical conditions. This comorbidity has implications for basic, clinical, and population-based research on the etiology, course, and consequences of drug use disorders, as well as their prevention, treatment and service delivery. Examples of acceptable approaches and gap areas, for human subject and animal model studies, include but are not limited to:
Addition of subjects:
- add subjects with comorbid psychiatric or other substance disorders to treatment or laboratory experimental studies of single drug use disorders
- add genetically altered animals or strains with characterized phenotypes that correlate with dimensions of other mental disorders to drug abuse studies
- include siblings in ongoing high risk youth prevention studies
Enhancement of data collection and analyses of existing data:
- increase the pace of data collection or analysis within the scope of ongoing studies of comorbid samples
- collect data on comorbid medical conditions, including HIV, HCV, HBV
- collect data on understudied substances such as caffeine and prescription drugs
- analyze dimensional data collected in etiologic studies
- analyses of cost and cost-effectiveness to studies of comorbidity treatment
- in cellular or molecular studies of drug abuse, add factors that are known or thought to correlate with other mental disorders to ongoing analyses
- examine long-term effects, crossover effects, and mediators of effective prevention programs to address co-morbidities
- analyze associations and temporal relationships between medical/health conditions and drug use
Addition of a pilot intervention within the scope of the parent grant
- add a booster component for youth at high risk for HIV exposure
- add a sibling intervention component to HIV/substance abuse prevention studies for at risk youth
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Susan Volman svolman@nida.nih.gov 301-435-1315 or Naimah Weinberg nweinber@nida.nih.gov 301-443-6504
Sex/Gender Differences
Many NIDA-funded studies report outcomes separately for males and females; however, this is not the norm. Yet, among studies in which such analysis is provided, there are often reports of outcomes that are limited to either males or females and outcomes that are opposite in males and females. These cases raise questions about outcomes in other studies in which analysis of data by sex/gender is not performed. To address this issue and to foster the conduct of sex/gender analyses in NIDA-supported research, under this administrative supplement Notice NIDA grantees are invited to submit applications for administrative supplements for any of the following three types of investigations.
- Animal Models. Most of NIDA-supported animal research is conducted only with male subjects. Yet, there is a growing animal model literature indicating that when drug abuse researchers compare male and female subjects, sex differences frequently are observed. Additionally, research has begun to examine the hormonal, pharmacokinetic, neurobiological, organizational, and genetic bases of these differences. This approach is necessary in order to determine whether current models of the biological and behavioral mechanisms of drug abuse, based on males, applies to females. Under this administrative supplement Notice, grantees may request funds to conduct studies in females that are parallel to those proposed for males in order to assess whether there are comparable outcomes in males and females. Finding differences could then serve as the basis to further explore those outcomes in subsequent grant applications.
- Under-powered Human Subjects Studies. For many NIDA-funded studies, testing for sex/gender differences is precluded because the proposed study sample is too small to test for statistical differences. An administrative supplement, therefore, can be requested for the purpose of recruiting and testing additional subjects so as obtain sufficient statistical power to permit a gender analysis of outcomes.
- Secondary Data Analyses. Investigators who have data sets, either completed or in progress, for which there is statistical power for a sex/gender analyses, but for which such analyses were not proposed in the parent grant, may request funds to test for sex/gender differences. Such requests are appropriate only when there is clear justification for why the resources of the parent grant are insufficient to fund the proposed work.
Although the primary aim of this Notice is to advance knowledge on sex/gender differences in drug abuse by increasing the number of NIDA grants in which a sex/gender analysis of data is conducted, NIDA will also consider supplement requests for grants for which sex/gender analyses were proposed in the parent grant, and the grantee wishes to pursue opportunity to further advance knowledge on sex/gender differences in drug abuse within the scope of the parent grant.
The following additional requirements must be met and will be considered in the review of the request: (a) Provide a brief review of sex/gender differences literature that is relevant to drug abuse and why it suggests the need to conduct a sex/gender data analyses in the parent grant. (b) Set forth specific hypotheses regarding sex/gender differences and provide rationale for the hypotheses. (c) Describe how taking a sex/gender-based approach will further the aims and significance of the parent grant. (d) In the case of secondary data analysis, provide justification for why the resources of the parent grant are insufficient to fund the required work.
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Cora Lee Wetherington cwetheri@mail.nih.gov
301-435-1319
Health Disparities
Eliminating disparities in health continues to be a national priority as efforts to reduce disparities have met with mixed results (e.g., see Healthy People 2010: Midcourse Review Executive Summary). The purpose of this administrative supplement solicitation is to give NIDA-funded researchers the opportunity (1) to recruit additional study participants, or (2) to expand analyses of existing samples, measures or procedures which already have sufficient representation from various racial/ethnic minority populations. This will allow investigators to assess patterns of drug use, effects and potential adverse behavioral, social and health consequences; ascertain prevention and service strategies and interventions most efficacious or effective for specific groups within health disparity population groups; and determine differential treatment outcomes within and across racial/ethnic minority populations.
Research areas and analyses of strong interest to NIDA include the following:
- HIV/AIDS: Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV testing and access and utilization of treatment and services; prevention interventions among drug users involved in the criminal justice system; intervention strategies to coordinate and improve treatment and services for HIV, drug abuse, and co-occurring conditions (e.g., HCV); and research on structural interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission and/or to enhance access/utilization of treatment and services.
- Specific population groups: Groups chronically underrepresented in current drug abuse research include American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. Other groups of interest include MSM, rural dwellers, and immigrant/migrant/border populations.
- Conducting analyses within racial/ethnic population groups to determine factors (e.g., gender, age, socioeconomic status, country of origin, geographical location) contributing to differential experiences and outcomes related to drug use and prevention, intervention and treatment approaches.
- Conducting research on the influence of cultural factors on recruitment, participation, retention, community involvement, measures, and prevention, services and treatment approaches and outcomes.
- Impact and outcome of discrimination on treatment delivery and patient care
NIDA strongly encourages the employment and participation of underrepresented scholars in the supplemental work proposed.
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Lula Beatty lbeatty@nida.nih.gov 301-443-0441
CNS impairment and HIV
Despite the ability of current HAART therapy to reduce viral load, there is evidence of persistent neurocognitive dysfunction and other central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of HIV disease. CNS dysfunction affects quality of life and may lead individuals to engage in behaviors associated with HIV transmission (e.g., poor adherence to HAART and drug abuse intervention, risky decision making, impulsivity). Studies are needed in adolescents and adults on how HIV infection affects decision making, impulsivity, executive function, and other behavioral indices. Supplement requests to add HIV+ subjects to ongoing behavioral and/or imaging studies that can enhance our understanding of the consequences of CNS HIV infection are encouraged.
In general, you should contact the PO of the parent grant. If you do not know who your PO is, you may contact: Steven Grant, sgrant@nida.nih.gov 301-443-4877 or Yu "Woody" Lin ylin1@mail.nih.gov 301-435-1318
Instrumentation under $100,000
Administrative supplement requests will be considered for the acquisition or updating of instrumentation and equipment that has a direct and immediate application to ongoing NIDA-supported research. Types of instrumentation and equipment include, but are not limited to, electrophysiology workstations, sterotaxic devices, biosensors, microscopes, monitoring and examination equipment for basic and clinical research. General-purpose equipment such as personal computers, personal workstations, and printers will not be supported unless they are part of a "stand-alone" specialized instrument. Supplement requests for equipment may not exceed $100,000. For larger requests, applicants should consider the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) program, which supports equipment costs between $100,000 to $500,000. For instrumentation that costs more than $600,000, applicants should consider PAR-09-118 Recovery Act Limited Competition: High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-118.html which will be administered by NCRR.
Additional Guidance
Administrative supplement requests submitted to NIDA MUST be within the general scope of the peer-reviewed activities and aims approved within the currently active NIDA parent grant. Protocols that fall within the scientific scope of the parent grant, but were not proposed in the parent grant should be accompanied by the grant number of an NIH, peer reviewed and approved grant containing the protocol proposed in the supplement request. If the grant containing the additional protocol was awarded to someone other than the PI submitting the supplement request, a letter of collaboration and biosketch should be included in the supplement request.
All applications must address ARRA justifications, including how the supplement is expected to stimulate the economy by:
- enabling hiring of additional staff;
- enabling increased hours of current part-time staff;
- procuring additional needed equipment (costing under $100,000); and/or
- contracting for additional needed skills.
Include a timeline demonstrating that the proposed research can be completed within the requested period of support not to exceed two years.
Include with the supplement request, a current Human Subjects/IRB or Vertebrate Animals/IACUC approval letter as appropriate. Note that animals and human subjects can not be added if the parent grant is coded NO for animals or human subjects, respectively, even if a collaborating grant includes animals or human subjects.
Administrative supplement requests will be accepted if the parent grant is active through at least August 15, 2009, and the research/scientific activities proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the current competitive segment, including any extension. The request for extension may be included as part of the administrative supplement request. However, the parent grant must be active during the period that NIDA is reviewing the administrative supplement requests; that is, active through August 15, 2009. Please note that the review process for these requests is anticipated to be at least five weeks (may take as long as 12 weeks). If approved, the earliest start date for the administrative supplement will be five weeks after the request is submitted. Requested supplement period should be adjusted accordingly.
Funding Priorities:
In general, supplement requests are expected to be less than 25% of the parent grant or less than $100,000 in total direct costs per year, whichever is less. Applicants interested in pursuing topics with higher requested costs, should contact the NIDA program official (PO) prior to application submission to discuss the rationale for the costs and ascertain NIDA's interest.
Also, for this initiative, NIDA will accept requests for the following types of grants (activity codes):
- All active NIDA Research Project Grants, including R01, R03, R15, R21, P01, P30, P50, P60, and cooperative agreements U01, U10, and U19.
The following types of grants (activity codes) will not be accepted:
- U24, R24, R25, R41, R42, R43, R44, T32, F30, F31, F32, all K's except for K99
Application Receipt Dates for Administrative Supplements:
Applicants must submit the request through your institution's business office. Requests for a supplement for 2-years must be submitted by May 15, 2009.
Address for Sending Administrative Supplement Applications:
Applicants who submit PDFs electronically can send them to NIDAJustInTime@mail.nih.gov with subject line "Administrative Supplement Request for [the grant number]" Applicants who submit papers requests are to send them to:
NIDA Grants Management Branch
6101 Executive Boulevard
Suite 270, MSC 8403
Bethesda, MD 20892-8403, or for express delivery please use
Rockville, MD 20852
Timeline for Review of Administrative Supplements:
Administrative supplement applications will be reviewed by end of August with notification of award by September 30, 2009.
Contact Information:
In general, if you have questions, you should contact the PO of the parent grant.
Grants Management Contact: Carol Alderson, 301-594-5614 ca10h@nih.gov
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