In accordance with the FY 2008 Congressional action and the NIH Fiscal Operations Plan for FY 08, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has established the following funding policy

New and Competing

• New and competing grants will be funded at the same average cost as in FY 2007.

NIDA will continue to use the:

• The NIH Director's Innovator Awards (DP2) to support new investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative new research approaches (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-014.html),
• The NIH Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-297.html) to increase and maintain new and talented NIH-supported independent investigators, and the
• NIH Directors Bridge Award (R56) program (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-07-056.html), which provides continued but limited bridge funding to meritorious investigators whose applications were close to the funding range and have other minimal other support.

New Investigators

• NIDA is committed to supporting first-time R01 investigators (by NIH definition) and will maintain a comparable level to the average of the most recent five years. This means new investigator status will be considered in funding decisions and is one factor in funding grants beyond the normal payline.

Non-competing Continuations (Type 5)

• Non-competing continuations (modular and non-modular) will be funded at 98% of committed levels, including co-funds. This policy does not apply to Fs, Ts, Ks, SBIR/STTRs, and R13s. Future year commitments will also be adjusted accordingly.
• Awards previously issued in FY 2008 at reduced levels will be revised to restore funds to the level indicated above (see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-001.html).