Key Dates

Related Announcements

• May 5, 2020 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required). See NOFO PA-20-189.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-200.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required).  See NOFO PA-20-183.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).  See NOFO PA-20-185.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required).  See NOFO PA-20-184.
• May 6, 2020 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-190.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-194.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-195.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required). See NOFO PA-20-196.
• May 7, 2020 - Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-199.
• May 12, 2020 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-203.

Issued by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to encourage investigators to submit grant applications to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to investigate the roles of endocannabinoids and the effects of cannabinoid exposure in the developing brain, from fetal development through young adulthood in humans and animal models.

Funding mechanisms: R01, R21, R03, K01, K08, K25, K99, F32

Background

The dramatic increase in cannabis and cannabinoid use among pregnant people and young adults has the potential to result in adverse psychiatric, cognitive, and behavioral disorders throughout the lifespan. The endogenous cannabinoid system plays a critical role in brain development during embryogenesis and adolescence. The endocannabinoid system affects neurogenesis, neuronal and glial differentiation, axonal elongation, and pathfinding, as well as synaptic growth and neural circuit modulation. For example, the formation of the projections from the striatum to the substantia-nigra requires the activation of CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors have also been shown to be required for the development of the thalamocortical projections and the columnar organization of cortical columns in the cortex.

Exogenous exposure to cannabinoids such as THC, one of the active ingredients in the cannabis plant, leads to suppression of GABA inputs and the disruption of synaptic integration during development in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Exogenous cannabinoid exposure has also been shown to be associated with the impairments of the developing glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, opioidergic and serotonergic systems, especially in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, hippocampus, ventral tegmental area, and cerebellum. These observations in animals may explain the findings that cannabis use during pregnancy increase the risk of psychosis, substance use, and other behavioral problems in offspring. The mechanisms by which exogenous cannabinoid exposure affects brain development remain understudied.

Gaps in knowledge that can be addressed by research supported by this NOSI include: 

• What is the role that endocannabinoids and cannabinoids play in the development of the mesolimbic dopamine systems and in systems that modulate reward? 
• What are the mechanisms and critical periods by which endocannabinoids and exogenous cannabinoids influence pattern formation, neural proliferation, neuronal migration and differentiation, axonal pathfinding, synapse formation and synaptic plasticity, and synapse elimination? 
• How does exposure to exogenous cannabinoids in utero or during adolescence affect neural substrates or circuits that govern behavior and cognition?
• How do genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors modify the effect of exogenous cannabinoids on development?
• What mechanisms regulate the temporal and spatial expression of cannabinoid receptors and ligands?

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after June 5, 2024 and subsequent receipt dates through May 8, 2028. 

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notice of funding opportunities  (NOFOs) or any reissues of these  announcements through the expiration date of this notice.

• May 5, 2020 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required). See NOFO PA-20-189.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-200.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required).  See NOFO PA-20-183.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).  See NOFO PA-20-185.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required).  See NOFO PA-20-184.
• May 6, 2020 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-190.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-194.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-195.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required). See NOFO PA-20-196.
• May 7, 2020 - Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-199.
• May 12, 2020 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-203.
   

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the NOFO  used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-DA-25-030” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the Scientific/Research, Peer Review, and Financial/Grants Management contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity.

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Da-Yu Wu 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Phone: 301-435-4649 
Email: wudy@nida.nih.gov