Notice Number: NOT-DA-15-044

Key Dates
Release Date: March 17, 2015

Issued by
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to correct the following statement in PAR-13-350 "Early Career Award in Chemistry of Drug Abuse and Addiction (ECHEM) (R21/R33)" which was published on September 11, 2013.

Part 2. Section III. Eligibility Information

Currently reads

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This FOA is intended to encourage early career chemists (or chemists new to NIH) to develop probes that aid basic research investigations on drug abuse and/or identify new or better templates as lead compounds with potential for conducting SAR-function studies. A New Investigator is an NIH research grant applicant who has not yet competed successfully for a substantial, NIH research grant. For example, a PD/PI who has previously received a competing NIH R01 research grant is no longer considered a New Investigator. However, a PD/PI who has received a small grant (R03) or an Exploratory, Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) retains his or her status as a New Investigator. For a complete list of NIH grants that do not disqualify a PD/PI from being considered a New Investigator, please visit: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm.
An ESI, or Early Stage Investigator, is a New Investigator who has completed his or her terminal research degree or medical residency whichever date is later within the past 10 years and has not yet been awarded a substantial, competing NIH research grant. The dates that start the period of classification as an Early Stage investigator are entered in the investigators eRA Commons Profile (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/).

It is expected that ESIs will constitute the majority of funded NIs. Software within the eRA Commons will check first for New Investigator status based on the individual’s previous award history. A New Investigator is identified in the NIH eRA Commons by searching for evidence of previous substantial research grant awards. ESIs are identified in the eRA Commons based on information entered about degree conferral date or the end of residency date, whichever is most recent."  

Modified to read:

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This FOA is intended to encourage early career chemists (or chemists new to NIH) to develop probes that aid basic research, discovery and early development on drug abuse and/or identify new or better templates as lead compounds with potential for conducting SAR-function studies.

A New Investigator is an NIH research grant applicant who may not yet have competed successfully for a substantial, NIH research grant. For example, a PD/PI who has previously received a competing NIH R01 research grant is no longer considered a New Investigator. However, a PD/PI who has received a small grant (R03) or an Exploratory, Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) retains his or her status as a New Investigator. For a complete list of NIH grants that do not disqualify a PD/PI from being considered a New Investigator, please see: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm.

An ESI, or Early Stage Investigator, is a New Investigator who has completed his or her terminal research degree or medical residency whichever date is later within the past 10 years and has not yet been awarded a substantial, competing NIH research grant. The dates that start the period of classification as an Early Stage investigator are entered in the investigators eRA Commons Profile (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/).

If the PD/PI no longer meets the NIH definition of an ESI or an NI (as above), the PD/PI would still be eligible to apply to this FOA. To encourage the funding of early-career chemists (or chemists new to NIH), ESI or NI's will receive funding priority over more established investigators.

It is expected that ESIs will constitute the majority of funded NIs. Software within the eRA Commons will check first for New Investigator status based on the individual’s previous award history. A New Investigator is identified in the NIH eRA Commons by searching for evidence of previous substantial research grant awards. ESIs are identified in the eRA Commons based on information entered about degree conferral date or the end of residency date, whichever is most recent.

All other aspects of PAR-13-350 remain unchanged.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Kristopher Bough, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-443-9800
Email: [email protected]