Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Epidemiology of Drug Abuse
Notice Number:
NOT-DA-22-004

Key Dates

Release Date:

February 23, 2022

First Available Due Date:
June 05, 2022
Expiration Date:
September 08, 2025

Related Announcements

PA-20-185: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
PA-20-183: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required) 
PA-20-200: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
PA-20-195: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
PA-20-022: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required) 
PA-20-272: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Optional) 

Issued by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to encourage the submission of research project applications that enhance our understanding of the nature, extent, distribution, etiology, comorbidities, and consequences of drug use, misuse, and addiction across individuals, families, communities, and diverse population groups. Of interest are applications that address multiple levels of risk, resilience, and causation across scientific disciplines, and that apply novel methods to advance knowledge of the interplay among genetic, environmental, neurobiological, and developmental factors and associated health and disease outcomes. Priority will be given to research with a well described path towards translation and/or public health impact. In addition to novel data collection, approaches are encouraged that build on the research investments of NIH and sister HHS agencies to harness existing data on the epidemiology and etiology of drug misuse to improve public health prevention and treatment programs. The research areas noted below should be considered in the context of topics such as health disparities or inequities, familial/genetic liability, and physical, psychiatric, and polysubstance comorbidities and interactions.  

Background 

The mission of the Epidemiology Research Branch is to promote a research Program that is responsive to the evolving/dynamic landscape of drug/substance use. Supported research examines the impact and interplay of individual, familial, behavioral, developmental, social, cultural, environmental, community, and structural factors on the occurrence and distribution of drug use and associated behaviors and consequences. Studies should be designed to yield information that will guide the development of strategies to reduce the burden of substance use, addiction, and related outcomes on public health. 

Research Objectives 

NIDA seeks applications that allow for the advancement and translation of science, and that will inform our understanding of drug use and misuse epidemiology and etiology in a creative and cost-efficient manner. Of particular interest are studies that efficiently combine the advantages of epidemiological samples with behavioral, biological, neuroscience, and genetic measures, and that address differences in gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other health disparities or inequities, as well as projects that have the ability to identify and rapidly disseminate information about emerging drug trends. Supported research will have substantial public health impact and will inform basic, clinical, prevention, and services research to reduce the burden of drug use, misuse, and addiction on the nation's health. 

Research interests include: 

  • Translate current knowledge of general predictors of drug use outcomes towards more precise, individualized predictors of risk with clear intent to improve intervention outcomes (e.g. identify causal factors as targets). 

  • Determine the unique factors in different subpopulations that will lead to more effective, tailored interventions and/or reduce health inequities. 

  • Utilize technological advances to examine multiple levels of drug exposures, behaviors, and outcomes, as well as strategies for assessment, prevention, and treatment. 

  • Address variation in broad structural factors (e.g. policy context, shifting attitudes toward drug use, drug availability, criminal justice, poverty,  access to resources such as housing or health care, racism or other discrimination) across the population landscape to support epidemiological studies with real world implications. 

  • Employ novel statistical and computing methods (e.g. predictive modeling) in the context of broader scientific research questions that can lead to actionable prevention, policy, and clinical interventions. 

  • Gain a better understanding of the multiple drug use related risk factors that lead to HIV infection. 

 

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

For funding consideration, applicants must include "NOT-DA-22-004" (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R 

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after June 5 2022 and subsequent receipt dates through September 8, 2025 . 

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

  • PA-20-185: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    PA-20-183: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)
    PA-20-200:NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    PA-20-195: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    PA-20-022: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)
    PA-20-272: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Optional)

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

  • For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-DA-22-004” (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 funding opportunity announcements.

Marsha Lopez, PhD, MHS

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Telephone: (301) 443-6504

Email: Marsha.Lopez@nih.gov