Key Dates

Related Announcements

• October 20, 2022 - Avenir Award Program for Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders (DP1- Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See Notice RFA-DA-24-007

Issued by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to inform applicants of a change to the Key Dates in RFA-DA-24-007, "Avenir Award Program for Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders (DP1- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and to revise the Matching Requirement Instructions. Specifically, the first receipt date will change from August 9, 2023 to September 6, 2023.

Currently Reads:

Part 1. Overview

Key Dates

Modified to Read:

Part 1. Overview

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

Post Submission Materials

Currently, it reads:

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Letters of Reference:

Letters of reference are an important component of the application. Applicants must arrange to have three (and no more than three) letters of reference submitted on their behalf. Applications that are missing letters of reference will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Late letters will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the submission of their letters to ensure that three letters have been submitted prior to the submission deadline. Applicants are encouraged to check the status of their letters in application status page in Commons.

Letters may be submitted beginning July 9 and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time of applicant organization), August 9.

To submit a letter of reference, the referee will need the following information:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this announcement: RFA-DA-24-007
• The applicant’s eRA Commons User Name (Note: Referees do not need to be registered in the Commons and do not need their own Commons User Name only the Commons User Name of the applicant is required);
• The applicant’s first and last name (note the name must match exactly the applicant’s name in the Commons);
• The URL to the letter submission page (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/reference/submitReferenceLetter.era)

Letters of reference are confidential. Applicants will not have access to the letters. Email confirmations will be sent to both the applicant and the referee. The confirmation sent to the applicant will include the referee’s name and the date and time the letter was submitted. The confirmation sent to the referee will include the referee and applicant’s names, a confirmation number, and the date and time the letter was submitted.

Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the applicant’s responsibility to check the status of his/her letters of reference periodically in the Commons.

Instructions for Referees:

Letters may be submitted to the Commons at (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/reference/submitReferenceLetter.era) beginning July 9 and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time of applicant organization), August 9. Late letters will not be accepted and applications with fewer than three letters will not be reviewed. Letters must be submitted electronically paper copies will not be accepted.

The applicant’s name should be placed at the top of the letter. Although signatures are not required, the letter must include a signature block with the referee’s full name, title, institution, and contact information.

In two pages or less, describe the applicant’s qualities that support the applicant’s claim to scientific innovativeness and creativity. When possible, give specific examples that illustrate these qualities. Address the likelihood that the applicant will conduct groundbreaking research in the proposed research area.

Note: The letter submission page can be accessed without signing into the Commons, and referees do not need to be registered in the Commons. Referees must provide the applicant’s Commons User Name (User ID) and the other information below:

REFEREE INFORMATION (the individual providing the letter of reference):

• Referee’s First and Last Name (Required)
• Referee’s Middle Initial (MI) (Not Required)
• Referee’s Email Address (Required)
• Referee’s Institution/Affiliation (Required)
• Referee’s Department (Required)

APPLICANT INFORMATION (applicants must send this information to their referees):

• Applicant’s Commons User Name (User ID), (Required) (Important this must be the applicant s, not the referee s, Commons User Name (User ID). The letter will not be linked to the appropriate application if the Applicant’s User Name is not entered here.)
• Applicant’s Last Name (Required). (Note: must match exactly the applicant’s name in the Commons)
• Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) of this announcement: RFA-DA-24-007. (Required)
• Confirmation Number (Required only when resubmitting a letter, that is, when submitting a revised or changed/corrected letter for the current FOA)

Email confirmations will be sent to both the applicant and the referee following submission of the letter. The email confirmation will include a Confirmation Number that will be required only when submitting a revised or changed/corrected letter. Please print the confirmation email for your records.

Revised to read (in bold italics):

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Letters of Reference:

Letters of reference are an important component of the application. Applicants must arrange to have three (and no more than three) letters of reference submitted on their behalf. Applications that are missing letters of reference will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Late letters will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the submission of their letters to ensure that three letters have been submitted prior to the submission deadline. Applicants are encouraged to check the status of their letters in application status page in Commons.

Letters may be submitted beginning July 9 and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time of applicant organization), September 6, 2023, August 9, 2024, or August 7, 2025 for the corresponding application due dates.

To submit a letter of reference, the referee will need the following information:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this announcement: RFA-DA-24-007
• The applicant’s eRA Commons User Name (Note: Referees do not need to be registered in the Commons and do not need their own Commons User Name only the Commons User Name of the applicant is required);
• The applicant’s first and last name (note the name must match exactly the applicant’s name in the Commons);
• The URL to the letter submission page (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/reference/submitReferenceLetter.era)

Letters of reference are confidential. Applicants will not have access to the letters. Email confirmations will be sent to both the applicant and the referee. The confirmation sent to the applicant will include the referee’s name and the date and time the letter was submitted. The confirmation sent to the referee will include the referee and applicant’s names, a confirmation number, and the date and time the letter was submitted.

Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the applicant’s responsibility to check the status of his/her letters of reference periodically in the Commons.

Instructions for Referees:

Letters may be submitted to the Commons at (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/reference/submitReferenceLetter.era) beginning July 9 and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time of applicant organization), September 6, 2023, August 9, 2024, or August 7, 2025 for the corresponding application due dates. Late letters will not be accepted and applications with fewer than three letters will not be reviewed. Letters must be submitted electronically paper copies will not be accepted.

The applicant’s name should be placed at the top of the letter. Although signatures are not required, the letter must include a signature block with the referee’s full name, title, institution, and contact information.

In two pages or less, describe the applicant’s qualities that support the applicant’s claim to scientific innovativeness and creativity. When possible, give specific examples that illustrate these qualities. Address the likelihood that the applicant will conduct groundbreaking research in the proposed research area.

Note: The letter submission page can be accessed without signing into the Commons, and referees do not need to be registered in the Commons. Referees must provide the applicant’s Commons User Name (User ID) and the other information below:

REFEREE INFORMATION (the individual providing the letter of reference):

• Referee’s First and Last Name (Required)
• Referee’s Middle Initial (MI) (Not Required)
• Referee’s Email Address (Required)
• Referee’s Institution/Affiliation (Required)
• Referee’s Department (Required)

APPLICANT INFORMATION (applicants must send this information to their referees):

• Applicant’s Commons User Name (User ID), (Required) (Important this must be the applicant s, not the referee s, Commons User Name (User ID). The letter will not be linked to the appropriate application if the Applicant’s User Name is not entered here.
• Applicant’s Last Name (Required). (Note: must match exactly the applicant’s name in the Commons)
• Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) of this announcement: RFA-DA-24-007. (Required)
• Confirmation Number (Required only when resubmitting a letter, that is, when submitting a revised or changed/corrected letter for the current FOA)

Email confirmations will be sent to both the applicant and the referee following submission of the letter. The email confirmation will include a Confirmation Number that will be required only when submitting a revised or changed/corrected letter. Please print the confirmation email for your records.

All other aspects of this FOA remain unchanged.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Sam Ananthan, Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Phone: 301-435-2199
Email: sam.ananthan@nih.gov