152nd Meeting Minutes

Minutes – March 9, 2026

The National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse convened its 152nd meeting at 10:30 a.m. on March 9, 2026. This was a virtual meeting. The closed portion of the meeting held on March 9th was for reviewing applications for Federal grant assistance and was open only to Council members and Federal employees. The open portion of the meeting began at 1:00 p.m. The Council adjourned on March 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

Council Members Present
Arpana Agrawal, Ph.D.
Kate Beebe DeVarney, Ph.D.
Deborah Chassler, MSW
Cristiane Duarte, Ph.D.
Helena Hansen, M.D., Ph.D.
Regina LaBelle, J.D.
Angela Laird, Ph.D.
Mark VonZastrow, M.D., Ph.D

Council Chair
Nora Volkow, M.D.

Executive Secretary
Susan Weiss, Ph.D.

Closed Portion of the Meeting - March 9, 2026

1. Call to Order     
   This portion of the meeting was closed to the public in accordance with the determination that it was concerned with matters exempt from mandatory disclosure under sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., and section 1009(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1014).
   
   Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, NIDA, called the meeting to order and welcomed the Council and staff. She reminded those present that the Federal Advisory Committee Act applies to Council meetings and that this portion of the meeting was closed to the public.
   
   Dr. Susan Weiss, Executive Secretary, summarized relevant NIH policies, provided detailed instructions on Council review procedures, and reminded those present about NIH confidentiality and conflict of interest policies.
2. Application Reviews     
   Drs. Elena Koustova, Iván Montoya, Tristan McClure-Begley, Carlos Blanco, and Wilson Compton, Directors of NIDA’s Office of Translational Initiatives and Program Innovations, Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior (acting), Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research, and Office of Research Training and Career Development presented their Division’s assigned and peer-reviewed applications for consideration by the Council. For each application, Council provided unanimous en bloc concurrence with the initial scientific review. Eight Special Council Review Applications were presented to Council; Council concurred with program assessments. The initial review of all Trans- NIH Initiatives, including NIH Common Fund, Blueprint, and BRAIN applications, as well as foreign applications and applications with a secondary assignment to NIDA, also received Council concurrence. In total, Council concurred with the initial review of 1,472 applications requesting $796 million in first-year direct costs.
   
   Council and staff were recused from the Council meeting during the discussion of, and voting on, individual applications from their own institutions or other applications for which there was a conflict of interest, real or apparent. Conflict of interest statements were signed by each member of the Council. Members were not required to leave the room if an application in conflict with that member was acted upon en bloc.

Open Portion of the Meeting - March 9, 2026

1. Call to Order     
   Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, NIDA, called the open portion of the meeting to order and welcomed all attendees. She reminded all in attendance that the meeting was open to the public in compliance with the Government in the Sunshine Act, was available and recorded via videocast, and indicated that any public comments submitted via email within 10 days of the meeting would be included in the minutes.
2. Announce Future Council Dates
   May 5th & 6th, 2026
   September 8th, 2026
3. NIH Director Presentation (NIH Videocast @ 8:11) – Jayanta Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., Director, NIH
   
   Dr. Bhattacharya outlined major NIH and NIDA priorities, highlighting large-scale child development studies (the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development [ABCD] and the HEALthy Brain and Child Development [HBCD] studies) and the creation of the NIH Brain Development Cohorts Data Hub to advance transparent, reproducible science. He reviewed national drug overdose trends, emphasized the need to strengthen reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability in biomedical research, and described a unified funding strategy aimed at supporting high‑risk innovation, early‑career scientists, and broader institutional participation. Additional updates covered NIH budget changes, streamlined peer review and administrative burden reductions, and an overarching vision for “Gold Standard Science” that modernizes funding, enhances rigor, and improves public trust and equity in scientific opportunity.
   
   Council thanked Dr. Bhattacharya for his presentation and a discussion followed (NIH Videocast @ 37:54).
4. NIDA Director’s Report (NIH Videocast @ 1:01:11) – Nora Volkow, M.D., Director, NIDA
   
   Dr. Volkow updated Council on the FY26 Operating budget and organizational changes within NIDA. Next, Dr. Volkow presented data from the National Survey on Drug Use and health (NSDUH) showing that alcohol use disorder is declining among adults, while cannabis use disorder is rising, driven largely by increased use among adults over 35. Youth data presented from Monitoring the Future indicates a stable pattern of substance use and abstinence. Dr. Volkow provided updates on major NIH-supported longitudinal studies—including ABCD and HBCD—which continue to generate high-impact data on brain development, environmental exposures, and early substance use, with recent data releases expanding available insights. She then discussed overdose mortality and noted a decline between 2024 and 2025, particularly in deaths involving synthetic opioids, heroin, and cocaine, though fentanyl remains a key driver of overdose risk. Dr. Volkow highlighted significant advances in NIDA research such as the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network 2.0’s efforts to improve opioid use disorder treatment in justice settings, the Clinical Trials Network improvement in treating Opioid Use Disorder and Pain Comorbidity, and emerging evidence suggesting GLP-1 receptor agonists show promise for treating substance use disorders. She also emphasized targeting neuroplasticity for treatment and recovery. Lastly, Dr. Volkow discussed the timeline for NIDA’s updated Strategic Plan which will take effect in 2027.
   
   Council thanked Dr. Volkow for her presentation and a discussion followed (NIH Videocast @ 1:48:25).
5. Concept Clearances  (NIH Videocast @ 1:53:50)
   
   Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences (DTMC)
   NIDA Medication Development Contract Program – David White, Ph.D
   Council voted to approve this contract.
6. Public Comments (NIH Videocast @ 2:00:30)    
   No public comments were submitted.
7. Adjourn     
   The 152nd meeting of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Certification

I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are accurate and complete.

• Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
  Director, NIDA
  Chair, National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse
• Susan Weiss, Ph.D.
  Executive Secretary, National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse

Council Roster

Note: Informational materials provided to the public at the open session of the meeting may be obtained from the Executive Secretary.