153rd Meeting Minutes

Minutes – May 5, 2026

The National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse convened its 153rd meeting at 10:30 a.m. on May 5, 2026. This was a hybrid meeting. The closed portion of the meeting held on May 5th 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 1:30 p.m. The Council adjourned on May 5, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

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

Council Chair
Nora Volkow, M.D.

Executive Secretary
Susan Weiss, Ph.D.

• Non-Federal Employees Present
  Rodrigo España, Ph.D. – Drexel University

Closed Portion of the Meeting - May 5, 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. Wilson Compton, Iván Montoya, Tristan McClure-Begley, and Carlos Blanco, Directors of NIDA’s Office of Research Training and Career Development, Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior (acting), and Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research 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. 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. During this meeting, Council concurred with the initial review of 488 applications requesting $202 million in first-year direct costs. Following the meeting, once the remainder of scientific reviews were complete, Council concurred virtually with the initial review of 728 applications requesting $332 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. Conflicts 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.
3. Report to Council from the Board of Scientific Counselors
   Dr. Rodrigo España, the Acting Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), provided an overview to Council on the most recent BSC review of the NIDA Intramural Research Program (IRP).

Open Portion of the Meeting - May 5, 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
   September 8, 2026
   February 2, 2027
   May 12-13, 2027
3. NIDA Director’s Report (NIH Videocast @ 00:02:20) – Nora Volkow, M.D., Director, NIDA
   Dr. Volkow updated Council on the FY26 operating budget, which remains stable at $1.66B, and highlighted ongoing organizational activities across NIDA’s divisions and offices. She presented new data from major NIH-supported longitudinal studies, including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) and the Healthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD), which continue to generate high-impact insights on brain development, environmental exposures, and early substance use. The ABCD study maintains high participant retention and has released new data, with a significant proportion of publications authored by external scientists. Dr. Volkow then discussed national trends in drug overdose mortality, noting a decline in deaths between 2024 and 2025, especially for synthetic opioids, heroin, and cocaine, though methadone-related deaths saw a slight increase. She emphasized the ongoing challenge of polysubstance use, which complicates treatment and overdose reversal, with recent National Surveys on Drug use and Health (NSDUH) data showing high rates of multiple substance use disorders among adults. Next, she highlighted advances in NIDA research, including promising results for GLP-1 receptor agonists in treating and preventing substance use disorders, as well as new findings from clinical trials on semaglutide and psilocybin for alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine use disorders. Dr. Volkow also addressed the surge in scientific and public interest in psychedelic therapies, referencing a recent executive order aimed at accelerating research and access to psychedelic compounds. She reviewed translational gaps and opportunities in psychedelic research, including mechanistic uncertainty, biomarker deficits, and trial design constraints, while pointing to structure-guided design and precision stratification as future directions. Updates were provided on the BRAIN Initiative and HIV-related neuroscience projects, which are advancing cell mapping and understanding the transcriptional impact of substance use and HIV on the brain. Dr. Volkow concluded the presentation by reaffirming NIDA’s commitment to data-driven science, treatment innovation, and broad data sharing through platforms and repositories.
   
   Council thanked Dr. Volkow for her presentation and a discussion followed (NIH Videocast @ 0:48:12).
4. NIDA 2027-2031 Strategic Plan Update (NIH Videocast @ 1:17:31) – Daniel Stimson, J.D., Ph.D., Health Science Policy Analyst, Office of Scientific Planning and Coordination
   Dr. Stimson presented NIDA’s process for developing the next Strategic Plan. He explained that NIH and its Institutes and Centers are legally required to submit strategic plans to Congress every five years, following a standardized template that organizes priorities into research, capacity, operational, and cross-cutting themes. The plan revision process involves reviewing emerging science, recent funding opportunities, council-approved concepts, and alignment with broader NIH and White House priorities. The new draft identifies scientific priority areas such as understanding drug effects on the brain and health, improving interventions for substance use disorders, developing novel overdose prevention strategies, and advancing implementation science. Cross-cutting themes include addressing health disparities, studying interactions between substance use and comorbidities, understanding sex differences, applying data science, and advancing research on polysubstance use. Capacity and operational priorities focus on strengthening the research workforce, leveraging data science and AI, supporting product development, and fostering transparency and collaboration. The plan invites stakeholder feedback through Requests for Information and outlines a timeline for drafting, review, and publication through early 2027.
   
   Following the presentation, a discussion with Council occurred (NIH Videocast @ 1:30:43).
5. Division of Neuroscience and Behavior Prospectus 2026 and Beyond: Evolving Core Topics to Bridge Mechanistic Gaps (NIH Videocast @ 1:38:46) – Tristan McClure-Begley, Ph.D., Acting Director, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior (DNB)
   Dr. McClure-Begley outlined the DNB’s vision and activities for 2026 and beyond. He highlighted DNB’s organizational structure, robust research training portfolio, and its foundational role in addiction neuroscience. He provided an overview on the breadth and diversity of DNB’s research investments, emphasizing conceptual coverage across four domains: social, psychological, systems biology, and neurobiological. Next, Dr. McClure-Begley used advanced metrics to quantify different topics and identify trends and gaps in research. He reviewed recent accomplishments, including thousands of peer-reviewed publications, and identified emerging opportunities and knowledge gaps such as metabolic sensors, attention systems, and integrative approaches to addiction research. Overall, DNB’s contributions are positioned as essential for advancing the neuroscience of addiction, with a focus on integration, innovation, and strategic growth.
   
   Following the presentation, a discussion with Council occurred (NIH Videocast @ 2:12:47).
6. Concept Clearances  (NIH Videocast @ 2:21:17)
   
   Division of Neuroscience and Behavior (DNB)
   – NIH Blueprint Initiative: Tools for Germline Gene Editing in the Nervous System – Jonathan Pollock Ph.D.
   – NIDA Core Center for Transformative Science Program – Roger Little, Ph.D.
   
   Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research (DESPR)
   - Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health – Sarah Vidal, Ph.D.
7. Public Comments (NIH Videocast @ 2:27:30)    
   No public comments were submitted.
8. Adjourn     
   The 153rd meeting of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse was adjourned at 4:30 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.