What We Do:
The Office of Extramural Policy (OEP) serves as a primary source of NIH policy knowledge and implementation for the Institute. In addition to these responsibilities, OEP coordinates NIDA’s Council activities, operations planning, initiative development, funding opportunity lifecycle including tracking and publication, extramural policy staff training, committee management activities and receipt and referral of applications submitted to NIDA funding opportunities.
Who We Are:
- Marian Wachtel, Ph.D. - Director
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Dr. Wachtel is the Director of the Office of Extramural Policy at NIDA’s Division of Extramural Research. She comes to NIDA from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where she served as a Scientific Initiatives Officer in the Office of Initiative Development, NIAID Challenge Manager, and Program Officer in the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. In addition, she completed an extended detail at the NIH Office of Extramural Research Guide Office, performing review policy review and quality control of Funding Opportunity Announcements and Notices published by the NIH. Prior to this, she was a Scientific Review Officer at the Center for Scientific Review, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Integrated Review Group, managing study sections to review both basic and applied research, as well as small business applications. She received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles and completed postdoctoral work at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. -
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Dr. Gillian Acca serves as the Council Coordinator for NIDA and is responsible for all planning, coordination, and communication related to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. In addition, she assists with the annual strategic operations planning for scientific initiatives. Dr. Acca also supports the ABCD Study and the HBCD Study as the Executive Secretary of the Observational Study Monitoring Board. Prior to this role, she worked with the Office of Research Training at NIDA coordinating the Loan Repayment Program and also as a Health Science Policy Analyst at the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, where she provided research and analysis for a number of initiatives. Dr. Acca received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Texas A&M University where she studied neural systems for memory processing. - Jeanette Marketon, Ph.D. – Health Science Policy Analyst
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Dr. Jeanette Marketon is the Receipt and Referral Officer in the Office of Extramural Policy in NIDA’s Division of Extramural Research. Her responsibilities include managing the referral of applications to the Divisions within NIDA, communicating with the Center for Scientific Review’s Division of Receipt & Referral and other ICs on application transfers and application compliance, and being the point of contact for R15 and R13 grants. Prior to joining NIDA, Jeanette was a Health Scientist Administrator in the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Extramural Activities, where she served primarily as a Referral Officer, but also acted as a Scientific Review Officer. Prior to joining the NIH, Jeanette was a contractor for General Dynamics Information Technology, working as the Post Award Science Manager for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and as a Scientific Review Manager for the Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Programs and, before that, she was a Programme Manager at the Medical Research Council (UK). Jeanette was an Assistant Professor (2006-2013) at The Ohio State University Medical Center, where her research focused on glucocorticoid receptor function in the presence of a respiratory infection. Jeanette received a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield (UK) in biochemistry, and completed post-doctoral trainings at Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden). -
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Rosemary Moody, M.P.P. joined NIDA as the Program Specialist for the Division of Extramural Research. Ms. Moody provides support for NIDA’s Operations Planning Processes (OPS) and National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA) activities, working in close collaboration with the NIDA OPS and NACDA Coordinator, as well as other Division of Extramural Research staff. Specifically, she is responsible for administrative and project management tasks for the Research Management and Support budget Tracking, Purchasing Online Tracking System Requester for Contracts, NACDA meetings, including Council Member Travel, Electronic Council Book (ECB) Training for new NACDA Members, NACDA meeting coordination and data management of the ECB, including all early concurrence activities as well as ECB activities in preparation for each NACDA meeting. Prior to joining NIDA, Ms. Moody was the Program Specialist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for 9 years, where she supported the Division of Extramural Training and Research with council activities, grants review funding decisions, provided administrative and technical support to the Deputy Director and staff within the division. Ms. Moody received her master’s degree in Public Policy from Walden University. -
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Marsha Nelson-Duncan joined the Office of Extramural Policy in 2022 as the Extramural Policy Training Specialist, coming to NIDA from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Office of Scientific Operations in Frederick, MD. Her experience in creating and providing training began in the non-profit world before moving into local and then federal government. She was certified as a Master Trainer, as well as a Master Resiliency Trainer, during her time with the Department of the Army prior to joining the NCI and used that knowledge to create a training program for both scientific and administrative mentors for the student training programs in Frederick. She is currently working on developing a platform for the newly created Extramural Policy Training Program that will house training opportunities, recordings, modules and other associated training resources, in addition to coordinating relevant trainings, events and workshops, for all NIDA staff. -
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Christina Page joined NIDA in February 2014 and serves as a Program Analyst within the Office of Extramural Policy. Christina brings over 15 years of government experience, including roles as a human resource specialist, healthcare representative, peer review support, initiative coordinator, and receipt and referral associate. She is the appointed Executive Secretary for the HEALing Communities Study and the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network Data Safety Monitoring Boards. Recent awards include the 2022 Directors Award for NIDA Racial Equity Initiatives, the 2020 NIDA Director’s Rising Star Award, and the 2020 Director's Award for Collaboration. Christina is a graduate of the NIH Management Seminar Series (MSS) and has served as a MSS Advisor. Prior to joining NIDA, she worked in healthcare management for the Department of the Army. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in English at George Mason University. She is a member of the Society for Technical Communication and the Maryland Writers’ Association. -
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Mrs. Yvonne Walker joined NIDA in August 2014 and serves as a Program Specialist within the Office of Extramural Policy. Yvonne is the Guide Liaison for NIDA and is responsible for managing all NIDA’s funding opportunities (NOFOs) and Notices. She is also NIDA’s primary point of contact for the NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement Management (FOAM) system. She is a Level II Contract Officer Representative and manages the Grants Review Support Services Contract for NIDA. Prior to coming to NIDA, she worked at The National Cancer Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency where she was the Executive Assistant to the Director. She also is a Veteran of the United States Air Force where she was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operative Iraqi Freedom. Recent awards include the 2021 NIDA Director’s Rising Star Award and several OD Special Act Awards. Mrs. Walker received her Bachelor of Science in Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College.