What’s New at NIDA
Changes to NIDA’s Diversity Supplement Program
ORTDD is excited to announce some changes to the NIDA Diversity Supplement Program! For more than 30 years, NIH has made available supplements to existing grants to provide research opportunities, training, and mentorship to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. NIDA is proud to participate in this NIH-wide program, and our team at the ORTDD would like to spread the word to PIs on active NIDA awards as well as to potential applicants about this opportunity. PIs are encouraged to participate, so long as an active grant mechanism is eligible, there is sufficient time remaining during the initial award period for the supplement, and the and the PI is committed to mentoring and career development for the candidate. K award grants are not eligible to have Diversity Supplements, but most other mechanisms are!
Program details: Diversity supplement scholars may be post-bacs, master’s degree holders, doctoral students, post-docs, or early career investigators who meet eligibility criteria outlined in PA-23-189. A NIDA grantee-applicant must work closely with an eligible candidate to create a plan that will facilitate the scholar’s progression to the next career stage. The proposed research and training activities must be appropriate for the stage of the candidate, and the project must be within scope of the parent research award. Applications are administratively reviewed, that is, reviewed by NIH program staff. NIDA PIs can apply through the general NIDA Diversity Supplement Program or through a specialized program, such as the one managed by the BRAIN Initiative.
What’s new: In fiscal year 2025 (which starts on October 1, 2024), NIDA’s general Diversity Supplement Program will have multiple receipt dates. While you can submit your application at any time, the cut-off dates for NIDA’s administrative review will be August 15th, October 15th, December 15th, February 15th, and April 15th. The final receipt date to be considered for funding in the fiscal year (which ends September 30th) is April 15th. Another change to the program is that applications are limited to 6 pages regardless of the page limit for the “parent” grant mechanism, making application review equitable for all grant mechanisms. Please be certain to check your page limit!
For more information: To learn more, please see the Instructions to PI's and FAQ's, and reach out to Dr. Angela Holmes, NIDA’s Diversity Supplement Program Coordinator at (angela.holmes2@nih.gov).
Program Updates
A New NIDA Funding Opportunity Hit the Street! Consider applying for a “D-START”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has published a new notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), PAS-24-242, entitled “Data Science Track Award for Research Transition (D-START).” Awards will support investigators to apply advanced data science techniques to address timely and challenging research questions related to substance use and substance use disorders (SUD). As defined by NIH, data science encompasses the development and use of quantitative and analytical methods to extract knowledge from large and complex data sets. Expanding expertise in data science, particularly in big data analytics and computational science, is crucial for advancing SUD research. The goal is to generate data-driven insights to inform the development and implementation of interventions for prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery across diverse populations.
While the R03 mechanism is used for this award, the D-START allows for projects with budgets of up to $100,000 per year in direct costs over 2 years. NIDA plans to fund 6-7 projects per year during the 2025, 2026, and 2027 fiscal years, depending on annual institute appropriations and the receipt of meritorious applications. D-START awardees are expected to use their project findings to pursue further grant applications, such as a subsequent R01, focusing on the intersection of substance use and data science. Cross-disciplinary collaborations are strongly encouraged, and NIDA welcomes applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in STEM fields. Applicants should adhere to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles and address ethical considerations in research involving human subjects. Read more about this opportunity.
Apply for a NIDA Travel Award
Call for applications! NIDA is providing travel awards for scholars interested in attending the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco on March 12 -15, 2025 in New Orleans, LA. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2024 at 11:59pm ET.
The NIDA Travel Award Program aims to defray the costs of in-person attendance at national scientific conferences. Travel award recipients will receive an award in the amount of $1500 for meeting transportation, lodging, and/or registration. Awardees are expected to attend a NIDA “meet-and-greet” at the conference. See the NIDA Travel Award website for information about eligibility and how to apply.
Please contact Yohansa Fernández for any questions related to NIDA travel awards.
Career Development Spotlight: Dawn Bounds PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAAN
The NIDA ORTDD is excited to introduce Dr. Dawn Bounds to the research training community. Dr. Bounds is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine within the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. Her research interests include marginalized youth, adolescence, risk, resilience, commercial sexual exploitation, social media, mental health, integrative health, as well as wearable and biofeedback technology. She was a 2021 NIDA Diversity Scholars Network program participant and was recently awarded a 5-year R01 grant titled “Teaching Youth & Families Self-Regulation Skills to Disrupt the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Preventing Substance Use in Adversity-Impacted Youth.” Her research focuses the impact of the Garnering Resilience in Traumatized youth and families (GRIT) program on early initiation of alcohol and cannabis use among youth. Read about her below and what aspired her to become an addiction researcher.
Please share a little about yourself and your upbringing (if you're comfortable doing so), your educational background, and research focus.
I am the oldest of two daughters who were raised by a single mom. I am also a first-generation college student who was born and raised in Chicago. I spent all of my life there including my graduate education. I graduated with a BSN from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1999 and an MSN and PhD from Rush University in 2004 and 2015. Prior to becoming a researcher, I worked in the community as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. My experiences as a clinician working with marginalized youth on the west side of Chicago informs my research interests to this day. My program of research focuses on youth risk and resilience. More specifically, I am interested in preventing substance use initiation and disorders in adversity impacted youth.
At what point in your life did you know you wanted to become a scientist? What drew you to the STEM field and particularly substance use/addiction research?
I never knew that I wanted to become a scientist because I had little exposure to research. It is one of the reasons I am currently so committed to exposing high school and undergraduate students to research through my lab. I used to teach in a master’s program that changed to a doctoral program and I was urged to get my doctorate to continue teaching. This prompted me to get my PhD. During my program and working on a NIH funded study, I fell in love with research.
I have to admit I used to be a little resistant to working in the field of substance use/addiction due to my firsthand knowledge of what it does to families. But what I realized is that trauma and adversity (my area of interest and expertise) is inextricably linked to substance use/addiction. To continue to excel in the field of trauma and adversity, meant including substance use/addiction research.
Were there any events or individuals who inspired you throughout your professional journey?
My mother is my greatest inspiration. She always taught me to defy all odds. My own life experiences taught me persistence. I have encountered several amazing mentors and colleague along the way who have inspired me, fought and advocated for me, and supported me on my professional journey.
How did you learn about the NDSN Program? Please share about your experience as an NDSN scholar and major takeaways from participating in the program.
I tend to search out training programs and opportunities that support minoritized individuals like myself. These training programs have expanded my network and knowledge about programs like the NDSN. The NDSN provided a unique opportunity to receive a mock review of my grant which was so valuable. The biggest take away for me was to keep resubmitting my proposal. Doing so led to me finally getting funded this year.
What has been the most challenging obstacle you have had to face throughout your career journey to becoming an addiction researcher and what have you done to “push through”?
Not letting my career in academia become my sole identity has been most challenging. Academia and research can be consuming. Striking a balance between my work and the other aspects of my life has been an ongoing process. Understanding and prioritizing what’s most important to me has helped me push through with the help of my spirituality, supportive family and friends, and therapy. Building a support network that includes those who have thrived in academia is key.
Can you offer any advice to ESIs/scholars in earlier career stages who are navigating the NIH process for submitting grants and working towards the goal of being independently funded?
Persist! You belong in this space and your work is important to the field. Keep innovating, revising, and resubmitting those grants!
Is there anything else that you would like to share with the NIDA community about your inspiring journey?
I am truly grateful for being a part of the NIDA community. NIDA has supported my growth and development over the past 4 years. These initial investments through training have now led to a larger investment in my research. I’m excited to continue to collaborate with other NIDA scholars and prevent addiction and substance use disorders in adversity impacted youth.
Did You Know?
Your opinion matters! Check out the latest “RFI” on Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking feedback from the biomedical research community through a follow-up Request for Information (RFI) as part of an overarching goal to better support the postdoctoral scholar workforce. NIH began implementing recommendations earlier this year by increasing pay levels for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards. A Request for Information has been issued to gather community input on additional proposed actions to accelerate the career transition of postdoc scholars into thriving biomedical research careers.
Through the RFI, NIH is seeking additional specific suggestions, evidence-based strategies, and relevant data or related experiences that will help inform our potential strategies. Feedback will be accepted electronically until October 23, 2024. Please feel free to respond and widely share the RFI with your networks!
NIH is particularly interested in receiving input from:
- Trainees (e.g., graduate students, postdocs),
- Early-stage investigators,
- Biomedical faculty,
- Training directors,
- Postdoctoral and graduate student office leaders,
- Biotech/biopharma industry scientists, and research education program advocates.
NIH encourages organizations (e.g., patient advocacy groups, professional societies) to submit a single response reflective of the views of the organization or its membership.
Please direct all inquiries related to this RFI to reenvisionpostdoc@nih.gov.
Closing the Ginther Gap: Annual Update on NIH's Progress
In late July, NIH’s annual update on efforts to address the “Ginther Gap” was published Dr. Marie Bernard, the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), and Dr. Mike Lauer, the NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research. The “Ginther Gap” refers to results from a 2011 study that found a 10 percentage point difference in grant application success rates between black and white applicants, favoring white applicants. This update is a continuation of their work to examine research project grant (RPG) and R01 funding rates by race and ethnicity, as NIH has developed numerous programs to address disparities over the past decade. Drs. Bernard and Lauer report that despite some progress, disparities in funding rates by race and ethnicity persist. However, they also reveal in a recent blog that funding rates for K awards increased between 2010 and 2022. This is encouraging, as K awards often precede research project award funding.
Notable NIH initiatives to promote diversity in the scientific workforce include the Common Fund Diversity Program Consortium (DPC) and the Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) initiative. Along with the UNITE initiative, these programs aim to ensure that a diverse range of voices contribute to scientific innovation. The NIH remains committed to monitoring and evaluating progress towards achieving equity in funding, ensuring there are no barriers to participation. Read more about this update in the full blog post.
NIH UNITE Workshop on Structural Racism and Health Research
Have you ever wondered what is meant by “structural racism” or what structural racism has to do with health research and health outcomes? On July 18th and 19th, the NIH UNITE Initiative leadership and members convened a virtual workshop to explore these and related topics. The workshop featured researchers, clinicians, and community partners with expertise in fields such as social and natural sciences, law and criminal justice, education, public policy, and social work—as well as biomedical, behavioral, and public health. Speakers provided insights into the origins and drivers of structural racism, methodological considerations in the measurement of structural racism, and interventions to improve health outcomes through strategies that reflect an awareness of the research on structural racism. A recording of the webinar is now available using these links: July 18 Videocast | July 19 Videocast. See the workshop website for additional information about the event.