What’s New at NIDA
2024 NIDA Racial Equity Initiative (REI) Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of PIs supported through NIDA’s Racial Equity Initiative (REI) funding opportunities was held in North Bethesda, Maryland on October 28-29, 2024. Organized by the team from the REI Coordinating Center at the University of Kentucky, the theme of the gathering was “Health Equity Research in Action.”
On Day 1, investigators and partners shared reports on their progress to date with their highly innovative, community-engaged research projects addressing disparities in drug use and drug-related HIV outcomes. Day 1 also featured a roundtable with NIDA leadership, including NIDA’s Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton. NIDA Science Officer, Dr. Keisher Highsmith, shared that “REI PIs appreciated the opportunity to present their projects to NIDA leadership.”
On day 2, participants engaged with experts who have conducted health equity research in Native American, Black/African American, and Latinx Communities. Presenters Dr. Allison Barlow of Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, Dr. Danelle Stevens-Watkins, and Dr. Nalini Negi of University of Maryland at Baltimore engaged attendees and shared their wisdom.
The event was well-attended by a wide range of participants including PIs, Project Managers, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and community partners. NIDA’s Program Official for the Center Dr. Alexa Romberg, felt the two-day event was a fantastic opportunity for individuals with diverse perspectives to network. Romberg explained that “One thing that makes REI unique from many other initiatives is that the projects that are part of the collaborative are different from one another” She explained that this allows for diversity in scientific perspectives.
A major theme throughout the meeting was how to make a collective impact with the group and how the Coordinating Center can amplify the impact of the work. Participants are eager to work together, and leaders of the initiative have made this a priority moving forward. For more information on NIDA REI grantees, please see these links: NIDA REI Cohort 1 and NIDA REI Cohort 2.
Program Updates
NIDA is Accepting Intern Applications for the 2025 NIDA Summer Research Internship Program!
Do you know an undergraduate student looking for a summer research opportunity with an NIH researcher? NIDA offers paid summer research internships to expose undergraduate students to the field of substance use and addiction research. Selected students work with distinguished scientists at research institutions across the United States for eight weeks during the summer. Internships involve hands-on experiences that may include laboratory experiments, data collection, data analysis, formal courses, participation in lab meetings, patient interviews, manuscript preparation, library research, literature reviews, and more. This program is intended to provide opportunities for talented students, particularly those who have fewer opportunities for research experience available to them. Apply before January 6, 2025 and reach out to Julie Huffman at (NSRIP@nih.gov) if you have any questions.
NIDA Summer Research Internship Program website.
2025 NDSN Application is Now OPEN!
The ORTDD is excited to share that the 2025 NIDA Diversity Scholars Network (NDSN) program application period is now open! NIDA is seeking applications from passionate scholars interested in conducting substance use and addiction research. While the program is open to all The NDSN program is a grant-writing program aimed at enhancing the funding success of early-stage investigators. We strongly encourage applications from investigators whose research goals and background align with the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity. The program consists of three workshops and culminates in a mock review meeting experience. Please share this opportunity with anyone you think might be interested. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025. A Pre-Application Webinar that took place this month, along with FAQs and other important information about the program can be found on the NDSN website.
Any questions can be directed to Isabela Ellenwood at (NDSN@nih.gov).
Career Development Spotlight: Carrie Ferrario
NIDA’s ORTDD is excited to introduce the addiction research training community to Dr. Carrie Ferrario, Associate Professor within the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychology at the University of Michigan (UM). Her lab examines the neurobiological mechanisms of food craving and how these processes are influenced by consumption of sugary, fatty, “junk-food” diets and individual susceptibility to obesity. Her work in this area also addresses potential behavioral similarities and differences between over-consumption of food vs. addictive drugs. Dr. Ferrario has served as a UM Faculty Ally for Diversity, on the ACNP DEI Task Force, and the UM Pharmacology DEI Committee. Dr. Ferrario is currently the Pharmacology Department Postdoc Chair, co-Director of the UM Biology of Drug Abuse T32, a member of the Editorial board for Physiology and Behavior, and an Associate Member of the ACNP. Learn more about her inspiring career journey below.
Please share a little about yourself and your upbringing, your educational background, and research focus.
I am a Professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. My research group conducts studies in rodents to understand how eating sugary, fatty foods change the brain to promote over-eating. We compare and contrast these changes in brain and behavior with those induced by addictive substances like cocaine. I stumbled into research as a sophomore in college, and I still find myself excited to be working in an environment with driven, smart, and thoughtful people who are excited to venture into the unknown.
I grew up in an affluent suburb of NY City and had excellent access to education, though this world was foreign to my parents who came from families who worried about making ends meet and beamed with pride when their kids were able to attend community college and obtain professional degrees. As an undergraduate, I attended Indiana University largely because it was far away from anyone I knew (a real plus in my book at age 18), and had applied because no essay was required (this I remember because my mother had been bugging me to complete college applications).
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?
My parents dropped me off at college with no particular advice about the next 4 years. My mom mused as we walked around campus that we may be passing my future husband; she had goals for me. After they left, I discovered that my dad had printed and taped to my dorm room door a black and white clip art picture of a drill sergeant under which were written the words “Get to work!” I started off as an English major and added psychology after taking an introduction to Biological Psychology (a.k.a., neuroscience) class.
My very first research experience was working part time to screen participants for a study that examined attitudes about HIV and AIDS in men who have sex with men. This was the late 1990s; there were no websites or computer-based screening. I called people who had left their contact information on an answering machine, administered a list of screening questions about their sexual history and whether they met the inclusion criteria, explained that a questionnaire would be mailed to them and that all information collected would be anonymous. The study was part of my friend Leonard Bates’s dissertation work. It was Leonard who suggested that I apply for a fellowship that would allow me to pursue research more fully. In truth, I needed money for school (my father’s job was uncertain and out of state tuition weighed on his mind). The MEDIC-B Fellowship not only provided a stipend if I worked in a research lab, it also covered tuition. This program was developed to attract people from under-represented backgrounds into STEM. I applied and was awarded a spot. My father did not believe that my family heritage (Mexican-American on my mother’s side) and strong grades were sufficient to warrant such compensation. He even made the office send him a formal letter stating that we would not need to pay the money back.
I joined the lab of Dr. Joseph Steinmetz and instantly caught the science bug. Joe used to come in lab and delight in the “Pop! Pop! Pop!” sound of Purkinje cells firing, coming from one of the lab’s recoding set ups. His excitement and the excitement of the postdocs and graduate students who trained me was infectious. I developed an interest in the neural mechanisms of Pavlovian learning, particularly how cues in our environment that we associate with rewards can influence our behavior, even without our conscious awareness. It was this fascination that drew me to Terry Robinson’s lab for my graduate work and ultimately the addiction field. This interest in the neurobiology of Pavlovian motivation (i.e., cue triggered cravings and urges) and its influence on behavior in the context of addiction is still central to my lab’s research program.
What NIH/NIDA programs have you participated in and how have they impacted your career trajectory?
Large parts of my graduate and postdoctoral training were supported by NIDA-funded programs. They not only provided financial support, but also a network of advisors and training events that helped me succeed. I was fortunate to have Susan Volman, PhD as the program officer for my graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. Susan made me feel instantly valued when upon meeting at an NIH-sponsored event at the Society for Neuroscience meeting she recognized my name and knew not only who I worked with but what I worked on. I was further floored when she stopped by my poster. We made a point of staying in contact and would get together over coffee or lunch at SFN meetings, even after she was no longer my PO. In fact, it was Susan who advised me about which NIH institute was the best fit for the independent research proposals I developed as a new faculty member. Susan provided guidance, advice and encouragement at key periods in my career development for which I will be forever thankful.
What role did mentorship play in you navigating the NIH grant application process and making decisions about next steps throughout your career?
I have been very fortunate to have strong mentors at each stage of my scientific education and development. From one of my now oldest and dearest friends, Dr. Gabrielle Britton, who taught me how to do stereotaxic surgery and helped me navigate the graduate school application process, to Dr. Dale Sengelaub whose refrain, “Does it get your thesis done? Then don’t do it!” I now find myself saying to my own research honors undergraduates, to Drs. Marina Wolf and Peggy Gnegy who have provided countless hours of council on matters ranging from how to review a manuscript and write grant proposals to how to navigate the job market, manage a lab, and stay (mostly) sane while doing it. So many people have given their time to teach me, provide guidance and advice. Perhaps what has been most valuable is not necessarily the specific pieces of advice or words of wisdom from my mentors, but the examples they provided about what success can look like, and how to approach challenges with grace, calm, camaraderie and consideration.
What has been the most challenging obstacle(s) you have faced throughout your journey to becoming a scientist and how have you overcome them?
This is a very hard question to answer. There have been challenges, some personal, some professional; some easily written about and others not. The hardest time for me was probably the transition from postdoc to a permanent position. I set my sights on becoming a professor doing research early in my undergraduate career. The steps are laid out fairly clearly for the initial phases -- get into PhD program, complete dissertation work to obtain PhD, do postdoctoral training to mature scientifically and professionally, attempt to get funding at each step, and along the way, hopefully, make some discoveries that excite others as much as they excite you, and develop some questions that you can pursue on your own. But that transition from postdoc to actually getting a faculty job feels like falling off a cliff. There is agreement about the general approach, and everyone has advice and opinions, but there are no guarantees or step-by-step playbook. I remember the shocking realization that I’d spent 10 years working towards this one goal. What if I didn’t get it now, or ever? What was most helpful during that time, in addition to my family, friends and mentors who were great supports, was having an outlet for all that stress. For me that’s music; singing at the top of my lungs is like a more controlled form of scream therapy. I’ve come to greatly appreciate just how important having an outlet outside of work and scientific creativity is for my well-being and success.
What advice could you share with early career scholars interested in research but feel lost about which path to take and may not have the resources/support necessary to take steps forward?
Explore, question, collect stories, and persist. And above all, do not underestimate what you can learn from your peers.
Did You Know?
Updates to NIH Review Criteria and Forms for T, F, and R Grants in January 2025
The NIH is updating application instructions, review criteria, and reference letters. These changes affect all NIH Fellowship (F Grants), Institutional Training (T Grants), and most Research Project Grants (R Grants) that are submitted on due dates on or after January 25, 2025.
Additional information on specific changes can be found:
- Institutional Training Grant Applications
- Reference Letters
- Application Forms and Instructions (FORMS-I)
- Review Framework for Most Research Project Grants (RPGs)
- NIH Fellowship Application and Review Process
For further information please review the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Grants & Funding updates page, or your NIDA Program Officer. If you do not have a NIDA Program Officer, please write with your research aims to NIDA_Training@nida.nih.gov.
NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan
The NIH wants to hear from you! Share your input on the NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan, 2026-2030 by responding to the newly released Request for Information (NOT-MD-25-002). The deadline to share your input is December 31, 2024. Join NIH in working to improve minority health, reduce health disparities, promote health equity, and create a more inclusive, healthier future for all!
NIH Research Enhancement Award (R15): What You Need to Know and Recent Changes
On Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 2:30pm – 4:00pm ET, join the Office of Extramural Research (OER) to learn about NIH’s two R15 programs. R15 research project grants are designed to provide support for meritorious research at institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH support, to strengthen the research environment at these institutions, and to give students an opportunity to gain significant biomedical research experience. In addition, participants will gain insights into the application process and the review criteria with an opportunity to participate in a live Q&A with a panel of NIH experts.
During this webinar, participants hear about:
- Eligibility details for both AREA and REAP R15 programs
- Application Components
- The NIH Simplified Review Framework (SRF) for R15s
- Resources and Contacts
Contact NIHGrantsEvents@nih.gov for:
- Event questions and special requests
- Technical issues
- Accessibility requests
Funding Opportunity Highlights
The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S. (R01 Clinical Trials Optional)
NIDA is participating in a new NOFO that just hit the streets led by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support innovative population-based research that can contribute to identifying and characterizing pathways and mechanisms through which work or occupation influences health outcomes and health status among populations with health and/or health care disparities. NIDA is interested in research that explicates the mechanisms by which employment and drug use are related, in order to inform the future development and testing of interventions to directly address those mechanisms. See the announcement and contact Dr. Sheba Dunston for questions.
For more information on NIDA Funding Opportunities, visit the Funding Opportunities at NIDA webpage. For a full list of NIH training, fellowship, career development, and research education funding opportunities including parent announcements, please visit and subscribe to the NIH Guide to Grants and Funding.