Office of Research Training, Diversity, and Disparities Newsletter, June 2024

What’s New at NIDA

Calling All Presidents, Provosts, and Deans! 

Have you heard of the Engagement and Access for Research-Active Institutions (EARA) Initiative? This new initiative aims to enhance knowledge and utilization of NIH funding opportunities. EARA is a navigation and communication-focused initiative that enhances outreach and connections between Research-Active Institutions (RAIs) and NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to:

  • Provide information about, and aid RAIs in navigating existing NIH resources and opportunities
  • Foster bilateral engagement and communication between RAIs and NIH ICOs

Specifically, EARA aims to:

  1. Strengthen RAI awareness and utilization of NIH resources and funding opportunities
  2. Enhance information-sharing and collaboration for RAI engagement and support across NIH ICOs
  3. Build relationships between NIH and RAIs and broaden participation of RAIs in the NIH ecosystem

EARA Pilot Project

The NIH COSWD (Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity) team, with the help of NIH ICO partners, will work intensively with a group of approximately 50 selected RAIs that volunteer to engage in enhancing their knowledge and utilization of NIH funding opportunities. These RAIs can include rural institutions in IDeA states as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), in keeping with the CHIPS and Science Act.

Learn more about this new initiative on the NIH website.


You’re Invited!

On behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) UNITE initiative, you’re invited to participate in a workshop on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding and Addressing Structural Racism and Health, which will take place both in-person and virtually over two days this summer: Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 11-5:15 p.m. ET and Friday, July 19, 2024, from 10-3 p.m. ET!

This workshop will bring together 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. Researchers and practitioners from these many disciplines will engage in deep discussions, share data, and facilitate collaborations to address the negative health impacts of structural racism in biomedical and behavioral research where it may exist.

Following a set of panel presentations, workshop participants will have the opportunity to join a breakout session where they will identify key considerations for (1) advancing what is known about structural racism and health and (2) collaboratively approaching solutions. Participants can choose from breakouts on the following topics:

  • Methodology and measures for studying structural racism and health disparities
  • Consequences of structural racism that affect health
  • Strategies for productive cross-disciplinary partnerships
  • Interventions to address the impact of structural racism on health

The workshop’s overall objectives include the following:

  1. Review historical data and perspectives surrounding structural racism.
  2. Showcase research on new methodologies, advancements in understanding the drivers of structural racism, and strategies for cultivating meaningful partnerships.
  3. Share best practices and lessons learned from interventions aimed at addressing structural racism.
  4. Identify recommendations for advancing what is known about structural racism and health and for collaboratively approaching solutions.

Register to participate in the workshop either in person or virtually. Please reach out to Melissa Hill with any questions.


Program Updates

A New D-START, Data Science Concept  

We are excited to announce that in February 2024, the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA) approved D-START, a data science concept! In alignment with the 2022 - 2026 NIDA Strategic Plan, which emphasizes the critical role of data science in advancing biomedical and behavioral research on substance use (SU) and/or substance use disorder (SUD), we proposed D-START to support investigators at the intersection of Data Science/Big Data/Computational Science and SU/SUD. Recognizing the challenges investigators face in securing independent funding and generating preliminary data, this initiative aims to foster growth and innovation in a field that is primed for advancement. We strongly encourage early career and established researchers, especially those from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, to apply and contribute to this transformative effort. Stay tuned for upcoming details on application procedures, eligibility criteria, and deadlines. For any questions, please contact Dr. Yohansa Fernandez.

Childcare Costs for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellows and Institutional Research Training Awards

As part of ongoing efforts to support family-friendly work environments for the NIH-supported workforce, NIH is increasing the childcare support to $3000 for applicable NRSA individual fellowships and institutional training awards effective beginning with FY2024 awards. Applicable FY2024 training and fellowship awards that were issued prior to the date of this notice will be revised to retroactively reflect the increase in support for all eligible slots (training grants) and individuals (fellowship awards). See NOT-OD-24-116 for more information.

Notice to Alert the Public of NIDA's Career Development Award Salary Limits

NIDA has increased salary limits for K01, K25, and K99 Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)! Effective with new (Type 1) K01, K25, and K99 applications due on June 12, 2024, and subsequently, several NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) will increase their contribution toward the K awardee's salary support for the requested effort (e.g., nine person months, equivalent to 75% full-time professional effort devoted to research and career development) to a base level of $100,000. All NIDA K01s, K25s, and K99s awarded in Fiscal Year 2025, both competing and non-competing, will be calculated using these new figures, and the remaining future years will be adjusted accordingly. In order to ensure accurate awards, applications need to provide the PI's current base salary and level of approved effort. See NOT-DA-24-032 for more information.

Thank You to Our 2024 NIDA Diversity Scholars Network Program Coaches!

The ORTDD would like to recognize the 15 NIDA Diversity Scholars Network (NDSN) Program coaches who have agreed to support the research careers of our NDSN early career scholars. NDSN coaches are experienced NIH grantees whose role in the program is central to the success of the participating scholars.  Coaches dedicate time and effort to review a matched scholar’s draft grant application and provide thorough feedback based on their background and expertise. We would like to thank the current program coaches (below) in addition to past program coaches for their time and devotion to the career development of our scholars!

Yuhua Bao, Ph.D.
Professor of Population Health Sciences
Cornell University

Katherine Theall, Ph.D. 
Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Tulane University

Elizabeth Krans, M.D., MSC
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
University of Pittsburgh

Scott Sherman, M.D. 
Professor, Department of Population Health 
NYU Grossman School of Medicine  

Karla Wagner, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Public Health 
University of Nevada, Reno

Aimee Campbell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work 
Columbia University  

Carrie Oser, Ph.D. 
Di Silvestro Endowed Professor and University Research Professor in the Sociology Department 
University of Kentucky

Dionna Wiliams, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Emory University School of Medicine  

Sara Becker, Ph.D.  
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry)
Northwestern University

Jeremy Day, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor & Vice Chair for Strategic Planning and Recruitment 
The University of Alabama at Birmingham  

Marina Tolou-Shams, Ph.D. 
Kilroy Realty Endowed Professor of Psychiatry
University of California San Francisco

Charles Neighbors, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health 
New York University Langone Health  

Tessa Evans-Campbell, Ph.D. 
Associate Dean and Associate Professor, School of Social Work
University of Washington

Schahram Akbarian, MD, Ph.D.
Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

James Bjork, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies
Virginia Commonwealth University  
 

Last chance to Apply for a 2024 NIDA Diversity Scholars Travel Award!

NIDA….  We are pleased to announce the availability of NIDA Diversity Scholars Travel Awards for two upcoming conferences:

  • The National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) International Conference: October 3-5, 2024, in New Orleans, LA
  • The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Meeting: October 5-9, 2024, in Chicago, IL

The deadline to apply for these travel awards is July 12, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST. Don't miss this opportunity to advance your career and contribute to the scientific community. For more details and to apply, see the travel award website. Please contact Dr. Yohansa Fernandez for any questions about a NIDA Diversity Scholars Travel Award.


Upcoming Events

Image
Scientific Workforce Diversity Seminar Series (SWDSS) graphic

You won’t want to miss the final Scientific Workforce Diversity Seminar Series (SWDSS) event of the 2023–2024 season “How Are Institutions Transformed to Foster Cultures of Inclusive Excellence?” virtual seminar! The seminar will take place on June 20, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. ET. This virtual seminar will cover strategies to enhance inclusion and create a culture of equity as well as methods to assess culture change within the scientific workforce at academic institutions.

Marie A. Bernard, M.D., NIH’s Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), will moderate the 90-minute discussion. Panelists will share data from their respective programs that seek to improve and sustain inclusive environments. 

This virtual seminar will cover strategies to enhance inclusion and create a culture of equity as well as methods to assess culture change within the scientific workforce at academic institutions. Additionally, panelists will discuss benefits of inclusive excellence in the scientific workforce and barriers that institutions face in fostering inclusive cultures.

Speakers

  • Alison Gammie, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
  • Elizabeth Ofili, M.D., M.P.H., FACC, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Morehouse School of Medicine; Chief Medical Officer, Morehouse Choice ACO
  • Lea Vacca Michel, Ph.D., Professor, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives for the College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Blanton S. Tolbert, Ph.D., Vice President of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Registration Link

Contact information:
Julius Patterson, COSWD Communications Lead

Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Data User Workshop

The NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) are sponsoring a Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Data User Workshop to further the understanding and use of PATH Study data files!

The free course is designed for academic faculty and research professionals, as well as graduate students interested in tobacco regulatory science and/or prevention/translation research. NIH and FDA’s PATH Study is a rich data source for researchers.

The workshop will be a combination of lecture, discussion, and exercises, and will use hands-on examples to help attendees better understand the PATH Study sample design and weighting. Participants will learn how to conduct longitudinal analyses to estimate change over time, as well as pseudo cross-sectional analyses to estimate prevalence.

Each workshop session (in-person or virtual-only) offers the same content. To attend, please apply by May 31. Enrollment is limited and admission to the workshop is competitive. For more information and to apply, please visit the 2024 ICPSR Summer Program Registration Portal.

Addressing Health Inequities in Clinical Diagnostics (R41/R42 and R43/R44 Clinical Trials Not Allowed): Notice of Technical Webinar

Webinar Schedule: Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

The purpose of this webinar is to inform potential applicants that the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and participating Institutes and Centers (ICs) will hold a pre-submission technical assistance live webinar regarding applications in response to PAR-24-157 – Addressing Health Inequities in Clinical Diagnostics (R41/R42 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) and PAR-24-158 – Addressing Health Inequities in Clinical Diagnostics (R43/R44 Clinical Trials Not Allowed).  The webinar will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time (ET).  All interested individuals must register in advance to participate in the webinar via Zoom.

All prospective applicants are invited to attend the webinar and are strongly encouraged to send relevant questions prior to the webinar to maximize the use of time. Questions should be sent by email to Karlie Sharma by July 5, 2024. We will prioritize these questions during the Q&A portion of the webinar. While an effort will be made to include all questions in the webinar, it is possible that not all questions will be addressed during the event due to time constraints.

Webinar Registration

Participation in this webinar, although encouraged, is optional and is not required for application submission. More information is available about NIH’s SBIR/STTR programs.

The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts

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.