REPORT

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REPORT The National Advisory Council on Drug
Abuse Work Group On NIDAs Approach to
Grant-Making May 2006 The National
Institute on Drug Abuse

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NIDAs Approach to Grant-Making Work Group
First Meeting December 6-7, 2005 Second Meeting
February 7, 2006
Other Members
NIDA Council Members
Rodolfo Arredondo, Jr., Ed.D. Mark Greenberg,
Ph.D. Linda Porrino, Ph.D. Claire E. Sterk,
Ph.D. David Vlahov, Ph.D. Constance Weisner,
Dr.P.H., M.S.W. Chair
Kathleen Carroll, Ph.D. Tom Kosten, M.D. Scott
Lucas, Ph.D.
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NIDAs Approach to Grant-Making Work Group
Charge To produce a written report and
determine if any actions or new policies may be
needed on the following

• Protect young investigators
• Balance between large and small science
• Guidelines regarding Principal Investigators with
  multiple grants
• Recommendations on the duration of grants
  including R01s, centers and program projects
• Other issues as deemed appropriate

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Recommendation Topics

• Protecting New Investigators
• Enhancing the Science Mission of NIDA
• Increasing Research Innovation

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Protecting Early Career InvestigatorsRecommendati
ons Directly Addressing New Investigators

• Provide uniform NIDA-wide data on new
  investigators. Track success of those who submit
  grants and are funded. Provide an annual report
  to Council
• Set aside funds for R56 and other mechanisms to
  fund promising investigators. Track success
• Support and encourage the development of the CSR
  Pilot (Rapid Feedback to Young Investigators).

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Protecting Early Career Investigators
Recommendations Directly Addressing New
Investigators

• Track and expand mechanisms that are successful
  in funding these early career investigators,
  including
• Expand use of Co-PI status for early
  investigators
• Monitor success of new Pathway to Independence
  Award (K99R00)
• Evaluate and perhaps expand B/START, I/START
• Examine success of Individual and Institutional
  Training grants in regard to timing and cost
  effectiveness
• Expand use of Mentored K mechanisms
• Continue data collection begun to monitor NIDA
  policies

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Protecting Early Career Investigators Guidelines
about PIs with Large/Multiple Grants

• Take into account track record for training and
  mentoring (including data to outside junior
  investigators) as part of funding decisions.
  Total amount of funding should consider
• High quality of science
• Needs of Institute (balancing the portfolio)
• History of PIs support for developing new
  investigators
• Provisions in application for including early
  career investigators

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Enhancing Science the Mission of NIDA Balance
between Large vs Small Science

• Continue joint planning across NIDA for NIH
  Roadmap, Blueprint and other trans-NIH funding
  opportunities. Monitor the success of different
  initiatives.
• Examine opportunities for training and mentoring
  by programs such as CTN, CJDATS
• Keep the research portfolio balanced (recognizing
  differences in study sections)

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Enhancing Science the Mission of NIDA Balance
between Large vs Small Science

• Solicit applications for Center grants to
  maximize programmatic flexibility and budgetary
  control. Applications solicited by this NIDA-wide
  announcement should be reviewed once/year.
  Funding decisions should include
• Quality of the science and innovation
• Evidence of collaboration with other Centers and
  institutions
• Needs of the Institute (balancing the NIDA
  portfolio)
• History of support of new investigators

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Increasing Research Innovation

• Establish a NIDA Innovation Committee (similar to
  NIMH) to consider highly innovative applications
  beyond the pay line. Provide full or partial
  support to document progress and address concerns
  for improved application.
• Develop a NIDA-wide definition of innovation that
  can be used in funding decisions
• Evaluate the Cutting Edge Basic Research Awards
  (CEBRA) program to determine if it is supporting
  innovation at both the initial (R21) and R01
  stages

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Increasing Research Innovation

• Designate HIV/AIDS as one of the efforts on an
  Innovation Committee. New investigators and new
  ideas on HIV and drug use need to be developed
  and NIDA should emphasize HIV-designated projects
  appropriately.
• Review how Administrative Supplements are used to
  ensure that there are not missed opportunities to
  protect young investigators, enhance NIDAs
  science mission, or increase research innovation
  that falls within the scope of the original goals
  of funded grants

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Conclusions

• Fundamentally, as an Institute, NIDA is doing
  well in protecting early career investigators in
  this era of shrinking funding opportunities.
• NIDA is currently promoting innovative research
  via a number of standard mechanisms.
• Improvements on all of these fronts can be made
  by NIDA continuing activities such as
• collecting accurate data on new investigators
• increasing use of mechanisms that stress
  innovation and nurture early investigators (e.g.,
  B/START)
• educating PIs that training/mentorship must be
  present in all multi-grant or large grant
  environments
• increasing the funding and scope of Mentored K
  Awards
• establishing an Innovation Committee
• increasing awareness of the various trans-NIH
  initiatives, such and the Roadmap and Blueprint.