Special Program Announcement on Extracellular Vesicles and Substance Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has two new special Program Announcements (PARs) that we at exRNA.org want to bring to the attention of the field. They are Extracellular Vesicles and Substance Abuse (R01 and R21) PAR-15-283 and PAR-15-284. Applications will be reviewed in a Special Emphasis Panel (SEP). Please share this information with any colleagues that might be interested in applying.

• Purpose: encourage research projects that investigate the interplay between extracellular vesicles (EVs) and addictive processes. In particular NIDA is interested in the potential utility of EVs with respect to understanding neuroplastic mechanisms relevant to substance abuse or as biomarkers or therapeutics.

• Proposed projects are expected to meet the following two criteria:
1. the major thrust of the application should involve extracellular vesicles or associated secretory machinery; and
2. at least one aim or sub-aim should involve exposure to substances of abuse, or analysis of samples from patients exposed to a drug of abuse. Substances of abuse of interest include: nicotine, cocaine, stimulants, opioids, abused prescription drugs, cannabinoids, or combinations of these drugs.

• Applicants with significant preliminary data may wish to apply to the R01 FOA. High risk/high payoff projects that lack significant preliminary data are most appropriate for the companion R21 FOA.

• For the R01, application budgets should not exceed $350,000 per year in direct costs and need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed. Project periods may not exceed 5 years. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-283.html

• For the R21, the combined budget for direct costs for the two year project period may not exceed $275,000. No more than $200,000 in direct costs may be requested in any single year. Applicants may request a project period of up to two years. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-284.html

• Application Receipt Date(s): early November 2015 and 2016.

If you have questions about applying, please email John Satterlee, Ph.D. (satterleej@nida.nih.gov), Program Director for Epigenetics, Model Organism Genetics, and Functional Genomics at NIDA.