Extramural Policy and Review Activities

Reviews

NIDA received 546 grant applications as the primary institute for this Council cycle. The Office of Extramural Affairs (OEA) arranged and managed 18 review meetings in which 220 of these were evaluated. These reviews included applications in chartered, standing review committees, applications in conflict-of-interest with standing committees, and submissions to special initiatives. In addition, OEA's Contracts Review Branch (CRB) arranged and managed three contract proposal review meetings and a concept review. CRB staff members have also been active in planning and recruiting for the 2003 NIH/NIDA Loan Repayment Program reviews. Of note, CRB has acquired the services of a new logistics support contractor, Lewis-William Conference and Logistics Management, LLC, of Silver Spring, MD.

NIDA's chartered committees consist of NIDA-E (Treatment Review Committee), NIDA-F (Health Services Review Committee), NIDA-L (Medications Development Committee), and NIDA-K (Training Committee). In addition to holding meetings of each of these committees, OEA staff held three Special Emphasis Panels to review applications in conflict with the chartered committees. Three Special Emphasis panels were constituted for reviews of program project applications, and another was held to review unsolicited center grants. OEA staff arranged and managed a review for applications submitted in response to the "Collaborative Clinical Studies in Drug Abuse" solicitation, and they also reviewed applications submitted to the "Minority Institutions' Drug Abuse Research Development Program" (MIDARP). The remaining panels were for the reviews of Behavioral Science Track for Rapid Transition-NIDA (B/START; 2 panels), Imaging Science Track for Rapid Transition (I/START), Cutting Edge Basic Research Awards (CEBRA), and Conference Grant mechanisms.

The following contract proposal reviews were held:

• NO1DA-3-8829: Analytical Chemistry Resource Center for Medications Development
• NO1DA-3-8823: Rodent and Monkey Tests of Medications Discovery Program
• NO1DA-3-1202: Logistics Support for Special Populations Research Development Seminar Series

A concept review for an initiative on diffusion of HIV infection through sexual risk behaviors of drug abusers was conducted.

Staff Training and Development

Dr. Mark Swieter, SRA, Basic Sciences Review Branch, OEA, continues to organize and host the OEA Symposium Series, NIDA's monthly forum for staff development. Notable events included a November 2002 presentation by Dr. Brent Stanfield, Deputy Director of the Center for Scientific Review; and a September 2002 presentation by Mr. Michel Desbois, former Chief, Information Resources and Management Branch, on the NIDA Extramural Projects Management System (NEPS). A "case studies/open forum" was held in December 2002.

Dr. William C. Grace, Deputy Director, OEA, participated in the OPM-sponsored residential course, "Developing and Communicating Leadership Competencies" at the Eastern Management Development Center in Shepherdstown, WV in November 2002.

Extramural Outreach

Dr. Teri Levitin, Director, OEA, gave an invited presentation on NIDA programs and research opportunities at the September 2002 annual meeting of the Grants Resource Center of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.

On November 8, 2002, Dr. Levitin joined Dr. Cindy Miner, Office of Science Policy and Communications, NIDA, and colleagues from NIMH and NIAAA at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting in Baltimore to discuss NIH funding opportunities. Dr. Levitin spoke about the review process and research grant preparation.

Dr. Levitin spoke at the November 2002 Federation of Behavioral, Psychological & Cognitive Sciences Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on the NIH and NIDA review process and review policy.

Drs. Khursheed Asghar, Chief, Basic Sciences Review Branch; Mark Green, Chief, Clinical, Epidemiological, and Applied Sciences Review Branch; Teri Levitin, Director, OEA; and Rita Liu, Associate Director for Receipt and Referral, attended the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and represented NIDA at various events.

Mr. Richard Harrison, Chief, Contracts Review Branch, gave the invocation for the Opening Ceremonies of the National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month held at the Hubert Humphrey Building in Washington D. C. on November 1, 2002.

Mr. Harrison provided information and recruitment activities with an exhibit for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society Annual Meeting held in Tulsa, OK on November 8-10, 2002.

Dr. William C. Grace, Deputy Director, OEA, presented on the review process at NIDA and participated in discussions with other NIDA staff at a November 2002 workshop for the National Council of University Research Administrators.

The CTN Protocol Review Board met August 20, 2002 in Bethesda, Maryland, to discuss CTN 0012 (Characteristics of Screening, Evaluation, and Treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C Viral Infections, and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs), CTN 0017 (HIV and HCV Intervention in Drug Treatment Settings), CTN 0018 (HIV/STD Safer Sex Skills Groups for Men in Methadone Maintenance or Drug Free Outpatient Treatment Programs), and CTN 0019 (HIV/STD Safer Sex Skills Groups for Women in Methadone Maintenance or Drug Free Outpatient Treatment Programs).

The CTN Protocol Review Board met November 5, 2002 in Bethesda, Maryland, to discuss CTN 0016 (Patient Feedback: A Performance Improvement Study in Outpatient Addiction Treatment Settings) and CTN 0020 (Job Seekers Training for Patients with Drug Dependence).

The CTN Ad-Hoc Oversight Board convened October 29, 2002, to review and approve CTN's 4th wave of protocol concepts.