En español
NIDA

Search

Menu

Research Training Opportunities for Young Investigators

Introduction

Did you know that NIDA has a number of programs to support both predoctoral and postdoctoral-level scientists interested in drug abuse research? NIDA has made a strong commitment to supporting and training our future scientists and, as a result, the funding for research training has been growing steadily in recent years. NIDA supports individual Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Ph.D. students (F31) and MD/PhD (F30) candidates, as well as funding for more than 60 training sites for both predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows across the country (T32). NIDA also funds individual postdoctoral Kirschstein NRSA fellowships (F32), and a variety of career awards.

NIH Blueprint and Common Fund programs also offer funding opportunities for interdisciplinary research training. Opportunities for funding rapidly change, so please check frequently for the latest Blueprint and Common Fund announcements.

2011 NIDA Director's Travel Award and Tutorials Workshop at CPDD

NIDA will again sponsor the Directors' Travel Award to help offset the cost of attending the 2011 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) meeting in Hollywood, California. NIDA is also sponsoring its 11th annual Tutorials—a workshop held in conjunction with the CPDD meeting that is designed to provide junior investigators with fundamental information from a variety of disciplines representing the breadth of drug abuse and addiction research. As in previous years, the Director's Travel Award and Tutorials are a package opportunity, thus registering for the Travel Award will automatically register an applicant for the Tutorials Workshop (see the link below for the application). Please be aware that Travel Award acceptance will also require Tutorial Workshop attendance.  Please check this website in March to view this year's Tutorial Workshop program. To see last year's agenda, please follow this link: 2010 Agenda (PDF, 160KB).

Eligibility is limited to NIDA-supported NRSA fellows and trainees, and Minority Supplement recipients. While preference will be given to junior investigators who are presenting at the CPDD conference, others will be considered as funding permits. Complete applications must be submitted no later than 4:00 P.M. (ET) on March 18, 2011. Applicants will be notified by e-mail after the application submission deadline if selected to receive the Travel Award. Download the Application for 2011 NIDA Director's Travel Award (PDF, 196KB).

2011 NIDA Grant Writing Workshop at CPDD

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is again sponsoring a grant-writing workshop that will be held during this year's annual College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) conference. This workshop is designed to familiarize new research investigators with funding opportunities at NIDA and the grant-writing process. This year's workshop will include content for international investigators, in addition to content for domestic grant programs. This workshop is limited to the first 60 investigators who qualify and register. Download the Registration Form for Grant-Writing Workshop (PDF, 106KB).

Transfer of NIDA Fellowship Review to the CSR

Beginning with the April 8, 2008 receipt date, the NIDA-K study section will no longer be reviewing individual predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship applications. These applications will be assigned to scientific review groups in the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), where the majority of the research grant applications sent to NIH are reviewed. Please see the FAQs (PDF, 28KB) for details.

FAQs

NIDA's Research Training Sites

Research Training Opportunities

NIDA Policy Updates

Policy Update for T32 Programs

NIDA funded T32 programs are no longer permitted to add new trainees within the last year of the program's funding without prior approval from NIDA. This policy will help to protect new trainees from a sudden lapse of funding within a relatively short period of time should the applicant's competing application not be awarded.

Prior approval may be obtained under the following circumstances: 1) the new trainee(s) require(s) support under this mechanism for only a brief time, or 2) there is a contingency plan in place to provide continuous support for the trainee(s), should the competing application not be awarded. In either case, there should be no expectation that NIDA will continue to support trainees through the T32 program once the program's funding is finished. The procedure for obtaining prior approval will be a written request accompanied by a reasonable justification submitted to the assigned NIDA Program Official, at least 2 months prior to when the trainee will be appointed.

Please be advised that this policy and new requirements will be included in all T32 Notices of Grant Award.

Policy Update for Career Development Awards (K Awards)

How to Apply: Forms & Instructions

Review Process

Other Sites of Interest

ACNP Travel Award:

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Annual Meeting is one of the world's leading forums for the exchange of cutting edge scientific information about the brain, behavior, and psychotropic drugs. The ACNP is now accepting applications for their Travel Award Program to attend the 2010 Meeting in Miami, Florida, on December 5-9. This year, the ACNP is offering 3 types of travel awards: 1. the Early Career Travel Award (for young scientists who have, through their research, teaching, or clinical activities, demonstrated professional and scientific interest in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and have received Early Career Development K or R Awards from the NIH); 2. the Travel Award for Minorities and Women; and 3. the Young Investigator Memorial Travel Award. For an application and more information about these awards, please see  http://www.acnp.org/annualmeeting/travelawards.aspx. The deadline to apply is April 30th.

Publishing Addiction Science:

A self-guided tutorial that reviews publication practices and tips, designed to help students and new investigators to publish in the addiction science field. This tutorial was developed by the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) with sponsorship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the World Health Organization, and is based on the book, "Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed." The text is available for free download on the ISAJE Website (www.parint.org/isajewebsite/isajebook/isajewebbook.htm).

    Search for Funding

    Featured Publication

    Mentoring, A Guide for Drug Abuse Researchers publication cover

    Mentoring: A Guide for Drug Abuse Researchers

    Discusses the importance of quality mentorship in drug abuse research and offers suggestions for creating a successful mentor and mentee relationship.

    Contact Information

    For a complete list of NIDA contacts on Research Training and Career Development mechanisms, please visit Research Training Committee.

    To receive more information on these and other funding mechanisms that might be right for you, contact the NIDA Deputy Research Training Coordinator, Mimi Ghim, Ph.D.
    E-mail: ghimm@mail.nih.gov
    Telephone: 301-443-6071