Eligibility
This mechanism is dedicated to early career addiction scientists who require support launching a research program consistent with the goals and mission of IAS. Scholars from racial/ethnic and other demographic groups historically underrepresented or minoritized (URM) in addiction science are highly encouraged to apply. The program is open to applicants from career stages as early as doctoral students and as late as newly-promoted associate professors (at this rank less than 2 years) or non-faculty research scientists within 8 years of receipt of their terminal degree. Senior investigators are encouraged to serve as Co-investigators and/or mentors on these projects. Undergraduates serving in volunteer research assistant roles on projects is encouraged. Pilot funding is also available for senior investigators seeking support for preliminary data to aid submission of large R01s, Program Projects, or Center Grants through a different mechanism.
Para obtener más información sobre el apoyo a los investigadores senior, comuníquese directamente con Vickie Williams en Victoria.williams.0@usc.edu
Prior to submitting their application, applicants who are not current members of USC IAS must reach out to one of the existing USC IAS faculty investigators to include them as a co-investigator on the newly proposed pilot project and join to as a member prior to submission.
All proposed projects MUST be collaborative in nature. This includes the following requirements:
- Principal investigators must be a member of IAS and a USC employee.
- Proposals must include investigators from at least two USC schools
- If a predoctoral scholar is the project PI, they must be currently enrolled in a USC doctoral program and in good standing, have a primary faculty mentor co-investigator from their own school who is an IAS member, and secondary faculty co-investigator advisor from another school.
- Co-Is can be a senior level faculty member, but the primary PI must be an early career scientist describe above.
- All co-investigators do not need to be IAS members
- Future USC post-doc recruits are also eligible (see next page for details)
- Multiple PIs are permitted but both PIs must meet the below requirements.
Award Size, Duration, Restrictions
Proposal Components (all single spaced with 0.5” margins, 11pt font):
- Cover letter including: (a) the names, professional titles, affiliations (school/department), and email address of each investigator, (b) the title of the proposal, (c) a <250-word abstract, and (d) which of the three career stage mechanisms the applicants wisht to be considered for.
- NIH-style biosketches of the applicant and each investigator (<5 pages each).
- A Specific Aims page (1 page)
- Narrative describing the significance, innovation, approach, dissemination plan, and next steps (4 pages)
- NIH-style line-item budget with a budget justification
- Any specialized facilities (1 page; optional). If specific materials or facilities within IAS clinical core are needed (e.g., breathalyzers, carbon monoxide monitors, lab space with one-way mirrors), please contact Vickie Williams at Victoria.williams.0@usc.edu to determine availability for your project if they were to get funded.
Review: Proposals will be reviewed by the USC IAS Pilot Programs Review Committee, as well as by selected external reviewers. Scoring of proposals will be based on the standard NIH 9-point scoring system. The 4-page narrative should be structured to include each of the following subsections, which are also the criteria the review committee will use to evaluate the project:
- Significance. Does the project address an important problem or critical barrier to progress in addiction science? Does the study have potential to generate new transdisciplinary knowledge that can impact science, prevention, clinical practice, or policy?
- Investigator(s). Does the applicant have appropriate experience and training? Is there evidence of productivity and/or potential to become an independent investigator in the area of addiction science research? do the co-investigators provide additional expertise and experience that will support project and applicant success
Innovation. Does the proposal utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation? - Approach. Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are study limitations acknowledged and addressed? Is there evidence that project timelines are likely to be met?
- Dissemination Plan. Proposed plan to ensure findings reach the scientific community, including a listing of intended scientific manuscript[s] that will be submitted relevant to addressing each aim, and, if relevant, plan to ensure results reach other relevant stakeholders [e.g., general public, clinicians, community]).
- Next Steps. Applicants must briefly discuss the next step in obtaining external funding including a funding source and mechanism (e.g., NIDA R01 – PAR-20-185) and timeline for submitting the proposals, including the likely investigators on the future proposal).
- The review committee will also consider whether the proposed budget and timeline are appropriate for the scope and pilot nature of the project and whether human subject or other regulatory issues are likely to pose problems for study implementation.
Reporting: All projects selected for funding will be required to give a brief presentation of their proposed project scope in late 2022 and separate presentation on the findings from the project upon completion in late 2023 to the IAS membership at an Institute-Wide Meeting or Research Program Meeting.
Application Procedures: Please send your application with all above components in a single PDF document to victoria.williams.0@usc.edu.
Due date of application: September 1, 2022
Notification of funding: November 15, 2022
Earliest project start date: January 1, 2023
Project duration: 12 months
Latest project start date: January 1, 2022
Latest project end date: December 31, 2022
2021-2022 Cycle:
Lorraine Kelley-Quon, M.D.
Ensuring Safe Prescription Opioid Use, Storage, and Disposal for Adolescents Undergoing Surgery
Brian Lee, M.D., M.P.H.
Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Study of Dihydromyricetin (DHM) to Treat Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Rachel Ceasar, Ph.D
Examining the Impact of Cannabis Legalization on Maternal Health Disparities
Denise Tran, Ph.D
Understanding E-cigarette Use, Smoking Risk, and Cessation Needs Among Young Adults
Nina Christie
Social Disconnection, Addiction, and the Brain Opioid Theory of Social Attachment
Xiao Liu
Neural Substrates of Social Reward Deficits in Comorbid Treatment-Resistant Depression and Nicotine
Sid Ganesh
Mixed Methods Study Evaluating Multi-level Factors Associated With the Treatment of Injection Drug Use Related to Infective Endocarditis (IDU-IE)
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