NIH Sets Aside $33.8M RFA to Study Genetic, Environmental Factors of Substance Abuse

The National Institutes of Health has set aside $33.8 million for a program that investigates “genetic, environmental and developmental factors in the etiology of substance abuse and related phenotypes in humans,” the agency said over the weekend.

As part of the program, made through the NIH’s Genes, Environment and Development Initiative, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Cancer Institute has released a request for applications saying it will fund between three and five awards of around $6.75 million each year over five years.

 

The NIDA said all of the studies will use existing samples and studies, but will allow teams to collect DNA samples to study genetic factors of “substance abuse” of nicotine, alcohol, pot, cocaine, opiates, stimulants, and the entire range of illegal or legal substances that are potentially addictive.

 

Researchers receiving funding will have access to the NIDA’s longitudinal studies that chart substance abuse in individuals over the entire course of their addiction phases, and will offer detailed information regarding related phenotypes.  

 

While the individual aspects of the studies may vary, NIDA said GEDI research topics should address the interplay between genetic, environmental, and developmental factors that would include changes over the lifespan. 

 

Letters of intent are due Feb. 15, 2007 and applications are due March 15, 2007. Click here for additional information.

 

The NIDA said it expects the studies to start in September 2007 and run through August 2012.

 

Source from GenomeWeb Daily News