The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is announcing the Translating Socioenvironmental Influences on Neurocognitive Development and Addiction Risk (TranSINDA) program, intended to fund research into mechanisms linking early-life socioenvironmental factors with neurobehavioral development and addiction risk. This program, under the U01 cooperative agreement, invites teams to propose longitudinal animal model studies using advanced neuroscience tools to test theories derived from human research on addiction risk factors. Projects should employ sophisticated neurocognitive and behavioral assessments to study addiction-related neurobehavioral processes across developmental stages, integrating insights from developmental neuroscience, cognitive development, and translational addiction science. A core objective is to generate a resource of data to fuel computational models elucidating connections between early socioenvironmental factors, developmental neurocognitive trajectories, and later addiction vulnerability.

TranSINDA projects must include a longitudinal research design with early-life manipulations that model socioenvironmental risk factors. Investigations should measure neurobehavioral and neurocognitive functions relevant to addiction in adolescence and/or adulthood. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, studies on social and parental influences, disruptions in social hierarchy, exposure to threat, and examination of reward processing, decision-making, and behavioral regulation under various environmental pressures. Projects should also consider integrating advanced behavioral capture and neural monitoring tools to improve understanding of developmental timing in neurobehavioral processes linked to addiction vulnerability.

Each application must include a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP), which is a new requirement for fostering inclusivity in research. This plan should outline specific strategies to integrate diverse perspectives into the project, potentially including partnerships with institutions serving underrepresented groups, collaborative frameworks, or outreach activities that support a diverse research environment. The PEDP will be reviewed alongside scientific merit and must be included for the application to be considered.

NIDA anticipates funding up to seven awards in fiscal year 2025, with an overall commitment of $4 million. Budgets should reflect actual project needs, and projects may span up to five years. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and various government agencies, as well as international entities. Applicants are encouraged to engage early with NIDA contacts for guidance on project scope and eligibility requirements. All required registrations (e.g., SAM, Grants.gov, eRA Commons) should be completed well in advance to avoid submission delays.

Key review criteria include the significance of the research in advancing addiction science, the methodological rigor of proposed animal models and longitudinal designs, and the inclusion of diverse perspectives to enhance research quality. The TranSINDA projects will be evaluated on the strength of the interdisciplinary approach and the research team’s ability to model socioenvironmental factors effectively. Awards will also be subject to NIH data sharing and safety monitoring policies, and recipients must adhere to TranSINDA Consortium guidelines to ensure harmonization across projects and foster a collaborative research environment.

Applications are due by November 7, 2024, with scientific merit review scheduled for March 2025. Selected projects will proceed to NIDA Advisory Council review in May 2025, with an anticipated start date in July 2025.