Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Women and Sex/Gender Differences in Drug and Alcohol Abuse/Dependence

Funding Agency:
National Institutes of Health

The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) special interest in grant applications to conduct rigorous basic, translational and/or clinical research to: (1) advance identification of sex and/or gender differences in risk for substance use disorders or the response or medical consequences of alcohol or substance misuse to uncover the mechanisms of those differences, and to conduct translational research on those differences, and (2) advance research specific to women or highly relevant to women.  Both preclinical and clinical studies are sought across all areas of drug and alcohol research.

This notice applies to due dates on or after June 5, 2021 and subsequent receipt dates through September 8, 2024.

NOT-DA-21-012

Agency Website

Areas of Interest

Example research topics that may elucidate sex and/or gender differences in AD/ADRD risk, development, progression, diagnosis, clinical presentation, and outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Sex and/or gender differences in longevity, survival bias, and comorbidities
  • Life course factors (e.g., early life adversity, place of birth, neurodevelopment, educational experiences, reproductive history, occupational careers, caregiving responsibilities, etc.)
  • Complex interactions among sociocultural, behavioral, psychological, neural systems, and biological processes and their responses to the sociocultural and physical environments, and the timing, level, and duration of exposures
  • Cohort differences related to social and behavioral factors (e.g., caregiver-child interactions, changes in family structure, fertility, educational attainment, labor force participation, occupational characteristics (e.g., job control, cognitive demands, etc.)) and health behaviors (e.g., tobacco use) which may shape AD/ADRD trends
  • Intersectional approaches which consider sex and gender differences among racial and ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, underserved rural, and sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. SGM populations include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, and/or intersex as well as other individuals whose sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or reproductive development is characterized by non-binary constructs of sexual orientation, gender, and/or sex
  • Structural gender inequalities (e.g., barriers to access healthcare services and high-quality care) that impact AD/ADRD outcomes
  • Sex-specific risk factors (e.g., oophorectomy; menopause, including role of hot flashes and sleep disturbances; pregnancy, including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes; androgen-deprivation therapy; and testosterone loss) across the lifespan that may impact AD/ADRD outcomes
  • Sex and gender differences in AD/ADRD risk factors common to both sexes (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, education, hearing loss, depression, etc.)
  • Sex differences in immune responses related to risk of AD/ADRD
  • Role of hormone changes and/or therapy on brain function (e.g., metabolism) and risk for AD/ADRD and how these may interact with other factors (e.g., sleep)
  • Sex differences in genetic risk factors for AD/ADRD (e.g., APOE, x-linked, common variants, autosomal dominant mutations)
  • Sex and gender differences in the clinical detection, diagnosis, management, and treatment of AD/ADRD

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Faculty

Category

Medical
Medical - Basic Science
Medical - Clinical Science
Medical - Translational

External Deadline

February 5, 2024