NIH Request for Information – Input into the Scientific Strategic Plan for the proposed National Institute of Substance Use and Addiction Disorders

On February 8th, NIH published a request for input into the development of the Scientifc Strategic Plan for a proposed new Institute.

NIH proposes to create a new Institute, with the working name of the National Institute of Substance Use and Addiction Disorders,” through inclusion in the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2014.  A planning committee that includes scientific representatives from the potentially affected Institutes and Centers is developing a Scientific Strategic Plan for the proposed Institute with the primary goal of identifying new scientific opportunities that are not currently supported in the existing NIH research portfolios and public health initiatives on substance use, abuse, and addiction-related disorders.

This proposal flows from a recommendation by the Scientific Management Review Board in September 2010 that included a recommendation that all addiction-related research throughout the NIH be consolidated under this new Institute and that the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism be dissolved and that their non-addiction research portfolios be redistributed as appropriate to other Institutes and Centers.

This RFI is soliciting input on the scientific opportunities and public health needs that should be included in the Scientific Strategic Plan. They are not currently seeking input on the recommendation to create the new institute itself. Comments may be submitted here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfi_files/nih_nisuad/add.cfm through May 11, 2012.

NIH plans to host a series of public outreach meetings on the draft Strategic Plan in the Fall 2012. Watch here for more information.

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