Role of Astrocytes and Astrocytic Networks in Drug Abuse (R01) | Apply Online

FAQs: Role of Astrocytes and Astrocytic Networks in Drug Abuse (R01) (PA 16-144)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Role of Astrocytes and Astrocytic Networks in Drug Abuse (R01)."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PA 16-144.

What type of grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This funding opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism, which is typically used to support substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects.

Which agency sponsors this grant?

The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) (listed as HHS-NIH11 in the source data).

What general area or category does this opportunity fall under?

The listing categorizes the opportunity under Education and Health.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.279.

What is the overall purpose of this FOA?

The purpose is to advance understanding of how drugs of abuse affect astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS), with a particular focus on how addictive substances reshape astrocyte structure and alter how astrocytes communicate as networks.

What scientific gap is this FOA trying to address?

Although astrocyte biology has progressed significantly, the specific ways drugs of abuse change astrocyte structure and disrupt astrocyte-to-astrocyte communication at the network level remain poorly understood. This FOA aims to close that gap.

What is meant by focusing on astrocytic networks rather than individual astrocytes?

The FOA emphasizes examining astrocytes as organized networks that may act as information-processing systems in the CNS. The intent is to study how drug exposure disrupts network-level structure and signaling across many astrocytes, not only effects in isolated cells.

What are the two main scientific themes emphasized in this opportunity?

The FOA highlights two closely related themes: (1) how drugs of abuse influence the structural connectivity of astrocytic networks in the CNS, and (2) how drug exposure affects activity patterns within astrocyte networks over space and time.

What does "structural connectivity of astrocytic networks" refer to in this FOA?

In this FOA, structural connectivity refers to how astrocytes are physically and functionally linked to each other and to surrounding neural elements in the central nervous system, and how drugs of abuse may alter those linkages.

What does the FOA mean by "activity patterns" in astrocyte networks?

Activity patterns refer to how signals are generated, processed, coordinated, and controlled across astrocyte networks over space and time, and how those patterns may change with exposure to drugs of abuse.

What kinds of research activities are explicitly encouraged by the FOA description?

Examples described include measuring or modeling spatiotemporal signaling dynamics in astrocytes, exploring how network-level astrocyte activity contributes to altered brain circuit function in addiction, and identifying astrocyte network properties that change with acute or chronic drug exposure.

Does the FOA view astrocytes as passive support cells?

No. The FOA is built around the idea that astrocytes participate in CNS communication and homeostasis, and that drugs of abuse may interfere with these roles at the network level in ways relevant to addiction-related brain changes.

When was this FOA posted?

The FOA was posted on March 22, 2016.

When was this FOA created?

The listing indicates the FOA was created on March 22, 2016.

What is the closing date for this opportunity?

The closing date shown in the listing is May 7, 2019 (the original and current closing dates match in the provided information).

Does the listing provide an award ceiling (maximum award amount)?

No. The source listing does not specify an award ceiling.

Does the listing state how many awards NIH expects to make?

No. The listing does not provide the number of expected awards.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as described in the FOA's additional eligibility language.

Are institutions of higher education eligible?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible applicants (with the listing noting exclusions related to institutions of higher education when specified).

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

Are government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes state, county, and local governments, as well as special district governments and independent school districts.

What broader research goal does this FOA support?

The broader goal is to improve understanding of addiction-related changes in the brain by clarifying how drugs of abuse alter astrocyte network architecture and signaling dynamics in the CNS.