Funding for Pilot Studies

OVERVIEW:

This pilot study mechanism is funded by an R24 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R24DA051988).

The goal of this pilot study mechanism is to stimulate and support new research on delivering recovery support to persons seeking or in recovery from a substance use disorder via recovery community centers and research that advances the science to that end.

THE AWARD:

Amount:
- Internal applicants (MGH applicants): $30,000 per award for direct costs
- External applicants (non-MGH applicants): $45,000 per award inclusive of direct plus indirect costs
Approximately 3 awarded per year
Covers direct costs of the study (e.g., data collection activities, equipment, research assistant support) + indirect costs (total costs not to exceed award amount listed above)

ELIGIBILITY:

Your proposed project must address the role of recovery community centers in supporting persons who were or who are in or seeking recovery from a substance use disorder or advance the science to this end (including but not limited to: perceptions around MOUDs, linkages from clinical sites to RCCs, etc.). Studies focusing on persons who are or have been maintained on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are particularly encouraged.
You may be a faculty member, research scientist, post-doctoral research scholar or graduate student from any academic or health care institution in the United States. Black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) are especially encouraged to apply.
You must document how you will share your findings (e.g., conference presentations, clinicaltrials.gov registration, published papers, etc.) and allow the findings from your pilot work to be shared by the funding agency through the Recovery Research Institute website at recoveryanswers.org

PROCESS:

Letter of Intent:

First, please submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes the following information:
- Title
- Name of investigator, email, phone, position title, department/division, and school/institution
- Abstract (350 words max)
- Brief timeline summary (150 words max)
- Brief budget summary (150 words max)
- Explanation of how the proposal addresses the role of recovery community centers in supporting persons who were or who are in or seeking recovery from a substance use disorder or advance the science to this end (200 words max)
Please download the LOI template found here.
LOIs will be undergoing a competitive peer review process to determine if a full application can be invited. Invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee funding.
You will be notified via email when a decision is made regarding your LOI application. We expect to notify you one month after the application deadline.
There are two LOI application deadlines per year (please click here for a detailed timeline):
- Cycle 3: May 16, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
- Cycle 4: October 1, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
Please submit applications to:
Diadora Finley-Abboud
Post-Bachelor Research Fellow
Recovery Research Institute
recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu

Full Application (By Invitation):

If your Letter of Intent is approved, you will be invited to submit a full proposal that contains the following information (maximum of five pages):
- Title of proposed project
- Name of investigator(s), degrees, position titles, mailing addresses, and department/school
- Phone number and email
- Statement on Human Subjects / IRB
  - You will need to submit the following additional forms for Human Subjects Information:
- Detailed and clear project proposal that addresses the following points:
  - Aims / goals of the project
  - Why this work is important
  - Relevant background information
  - Methods and target population
  - Expected results
- Timeline of proposed project (figure + 200 words max)
- Type of deliverable product to come out of project (e.g., presentation of findings at national conferences, publication of manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, preparation of larger grant proposals)
  - Note: you must document how you will share your findings with the field and agree to share your findings with us in some capacity through our website.
Please include the following information as appendices (this does not contribute to the 5-page limit):
- Key personnel/collaborators: NIH biosketch
- Bibliography: complete list of cited literature
- Detailed budget and justification
Please submit all of the above information in a single PDF.
You will be notified via email when a decision is made regarding your application. We expect to notify you two months after the application deadline.
There are two application deadlines for the final proposal per year (please click here for a detailed timeline):
- Cycle 3: July 1, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
- Cycle 4: December 1, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
Please submit applications to:
Diadora Finley-Abboud
Post-Bachelor Research Fellow
Recovery Research Institute
recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu

DETAILED TIMELINE:

Application Cycle 3, 2023

Week 1 (May 16^th, 2023): LOI due from applicant
Week 4 (June 1^st): Decisions on LOI due from reviewers
Week 8 (July 1^st): Full application due from applicant
Week 14 (August 15^th): Decisions on full application due from reviewers
Week 17 (September 5^th): Paperwork due from applicant
- Project start date: December 1^st (Please note it can take up to 120 days from date of paperwork submission for MGH grants and contracts to finalize pilot study subcontracts)

Application Cycle 4, 2023

Week 1 (October 1^st, 2023): LOI due from applicant
Week 4 (November 1^st): Decisions on LOI due from reviewers
Week 8 (December 1^st): Full application due from applicant
Week 14 (January 15^th): Decisions on full application due from reviewers
Week 17 (February 5^th): Paperwork due from applicant
- Project start date: May 1^st (R24 project year start. Please note it can take up to 120 days from date of paperwork submission for MGH grants and contracts to finalize pilot study subcontracts)