The Development Of Frontal Cortex And Limbic System And Their Roles In Drug Abuse Or Mental Health (R01)

-Purpose. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by NIDA and NIMH solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/ organizations that propose to study the development of the frontal and prefrontal cortices, together with the subcortical areas of the limbic system, that play significant roles in mediating emotional and motivated behavior. This initiative is designed to support basic neuroscience research into the fundamental mechanisms of development of the frontal and prefrontal cortices, as well as the midbrain and basal forebrain structures that mediate a number of functions related to drug abuse and psychiatric disorders including: the euphoric properties of drugs, actions of psychotherapeutic agents, and cognitive and emotional functions. A major goal of this initiative is to understand how exposure to drugs of abuse affects the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system development of circuits implicated in drug reward and addiction. An additional goal is to understand how alterations in the normal developmental trajectory of cortical and limbic areas might underlie the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders with putative developmental etiologies. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.