Limited Competition for the HEAL Initiative: HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study (Collaborative U01- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) , and including the NIH HEAL Initiative, intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research projects that will be responsible for participant recruitment and retention, behavioral assessments, biospecimen collection, and neuroimaging for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study. This is a Forecast for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see Eligibility Section for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.  HBCD is a large cohort of pregnant women and their children (~N = 7,200 dyads) beginning in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy and followed longitudinally through childhood. This is a renewal that will continue the funding for the second 5-year period. The cohort includes babies exposed pre- or perinatally to prescription and illicit opioids, marijuana, stimulants, alcohol and/or nicotine, and will provide a deep, nuanced understanding of the short-term and long-term factors that affect a child’s health, brain, and behavioral development, which is an essential first step toward designing interventions that promote well-being and resiliency in children. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This limited competition NOFO will utilize the U01 activity code.