Full Text PA-92-70

RESEARCH ON THE HOMELESS WITH ALCOHOL PROBLEMS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 16, May 1, 1992

PA:  PA-92-70

P.T. 34

Keywords: 
  Alcohol/Alcoholism 
  Disease Prevention+ 
  Rehabilitation/Therapy, Emotional 


National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

PURPOSE

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) invites
researchers to submit research grant applications dealing with the
identification, treatment, and rehabilitation of homeless people with
alcohol problems and the prevention of alcohol abuse and alcoholism
among homeless people who are not alcoholics.  This program
announcement is a revised version of an earlier announcement with the
same title issued in March 1989.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This program
announcement, Research on the Homeless with Alcohol Problems, is
related to the priority area of decreasing morbidity and mortality
associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  Potential applicants may
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No.
017-001-00474-0, or Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through
the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC  20402-9325 (telephone (202) 783-3238).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications for research grants may be made by public and private non-
profit and for-profit organizations, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and
eligible agencies of the Federal Government.  Women and minority
investigators are encouraged to apply.

MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT

Research support may be requested through applications for an
individual research grant (R01), small grant (R03), and First
Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) Award (R29).
Special announcements for the FIRST Award program (R29) and the small
grant program (R03) are available from the National Clearinghouse for
Alcohol and Drug Information (see APPLICATION PROCEDURES)

Applicants for R01s may request support for up to five years, small
grants are limited to two years and FIRST award applicants may request
five years of support.  FIRST awards and small grants may not be
renewed, but applications may be submitted for R01 support to continue
research on the same topics.

Annual awards will be made, subject to continued availability of funds
and progress achieved.

Terms and Conditions of Support

Grant funds may be used for expenses clearly related and necessary to
carry out research projects, including direct costs that can be
specifically identified with the project and allowable indirect costs
of the institution.  Funds may not be used to establish, add a
component to, or operate a treatment, rehabilitation, or prevention
service program.  Support for research-related treatment,
rehabilitation, or prevention services and programs may be requested
only for those particular costs and for that period of time required by
the research.  These costs must be justified in terms of research
objectives, methods, and designs that promise to yield important
generalizable knowledge and/or to make a significant contribution to
theoretical concepts.

Grants will be administered in accordance with the PHS Grants Policy
Statement (rev. October 1990).

FUNDS AVAILABLE

No specific funds are being allocated by NIAAA for this program.
Applications received in response to this announcement will compete
with others submitted to NIAAA for funding.  The amount of funding
available will depend on appropriated funds, quality of research
proposals, and program priorities at the time of the award.  In FY
1991, four grants relating to this program area, including both new and
continuation grants, were funded for $1.25 million.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

Definitive data are not available on the number, distribution, and
characteristics of the homeless population of the United States.  A
national study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
concluded that, on a single night during the winter of 1983-84, there
were approximately 250,000 to 350,000 homeless persons.  Others have
estimated the number to be as high as 3,000,000.  This population is
heterogeneous, including both male and female adults, families, youth,
elderly, veterans, migrants, and minorities.  Many have alcohol, other
drug, and mental health problems.  Homelessness is widely considered to
be a growing problem.  The causes are complex, including unemployment,
deinstitutionalization, limited housing resources, and personal crises.
Research indicates that approximately 35 to 40 percent of homeless
individuals have alcohol problems.

The purpose of this program announcement is to encourage investigator
interest in the area of the homeless population with alcohol problems,
including those at imminent risk of becoming homeless.  Investigators
are also encouraged to study the role of alcohol in conjunction with
other drug abuse and mental health problems in the homeless.  Research
is sought on the following topics:

o  assessing the impact of existing treatment service models and
specific interventions that are effective in reducing alcohol problems
among the homeless;

o  developing new techniques and service delivery models for
effectively treating alcohol problems among the homeless;

o  identifying barriers to community treatment services and determining
means to improve access to care;

o  evaluating current service systems in terms of relative
effectiveness in reducing alcohol problems among the homeless;

o  developing and assessing strategies to prevent alcohol
abuse/alcoholism among the non-alcoholic homeless and those at imminent
risk of becoming homeless;

o  identifying "routes to treatment" taken by the alcohol troubled
homeless.  Specifically, what events tend to result in the homeless
with alcohol-related problems receiving medical, psychological, and
social assistance, and how effectively does the human services network
respond in terms of addressing alcohol problems if they are present;

o  developing methods to follow this population effectively and to
obtain valid information to determine long-term effectiveness of
alcoholism treatment;

o  performing cost analyses regarding alcoholism treatment among the
homeless; and

o  surveying the public, the cognizant providers, and the homeless
population itself regarding alcoholism treatment service needs,
attitudes toward treatment, and beliefs about effectiveness of
alcoholism treatment services for the homeless.

Where applicable, outcome measures for such studies should include
drinking measures as well as economic and social measures.

The NIAAA also participates in another research-related program in
conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health and the
National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is described in a separate program
announcement entitled "Research on Services for Persons with Mental
Disorders that Co-occur with Alcohol and/or Drug Disorders."  Copies
are available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information.

STUDY POPULATIONS

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF MINORITIES AND WOMEN AS SUBJECTS
IN RESEARCH

For projects involving human subjects and human materials, ADAMHA/NIH
requires applicants to include minorities and both genders in study
populations.  Racial/ethnic minority and gender differences in human
subjects provide valid scientific and public health reasons for
requiring that research involving human subjects includes appropriate
minority and gender representation.  If one gender and/or minorities
are excluded or are inadequately represented in this research, a clear
compelling rationale for exclusion or inadequate representation must be
provided.  ADAMHA/NIH will not make awards that do not comply with this
policy.  Instructions are provided in form PHS 398 (revised 9/91),
Section IV.C.4.

If the required information is not contained within the application,
the application will be deferred until the information is provided.

Peer reviewers will address specifically whether the research plan in
the application conforms to these policies.  If there is limited
representation, or absence of minority representation or only one
gender is represented, AND the scientific justification for the
selected study population is inadequate, reviewers will consider this
as a scientific weakness or a deficiency in the study design and
reflect this in the written review statements and in the assigned
priority score.

Awardees will report annually on enrollment of subjects, in terms of
gender and racial/ethnic group, as required in form PHS 2590 (rev.
9/91), Application for Continuation Grant.

Protection of Human Subjects

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has regulations for
the protection of human subjects and has developed additional
regulations for the protection of children.  A copy of these
regulations (45 CFR 46, Protection of Human Subjects) and those
pertaining specifically to children are available from the Office for
Protection from Research Risks, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD  20892, telephone  (301) 496-7041.  Specific questions
concerning protection of human subjects in research may be directed to
the staff member listed under "INQUIRIES".

An applicant organization proposing to conduct nonexempt research
involving human subjects must file an "Assurance of Compliance" with
the Office for Protection from Research Risks.  As part of this
Assurance, which commits the applicant organization to comply with the
DHHS regulations, the applicant organization must appoint an
institutional review board (IRB) to review and approve all nonexempt
research activities involving human subjects.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants are to use the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91).
The number and title of this announcement, "Research on the Homeless
with Alcohol Problems PA-92-70," must be typed in item number 2a on the
face page of the PHS 398 application form.

Application kits containing the necessary forms and instructions (PHS
398) may be obtained from business offices or offices of sponsored
research at most universities, colleges, medical schools, and other
major research facilities.  If such a source is not available, the
following office may be contacted for the necessary application
material:

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 468-2600 or 1-800-729-6686

The signed original and five permanent, legible copies of the completed
application must be sent or delivered to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892**

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

The Division of Research Grants, NIH, serves as a central point for
receipt of applications for most discretionary PHS grant programs.
Applications received under this announcement will be assigned to an
Initial Review Group (IRG) in accordance with established PHS Referral
Guidelines.  The IRGs, consisting primarily of non-Federal scientific
and technical experts, will review the applications for scientific and
technical merit.  Notification of the review recommendations will be
sent to the applicant after the initial review.  Applications will
receive a second-level review by an appropriate National Advisory
Council.  Only applications recommended by a Council may be considered
for funding.

Application Receipt and Review Schedule

Applications will be accepted and reviewed according to the following
schedule:

Receipt Dates     Initial      Advisory           Earliest
New/Renewal       Review       Council Review     Start Date

Jun 1/Jul 1*    Oct/Nov        Jan/Feb             Apr 1
Oct 1/Nov 1*    Feb/Mar        May/Jun             Jul 1
Feb 1/Mar 1*    May/Jun        Sep/Oct             Dec 1

*  Competing continuation, supplemental, and revised applications are
to be submitted on these dates.

Applications received after the above receipt dates are subject to
assignment to the next review cycle or may be returned to the
investigator without review, if requested by the applicant.

Review Criteria

Criteria for scientific/technical merit review of applications for
research grants (R01) will include the following:

o  The overall scientific and technical merit and significance of the
proposed research.

o  The appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental design,
including the adequacy of the methodology proposed for collection and
analysis of data.

o  The adequacy of the qualifications (including level of education and
training) and relevant research experience of the Principal
Investigator and key research personnel.

o  The availability of adequate facilities, general environment for the
conduct of proposed research, other resources, and any collaborative
arrangements necessary for the research.

o  The appropriateness of budget estimates for the proposed research
activities.

o  Where applicable, the adequacy of procedures to protect or minimize
possible adverse effects on humans, animals, and the environment.

o  Conformance of the application to the ADAMHA policy on inclusion of
women and minorities in study populations.

The review criteria for small grants (R03) and the FIRST Awards (R29)
are contained in the special announcements that are available from the
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will be considered for funding on the basis of overall
scientific and technical merit of the research as determined by peer
review, program needs and balance, and availability of funds.

INQUIRIES

Potential applicants are encouraged to seek preapplication consultation
and may contact the individual listed below for consultation in
preparing an application under this announcement.  In addition,
investigators may submit concept papers or outlines of the proposed
research to NIAAA staff for review prior to formal grant application
submission.  Direct inquires to:

Fulton Caldwell, Ph.D.
Treatment Research Branch
Division of Clinical and Prevention Research
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 14C-20
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-0796

Inquiries relating to fiscal matters may be directed to:

Elsie Fleming
Grants Management Branch
Office of Planning and Resource Management
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Parklawn Building, Room 16-86
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-4703

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance, No. 93.273.  Awards are made under the authority of
Sections 301 and 510 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended (42
USC 241 and 290bb), and under the authority of Section 1992 of the PHS
Act (42 USC 300X-9a).  Federal regulations at 42 CFR Part 52, "Grants
for Research Projects," and Title 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92, generic
requirements concerning the administration of grants, are applicable to
these awards.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental
review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency
review.

.

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