Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center Seeks Proposals for Renewal Grant

Initial proposals due March 8, 2010.

The OHSU / VA Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center (MARC) is looking for new investigators to contribute projects for their upcoming center renewal application. Investigators conducting research or interested in conducting research related to the neuroscience of methamphetamine abuse are invited to get involved. Research themes include the following:

• Neuroanatomy of methamphetamine effects
• Neuroadaptation to methamphetamine
• Stressor responsivity
• Impulsivity
• Use of translational research approaches (“bench to bedside”)

Projects that are part of the MARC have access to up to five years of stable funding, core support, and collaboration with a group of preclinical and clinical investigators.  Funding for shorter-term (1-2 year) pilot projects may also available.

The initial application process is relatively simple: they ask for a two-page summary of your research (details here) outlining what you propose to do and how you propose to do it. Initial proposals are due March 8, 2010 by 12:00 midnight. OHSU faculty, Portland VAMC faculty, and individuals from local institutions who qualify to be a principal investigator are eligible to apply. If your project is selected, you will be included in the next iteration of the MARC renewal (starting approximately June 2011).

The MARC Executive Committee will review all proposals, provide feedback, and request further development of selected proposals. Collaborations with current MARC investigators is allowed and encouraged. For questions, contact Aaron Janowsky, PhD, executive director or Tamara Philips, PhD, scientific director.

The Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center at OHSU and the Portland VA Medical Center is funded through the National Institute of Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.  It is a new center, founded in 2006, approaching drug research at all many levels in a truly translational context. The Center studies meth addiction “from bench to bedside” — all the way from the genetics or pharmacology lab to the patient who comes in for treatment. Their goal is to learn about and understand the underlying mechanisms of addiction to prevent and treat methamphetamine abuse.