New Call for Projects on Psychoactive Drug Addiction Launched by IReSP and INCa

The 2023 call for projects on addiction has been launched by IReSP and INCa, welcoming proposals from French consortia researching psychoactive substances and behavioural issues with addictive potential.

The Groupement d’Intérêt Scientifique-Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique (GIS-IReSP – Scientific Interest Group-Institute for Public Health Research) works to develop and promote French public health research.

IReSP, in collaboration with France’s Institut National du Cancer (INCa – National Cancer Institute), operate a programme to encourage research into psychoactive drug addiction and related issues. Its objective is to support research and improve knowledge concerning the consumption of psychoactive substances and the fight against addictions. Priorities are tobacco, alcohol and cannabis but the call also covers other psychoactive substances and poly-drug use.

This call aims to cover the range of research, from basic to interventional, touching on humanities and social sciences, economics, epidemiology and other public health disciplines, relating to psychoactive drug addiction; multidisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged. The involvement of human and social sciences in the study of addiction health policies, prevention and treatment is strongly desired. This call is also open to research related to genetic studies, pharmacoepidemiology, clinical research on acute and chronic health effects or neurobiology.

Projects may focus on (but are not limited to) the following themes:

  • Understanding and reducing social inequalities.
  • Gendered approaches.
  • Vulnerable populations.
  • Issues particular to overseas territories.
  • Use of digital material in prevention, risk reduction and accompanying care strategies.
  • Poly-drug use and/or polypathologies.

The programme is open to French research consortia comprising the following types of organisation:

  • Public research organisations such as Public Scientific and Technological Establishments (EPST) and Public Industrial and Commercial Establishments (EPIC).
  • Higher education institutions (universities etc).
  • Non-profit organisations with the objective to research or promote health.
  • Health organisations such as university hospitals (CHU), regional cancer centres (CRLCC) and hospitals (CH), whether private or not.

Each proposal must designate one project coordinator who meets the following criteria:

  • Holds a doctoral degree.
  • Holds a permanent position in either the public or private sector, or have a fixed-term contract that covers the totality of the research project’s duration.
  • Commits at least 30% of their time to the research project.

The following models of funding are available under this call:

A. Support for comprehensive research projects. This type of funding is intended to finance research projects that will bring together various research teams. Projects will involve advanced research in their design and will make use of well-established methodologies and proven collaborations. Interventional research projects can be funded under this model.

  • Duration: 36 to 48 months.
  • Provisional budget: minimum of €100,000.

B. Support for pilot projects. This model of funding is intended to support small-scale preliminary studies to determine the feasibility, time, cost and the risks involved before undertaking a similar project on a large scale. These pilot projects can also be used to support interdisciplinary and multi-establishment collaborations between researchers and workers on the ground with the intent to build common research projects.

  • Duration: 18 to 24 months.
  • Provisional budget: maximum of €100,000.

C. Support for seed projects. Seed projects aim to structure, for example, partnerships between research teams and individuals in the field/practitioners with the view to developing research questions and the design of intervention. Funding should enable researchers and their partners to develop a project that is intended to be improved and then submitted (pilot or full project) to future editions of this Call for Projects.

  • Duration: 12 to 18 months.
  • Provisional budget: maximum of €60,000.

A maximum of five teams per project will be able to apply for funding for comprehensive or pilot projects and up to two teams for seed projects.

Applications to the 2023 programme must be submitted by 6 March 2023.

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)