Thursday, July 17, 2025 7/17/2025

Addressing Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research: Accounting for Neglected Factors and Applying Practical Solutions to Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility

Award Number: R25GM133017
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/29/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2022

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Addressing Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research: Accounting for Neglected Factors and Applying Practical Solutions to Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility - Application ID: 339139 Addressing Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research: Accounting for Neglected Factors and Applying Practical Solutions to Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility ! The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently instituted a requirement to consider sex as a biological variable in animal studies in an effort to ensure that preclinical research is applicable to both males and females. This policy, however, has raised many questions about how researchers should design studies that include both male and female rodents. Although some resources provide guidance on this new requirement, most of these guidelines focus on why sex is a critical biological variable rather than how to practically implement these considerations into preclinical research design, analyses, and reporting. We propose to develop a series of open-access online training modules that provide preclinical researchers with the practical knowledge and guidance they need to conduct rigorous and reproducible research that is applicable to both sexes. We aim to create three modules, respectively entitled “Sex Differences and Study Design”, Sex Differences in the Brain and Behavior”, and “Sex Differences and Pharmacology”. Each module will consist of engaging short videos (“episodes”) that cover a single topic in the form of a didactic presentation and case comparisons. The principal investigator and key personnel will work with subject-matter experts to develop the modules. Furthermore, internal evaluators will systematically monitor the program and perform a formative and summative evaluation of its success on an ongoing basis. The evaluators will gather data to determine whether the program is meeting its specific objectives and goals and whether the training videos are helpful to preclinical researchers across all career stages to understand how to address sex as a biological variable. We will make these training modules freely available on YouTube by the second year of the funding period, and post links to these modules across the Cohen Veterans Bioscience, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Preclinical Data Forum Network, Society for Neuroscience, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and Journal of Neuroscience Research, and Partnership for Assessment and Accreditation of Scientific Practice websites. Our goal is that the training modules will not only guide preclinical scientists to meet the NIH grant requirement, but also to empower researchers to include both sexes in their studies. PI: Patricia Kabitzke Institution: Cohen Veterans Bioscience


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2023	2021	COHEN VETERANS BIOSCIENCE INC	535 8TH AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10018	NEW YORK	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	1/10/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $14,287 )
2021	2021	COHEN VETERANS BIOSCIENCE, INC.	535 8TH AVE FL 12	NEW YORK	NY	10018	NEW YORK	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	7/12/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$14,287
														Subtotal = $14,287

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $125,235 )
2020	2020	COHEN VETERANS BIOSCIENCE, INC.	1 BROADWAY 14TH FL	CAMBRIDGE	MA	02142	MIDDLESEX	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	2	8/25/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2020	2020	COHEN VETERANS BIOSCIENCE, INC.	1 BROADWAY 14TH FL	CAMBRIDGE	MA	02142	MIDDLESEX	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	6/18/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,235
														Subtotal = $125,235

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $121,825 )
2019	2019	COHEN VETERANS BIOSCIENCE, INC.	1 BROADWAY 14TH FL	CAMBRIDGE	MA	02142	MIDDLESEX	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	7/29/2019	NEW	$121,825
														Subtotal = $121,825

Grand Total All Awards = $261,347

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Addressing Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research: Accounting for Neglected Factors and Applying Practical Solutions to Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility

Award Number: R25GM133017

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/29/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2022

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer