BACKGROUND While competition for National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) funds is increasing, the peer review of grant applications is becoming more demanding; academic careers are more dependent on funded grants; and costs associated with preparation and review of grant applications are escalating. To be competitive in this environment, potential grantees and applicant institutions will have to develop new strategies to improve the probability that research proposals are approved and awarded meritorious priority scores. NIAAA's programs are committed to increasing the ability of new researchers to participate in studies which examine issues of importance to the understanding of alcohol addiction and to development of improved methods for assessment, prevention, and treatment. This site consist of a number of interrelated elements organized to help the applicant investigator better present research ideas in a proposal format. A major activity of these programs is the development of a computer-based research development colleague - SPIRIT.  NIAAA has contracted with the AI Resources, Inc. to design and evaluate SPIRIT. SPIRIT is intended for use by the neophyte and expert alike. Underrepresented scholars including minorities, women and other scholars who have not traditionally participated in NIAAA's research programs may find SPIRIT particularly helpful.    OBJECTIVES Specifically, SPIRIT's programs will serve the following purposes:  Improve the quality and sharpen the focus of alcohol research proposals by enhancing a users understanding of the grant application process from preproposal through application to review and award;  Facilitate grant development by providing software programs which guide the drug abuse researcher through the mechanical procedures required in the PHS 398 grant application kit;  Increase the accuracy of the budgets sections by incorporating specifically designed database spreadsheet programs;  Enhance research design skills and avoid common, often fatal, errors through the use of a research mentoring program.  NOTE: The content of the mentoring modules is based on prior original work of the developers and other contributors and remains their intellectual property.  SPIRIT content and organization structure is (C) Copyright 1995-2004 by Larry Bielawski & Catherine Bolek. Address any comments or questions about SPIRIT via Email to: larry@bielawski.com