Neuroscience Research on Drug Abuse (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 078

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 078

The Neuroscience Research on Drug Abuse (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (PA 18 078) is a discretionary NIH grant program designed to support exploratory and early-stage research on how abused substances change the brain over time and how those changes drive substance use disorders. It focuses on the neuroscience of long-term misuse and chronic exposure, recognizing that repeated substance use can lead to broad, persistent alterations in brain structure and function. Even with major advances in the field, NIH is seeking additional studies that pinpoint the specific neurobiological changes caused by substance use and clarify how those changes contribute to the development and persistence of addiction.

A central aim of the opportunity is to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie substance use disorders, with a strong emphasis on the neuroadaptations associated with the addiction cycle, particularly dependence, withdrawal, and relapse. The FOA highlights the need to identify what changes in the brain occur as substance use becomes chronic, what happens during abstinence and withdrawal, and what neural mechanisms increase vulnerability to returning to use after a period of stopping. By improving the field's understanding of these basic mechanisms, the program is intended to help researchers discover and validate new targets for prevention strategies and treatment interventions, including targets that could lead to better medications, behavioral approaches, or combined interventions.

The FOA is intentionally broad in methodological scope and welcomes basic, translational, and clinical research approaches. This means applicants can propose mechanistic laboratory studies, studies that bridge animal and human findings, and human neuroscience research, including studies that may or may not involve clinical trials (hence "clinical trial optional"). The activity mechanism is the NIH R21, which is generally used for innovative, high-impact ideas and preliminary projects that can open up new directions rather than requiring a fully mature evidence base at the time of application. The listing is associated with CFDA number 93.279 and sits within NIH's education and health-related funding activity categories.

Eligibility is wide and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governments, such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, along with public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and small businesses. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and both nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). The FOA specifically calls out additional eligible applicant categories that NIH wants to encourage, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), as well as eligible federal agencies and faith-based or community-based organizations.

The opportunity is also open internationally. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, may apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible as well. In addition, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means a U.S. applicant can include an international component when it is scientifically justified and adds unique expertise, populations, or resources that strengthen the research.

Key administrative details from the source data include an award ceiling of $200,000 (as listed in the record) and an original closing date of January 7, 2020, with a creation date of November 3, 2017. Overall, this FOA supports innovative neuroscience research that can explain how substance exposure reshapes the brain and, in doing so, lays groundwork for more effective ways to prevent addiction, reduce harm, and improve treatment outcomes across the course of dependence, withdrawal, and relapse.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Neuroscience Research on Drug Abuse (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PA 18 078

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