Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 085

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 085

Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33 Clinical Trial Optional) is an NIH grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18 085) that sits within the Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN) initiative. In practical terms, it is aimed at strengthening addiction treatment research by supporting projects that develop, refine, and run early or preliminary tests of targeted treatment approaches for substance use disorders, particularly where people may be using more than one substance. The FOA explicitly recognizes the reality of polysubstance use and encourages work that can address multiple substances at once, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (often grouped as ATOD). The R33 mechanism signals an emphasis on later-stage exploratory or developmental work where a project is positioned to move beyond basic development into more structured testing, and the "clinical trial optional" note means applicants may propose a study with or without a clinical trial component, depending on what best fits the research question.

A central theme of the announcement is improving treatment outcomes by focusing on three connected ideas: targeting, engagement, and data replicability. "Target assessment" points to research that improves how clinicians and researchers identify what a patient needs and which intervention components are most likely to work for that person, potentially across different substances and patterns of use. "Engagement" highlights the persistent challenge of getting people into treatment, keeping them involved long enough to benefit, and designing interventions that are acceptable and feasible in real-world settings. "Data replicability" underscores NIH's interest in generating findings that are reliable, transparent, and reproducible, meaning studies should be designed and documented in ways that support validation, reuse, and comparison across settings and populations. Together, these priorities reflect a push for interventions that are not only innovative, but also measurable, implementable, and capable of producing results other researchers can confirm.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a grant funding instrument, with activity areas in education and health. It is administered by the National Institutes of Health and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.273, 93.279, and 93.399, which correspond to NIH research assistance programs typically tied to drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and broader translational or clinical research domains. While the public summary does not list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the presence of the R33 mechanism and the CRAN framing indicate NIH is looking for well-justified, scientifically grounded projects that can produce actionable evidence for improving substance use disorder treatment.

Eligibility is intentionally broad, spanning many types of domestic organizations and several categories of specialized institutions and community entities. Standard eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The FOA also allows applications from nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories), as well as for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses. Beyond that baseline list, the announcement emphasizes inclusion of a wide range of community-rooted and minority-serving institutions and organizations, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, and eligible federal agencies. It also notes that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions may be eligible, reflecting an interest in diverse settings and populations where substance use disorder interventions and engagement strategies may differ.

The timeline information included in the source indicates an original closing date of 2019-09-07 and a creation date of 2017-11-17, which is useful for historical reference and for locating the full FOA text and any related notices, amendments, or reissues. Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a CRAN-linked NIH effort to support rigorous, early-stage to preliminary testing of targeted addiction treatments that can handle the complexity of multi-substance use, improve real-world participation in care, and produce replicable evidence that meaningfully advances substance use disorder treatment outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.279, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 PAR 18 085

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