International Program

International Research Funding

NIDA supports research on the biomedical and behavioral causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of drug abuse and addiction. Learn how research is supported by reading the Introduction to Funding.

Although some international researchers receive NIDA support through a direct foreign grant, most international research is supported through a domestic grant with a foreign component, where a principal investigator from a U.S. institution works with a researcher from another country.

NOTE: ALL NIDA and National Institutes of Health grant applications must be submitted electronically. Visit Submit Your Grant Application for details.

International Notice of Special Interest

NIDA has issued a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) identifying research priorities and grant mechanisms to support international collaboration in all areas of NIDA-supported research addressing the causes, consequences, prevention, treatment, recovery, or policies related to drug use, misuse, and addiction.

Find a Research Partner

  • NIDA International Drug Abuse Research Abstract Database
    A searchable database of research abstracts presented at NIDA International Program meetings by scientists from around the globe working on drug abuse and addiction research.
  • NIH RePORTER
    A searchable repository of NIH-funded research projects. Use the matchmaker function to see a list of projects similar to yours, or search by category—such as investigator, institution, or NIH Institute—to find details such as project history, abstract, funding levels, or results.
  • Fellows World Map
    NIDA International fellows are trained in U.S. research methods and prepared to collaborate with drug abuse scientists from around the world. Click on the push pins within a country to find the names of individual fellows.  Names link to the fellow's journal articles indexed in PubMed.

Grant-Writing Tools

  • NIH Grants Process Overview
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research describes the steps researchers must take to plan, write, submit, revise, and resubmit a grant application. Resources for each step of the process provide guidance from NIH experts that can help maximize your understanding of the grants process and help you submit a successful grant application.
  • NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
    Provides tips for grant applicants and reviewers, describing the role of CSR in the National Institutes of Health funding process.
  • Grant Writing
    Provides guidance in developing a strong application that allows reviewers to better evaluate the science and merit of the application.

Funding Sources

Research Priorities

  • Substances
    • Cannabis, including:
      • Commonly used forms of marijuana: flower, resin, extracts, purified cannabinoids, and cannabidiol
      • Routes of administration
      • Consequences
      • Impacts of changing laws and policies
      • Potential therapeutic benefits or harms
    • Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), particularly:
      • Synthetic opioids including fentanyl and its analogues
      • Other NPS entering wide use
    • Opioids
      • Prescription opioids
      • Heroin
      • Injection and non-injection use
    • Psychostimulants
      • Cocaine
      • Methamphetamine
      • Other amphetamine-type stimulants
    • Inhalants
    • Tobacco and nicotine, including
      • E-cigarettes
      • Vaping
  • Topics
    • Basic research on neuroscience and biology
    • Epidemiology, intervention, and implementation research
    • Recovery research
    • Policy research
    • Linkages between HIV/AIDS and drug use

Researcher Honors