NIH Announces New Funding Opportunities Open to International Researchers

Several new National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunities may be of interest to international drug abuse researchers.

  • PrEP for HIV Prevention Among Substance-Using Populations: NIDA intends to commit $2 million in fiscal year 2020 to support approximately three R01 research grants. Applicants should propose to gather knowledge that could improve management and implementation of antiretroviral treatment as pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP) for people who use alcohol and illicit substances. Clinical trials are optional, but applicants are urged to consider whether rigorous observational frameworks would address the Request for Applications (RFA) key questions more effectively than a clinical trial would.
  • Fogarty HIV Research Program: NIDA is participating in three funding opportunities to increase HIV research capacity in low- or middle-income countries:
    • D43 Training Program, Clinical Trial Optional: PAR-19-283
    • D71 Training Program Planning Grant, Clinical Trials Not Allowed: PAR-19-284
    • G11 Infrastructure Development Training Program, Clinical Trials Not Allowed: PAR-19-285
  • Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award: The Fogarty International Center program provides research support and protected time to research scientists who hold an academic junior faculty position or research appointment at an academic or research institution in a low- or middle-income country. Applicants may propose research with or without clinical trials.
  • Exploiting Genome or Epigenome Editing to Functionally Validate Genes or Variants Involved in Substance Use Disorders: NIDA has issued a new funding opportunity that uses a phased R21/R33 mechanism to support projects that exploit genome or epigenome editing to functionally validate and characterize genes or variants involved in phenotypes relevant to substance use disorders. Grantees will begin with a high-risk/high-payoff, milestone-driven R21 exploratory and developmental research project. NIDA estimates that about 50 percent of the funded R21 projects will be selected to proceed to the second phase, R33 projects. See details in PAR-19-278.
  • Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: NIDA is among 17 NIH Institutes and Centers that reissued funding opportunities to support studies of mechanisms to bridge the gap between research, practice, and policy. Applicants may choose among R01 research project grants, R21 exploratory and developmental research grants, and R03 small grant funding mechanisms. Researchers should propose innovative approaches to identifying, understanding, and developing strategies for overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions, tools, policies, and guidelines. Researchers also may explore ways to stop or reduce the use of interventions that are ineffective, unproven, low-value, or harmful. In addition, studies to advance dissemination and implementation research methods and measures are encouraged.