Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Research (R34 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 22 159

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 159

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is offering a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Research (R34 Clinical Trial Required)" under funding opportunity number PAR 22 159 (CFDA 93.273). This program uses the R34 mechanism, which is generally meant to support early-stage, planning-oriented, or pilot work that helps teams develop and refine clinical trial approaches before moving to larger-scale efficacy or effectiveness studies. As the title indicates, the proposed project must include a clinical trial, so applicants should be prepared to describe a study that tests an intervention in people, along with a clear plan for recruitment, procedures, outcomes, and trial management.

The scope is broad and centers on improving the treatment of and recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). NIAAA is looking for projects that can move the field forward across several key areas. This includes medications development for AUD, such as testing new pharmacologic candidates or optimizing how existing medications are used. It also includes precision medicine approaches, where interventions may be tailored to individual characteristics (for example, clinical profiles, co-occurring conditions, patterns of alcohol use, or potentially biologic or behavioral markers) to improve outcomes. Another major focus is behavioral therapies and the mechanisms of behavioral change (MOBC), meaning applicants are encouraged not only to test whether a behavioral intervention works, but also to examine how and why it works by measuring the processes that drive change. The announcement also highlights recovery research, which can involve understanding and improving longer-term recovery outcomes, supports, and pathways, as well as translational research that bridges basic science insights into practical clinical interventions. Finally, NIAAA explicitly invites innovative methods and technologies for AUD treatment and recovery, which can include new service delivery models, digital tools, remote or technology-enabled interventions, and other novel ways to improve access, engagement, adherence, and outcomes.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive. In addition to typical applicants like universities and nonprofits, eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education may apply. The opportunity is also open to nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. NIAAA also calls out additional eligible organizations such as faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; Hispanic-serving institutions; historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs); tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs); Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions are also listed among the eligible applicants, signaling that NIAAA is open to a wide range of institutional settings and community contexts where clinically relevant AUD research can be conducted.

Financially, the posted award ceiling is $450,000. The source data does not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided field, but the ceiling indicates the approximate maximum budget level applicants should plan around when designing a pilot clinical trial appropriate to the R34 stage. The opportunity was created on 2022-04-07, and the original closing date listed is 2023-05-07, which is important for understanding the historical timeline of the announcement; applicants should verify current due dates and active submission windows in the full FOA and on grants.gov/NIH systems if they are looking to apply now or under a reissued/renewed notice.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as support for rigorous, clinically focused pilot testing in AUD treatment and recovery, with an emphasis on interventions that can be scaled, tailored, and explained mechanistically. Competitive projects will usually align a clear clinical need in AUD with an intervention that is ready for human testing, a feasible and ethical clinical trial design, meaningful recovery- and treatment-relevant outcomes, and a strong rationale for how the results will position the team for subsequent larger clinical trials or broader implementation research.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Research (R34 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-07. (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 $450,000.00 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 PAR 22 159

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