Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Research (R34 Clinical Trial required) | PAR 23 188

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 188

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 23 188 (CFDA 93.273). This program uses the R34 mechanism, which is commonly used to support early-stage, pilot, or preparatory clinical research designed to generate the evidence and operational readiness needed for larger-scale studies later on. In this specific notice of funding opportunity, the emphasis is on alcohol health services research that can directly help close the persistent treatment gap for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), meaning the large share of individuals who could benefit from care but do not receive it, do not stay engaged, or do not receive effective and accessible services.

The core purpose of the opportunity is to fund research that improves how AUD treatment is reached, perceived, paid for, implemented, and delivered in real-world settings. NIAAA is looking for projects that can produce actionable knowledge about service delivery and systems of care, not just clinical efficacy in ideal conditions. The NOFO highlights five major research emphasis areas. First, it prioritizes studies that increase access to AUD treatment, which can include work that reduces logistical barriers, expands availability in medical or community settings, improves referral pathways, or strengthens the ability of systems to identify and connect people to appropriate care. Second, it encourages research aimed at making AUD treatment more appealing, which speaks to improving acceptability, engagement, and retention, including ways to reduce stigma, tailor services to patient preferences, increase convenience, and design approaches that people are more willing to start and continue. Third, it calls for examination of cost structures and insurance systems, reflecting interest in how financing, reimbursement, benefit design, and payment policies shape whether organizations can provide services and whether patients can access them without prohibitive cost or administrative friction. Fourth, it supports dissemination and implementation studies focused on spreading and integrating existing evidence-based AUD treatments into routine practice, including research on adoption, fidelity, sustainability, workforce support, and organizational or policy conditions that make implementation succeed or fail. Fifth, it explicitly emphasizes reducing health disparities as a way of addressing the AUD treatment gap for health disparity populations, signaling interest in interventions and service models that improve equity in access, quality, engagement, and outcomes across populations that have been underserved or disproportionately affected.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. The opportunity is also open to public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The NOFO also notes additional eligible applicant categories that are especially relevant to equity-focused work and community-connected research, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized tribes, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), which indicates the program may support internationally based applicants when appropriate to the goals of the research.

From the posted source data, the opportunity was created on 2023-05-15, with an original closing date of 2023-07-18. The award ceiling and expected number of awards were not specified in the provided listing, which usually means applicants need to consult the full NOFO text for budget limits, project period details, and any institute-specific caps or expectations. Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at generating practical, implementation-relevant evidence that helps more people with AUD get into treatment, find it acceptable and engaging, afford it within real-world insurance and payment environments, receive evidence-based care that systems can actually deliver at scale, and do so in ways that measurably reduce inequities for health disparity populations.

• 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 2023-05-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-18. (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 23 188

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