NIDA Small Research Grant Program (R03 Clinical Trial Required) | PA 18 626

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 626

The NIDA Small Research Grant Program (R03 Clinical Trial Required), funding opportunity number PA-18-626, is a discretionary NIH grant mechanism run through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It is designed to fund smaller-scale research efforts that can be completed relatively quickly and without the large budgets or infrastructure that might be needed for bigger multi-year awards. The emphasis is on tightly scoped projects where the goals are realistic for a short timeline and limited resources, but that still produce meaningful scientific information relevant to drug use, addiction, and related public health issues that align with NIDA program priorities.

This opportunity supports several common types of small research projects. It can be used for pilot and feasibility studies that test whether a larger study is practical or whether an approach is promising enough to justify a subsequent, more substantial application. It also supports secondary analyses of existing datasets, which can be a cost-effective way to answer new questions using previously collected data. In addition, it allows for small, self-contained research studies that are complete on their own, as well as projects focused on the development of research methods or the creation and early testing of new research technologies. In practice, these categories cover work like validating new measures, refining intervention components, testing recruitment strategies, trying out an implementation approach in a limited setting, or developing and evaluating tools that improve how substance use-related research is conducted.

A key requirement in this particular Funding Opportunity Announcement is that the application must propose at least one clinical trial. In other words, applicants are expected to include a study that meets NIH’s definition of a clinical trial, such as prospectively assigning human participants to an intervention or condition to evaluate effects on health-related or behavioral outcomes. This requirement distinguishes the announcement from other small grant options that may not require a clinical trial component. Even though the R03 is small by design, applicants still need to plan for appropriate clinical trial oversight, human subjects protections, and a study design that is sufficiently rigorous for the proposed question and scale.

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $50,000, reflecting the program’s role in supporting limited-budget projects. While the source data does not specify the number of expected awards, the intent is generally to fund multiple small projects that can move the field forward efficiently, generate preliminary data, or test targeted hypotheses that are ready for a focused clinical trial approach.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and 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. It also includes public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits both with and 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 announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility is meant to encourage participation from diverse institutions and community-connected organizations that may be well-positioned to conduct clinically oriented research relevant to NIDA’s mission.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under Education and Health, with CFDA number 93.279, and the original closing date shown in the source data is February 21, 2018, with a creation date of February 2, 2018. Overall, the program is best understood as a pathway for investigators and organizations to run a small, well-defined clinical trial (or include at least one trial within a small project) that contributes directly to NIDA-relevant science, often by generating evidence, methods, or preliminary findings that can support larger-scale future studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDA Small Research Grant Program (R03 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-02-21. (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 $50,000.00 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 PA 18 626

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