Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 - Clinical Trials Optional) | PA 20 208

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 20 208

The Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 - Clinical Trials Optional) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity administered through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It is designed specifically to support doctoral candidates who are at the dissertation stage and need dedicated resources to complete an independent dissertation research project in the area of substance use and substance use disorders (SU(D)). The award provides up to two years of support, with the overall intent of helping strong trainees finish rigorous dissertation research and transition into the next stage of a research career in SU(D) science.

A key requirement is that the proposed dissertation research aligns closely with NIDA priorities. Applicants are expected to anchor their projects in NIDA's stated funding priorities and/or the NIDA Strategic Plan. In practice, that means the project should clearly connect to the scientific and public health goals that NIDA emphasizes, such as improving prevention, understanding the causes and consequences of substance use, advancing treatment and recovery science, reducing overdose and other harms, and strengthening implementation and service delivery approaches. The "clinical trials optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose research that includes a clinical trial if it is appropriate for the dissertation, but a clinical trial is not required to be competitive.

Beyond supporting individual dissertation completion, the larger program goal is workforce development. NIDA explicitly frames this mechanism as a way to bring promising new investigators into the SU(D) research field and to expand the pipeline of highly trained researchers working on substance use and addiction-related topics. Applications are particularly encouraged from candidates who would broaden and diversify the research workforce, consistent with NIH's stated interest in diversity (referenced via NOT-OD-20-031). This emphasis signals that NIDA is paying attention not only to the scientific value of the dissertation project, but also to the longer-term impact on the field's talent base and representation.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based institutions and entities that can serve as the sponsoring organization for a doctoral candidate. Eligible applicants listed for this opportunity include public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, among others. The opportunity also highlights a number of institution types that are explicitly welcomed, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are important restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which generally means certain well-justified elements of the work may involve foreign collaborations or activities under NIH rules even though the primary applicant organization must be U.S.-based.

In terms of basic administrative identifiers, the funding opportunity is titled "Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 - Clinical Trials Optional)," with Funding Opportunity Number PA 20 208. It is a discretionary grant program within the education and health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.279. The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2023-05-07 and a creation date of 2020-05-08. The published excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details would need to be confirmed in the full FOA or NIH guide notice, along with standard NIH requirements around dissertation status, sponsor/mentor roles, allowable costs, and submission and review procedures.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 - Clinical Trials Optional)" 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 2020-05-08.
• 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.)
• 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.

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