Avant Garde/Avenir Awards for Investigators Conducting High Risk/High Reward Research on HIV and Substance Use (or Substance Use Disorders) (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Avant Garde/Avenir Awards for Investigators Conducting High Risk High Reward Research on HIV and Substance Use is a federal funding opportunity administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse within the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This program is designed to support exceptionally creative investigators pursuing innovative and transformative research at the intersection of HIV and substance use. The initiative reflects NIH’s broader mission to advance scientific discovery and improve public health outcomes by encouraging high risk, high impact studies that may not be suitable for traditional grant mechanisms. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to stimulate groundbreaking basic, clinical, translational, and implementation science research that addresses HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression among individuals who use substances or have substance use disorders. The program emphasizes novel approaches that challenge existing paradigms and have the potential to significantly advance knowledge and practice. The Avant Garde track targets highly innovative investigators proposing transformative ideas, while the Avenir track focuses on early stage investigators developing forward-looking solutions in this field. Funding supports a wide range of allowable activities including personnel, equipment, supplies, and other research-related costs necessary to carry out the proposed project. Applicants must propose research that clearly integrates substance use considerations into HIV-related work, demonstrating both the relevance of substance use and how it will be addressed methodologically. Projects that solely focus on alcohol use or promote harm reduction models are explicitly excluded. The maximum project period is five years, with total funding requests capped at 3.5 million dollars for established investigators and 1.875 million dollars for early stage investigators. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, government entities, tribal organizations, and foreign institutions. Individual principal investigators must demonstrate the expertise and capacity to conduct innovative research and must commit a specified percentage of effort to the project. Organizations must complete required federal registrations, including SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons, prior to submission. The program allows multiple applications from a single organization provided they are scientifically distinct. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov or the NIH ASSIST system, with tracking through eRA Commons. Applicants must follow the NIH Research Instructions and provide a structured essay in lieu of a traditional research plan, outlining their vision, innovation, and alignment with program goals. Required components include a statement of effort commitment, evidence of innovation, and explanation of how the proposed research differs from prior work. Additionally, three confidential letters of reference must be submitted separately by referees prior to the application deadline. Applications are evaluated through NIH’s peer review process based on criteria including significance, innovation, investigator capability, and overall impact. Reviewers focus on the potential for transformative research and the applicant’s creativity rather than preliminary data or detailed methodology. Following peer review, funding decisions are made by the NIDA Director with input from advisory councils and consideration of program priorities. The application timeline follows a recurring annual schedule, with submission deadlines on September 25 each year through 2028. The earliest submission date for the current cycle is August 25, 2026, and applications are due by 5:00 PM local time. Review and award processes occur over several months, with earliest project start dates typically in July of the following year. The program is expected to recur annually until its expiration in September 2028, providing ongoing opportunities for innovative HIV and substance use research.

Focus on highly innovative transformative ideas rather than incremental research; clearly demonstrate how substance use is integrated into HIV research; emphasize originality and paradigm shifting potential