Accelerating the Pace of Substance Use Research Using Existing Data (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Accelerating the Pace of Substance Use Research Using Existing Data funding opportunity, issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports research that innovatively leverages existing datasets to advance the understanding of substance use behaviors, associated disorders, and their implications for public health. This grant aims to expand knowledge on the etiology and epidemiology of substance use (including alcohol, tobacco, prescription, and other drugs), prevention strategies, health service utilization, and related disorders such as HIV. The initiative is designed to fund rigorous analytical studies that make full use of already collected social, behavioral, administrative, neuroimaging, and clinical data—primary data collection is strictly not permitted. The funding opportunity seeks to address gaps in the utilization of existing datasets, encouraging novel analyses that explore substance use trajectories, risk and protective factors, morbidity and mortality outcomes, and system-level service delivery improvements. NIDA expresses a particular interest in the use of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset and encourages applicants to utilize additional repositories such as PATH, Human Connectome Project, NAHDAP, and NIDA Data Share. Applicants must ensure that proposed research is substantively distinct from previous or ongoing work using the same data and must register statistical analysis plans publicly. Applications should propose analyses that address critical health disparities, including population-specific impacts based on sex, race, socioeconomic status, and other social determinants of health. Projects incorporating advanced statistical modeling, machine learning, or integrative data science approaches are particularly encouraged. Moreover, applications relevant to HIV-related substance use risk, treatment adherence, and service accessibility—especially among underrepresented or high-risk populations—are prioritized. While clinical trials are not allowed, all studies involving human data must adhere to NIH’s human subjects research protections and reporting standards. Eligibility for this grant includes a wide range of organizations: U.S. and non-U.S. higher education institutions, nonprofits, small businesses, for-profit entities, tribal governments and organizations, public housing authorities, independent school districts, and federal and state agencies. Individual investigators with demonstrated expertise and institutional support are encouraged to apply. Foreign entities and components are also eligible. Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH systems such as ASSIST or Grants.gov. Letters of intent, while not required, should be submitted 30 days before the application deadline. Application deadlines occur biannually on July 17 and December 3 through 2027, with corresponding review and award cycles. The maximum project duration is five years, and while no budget cap is imposed, funding must reflect actual project needs. NIDA expects to commit $2 million annually toward awards, supporting 2–4 applications, with an additional $2 million allocated for HIV-related research under this and the companion R21 opportunity. Matching funds are not required. Contact information includes Dr. Marsha Lopez (Scientific/Research Contact), NIDAPeerReview@nih.gov (Peer Review), and nidagmbemail@nida.nih.gov (Grants Management). The funding opportunity remains open through December 4, 2027.

Emphasize novelty, avoid overlap with previous work, pre-register analysis plans, address health disparities, and justify statistical rigor including effect size.