Epidemiology and Prevention in Alcohol Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 390

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 390

The grant opportunity "Epidemiology and Prevention in Alcohol Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 18-390) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding announcement that supports investigator-initiated research projects focused on alcohol use and its public health impacts. It uses the R01 research project grant mechanism, which is the NIH's standard award type for funding mature, hypothesis-driven research programs. The "clinical trial optional" designation means applicants may propose studies that include clinical trials, but a clinical trial is not required; strong applications can range from observational epidemiology to prevention research, with or without intervention testing, depending on the scientific aims.

At its core, the FOA is aimed at advancing knowledge about the epidemiology of alcohol use, alcohol-related harms, and alcohol use disorders, as well as improving prevention strategies for underage drinking and related consequences. That includes research that maps patterns and trends in alcohol consumption across populations, identifies risk and protective factors, clarifies pathways leading from alcohol exposure to health and social harms, and examines how alcohol-related outcomes vary by age, sex, geography, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other determinants. On the prevention side, the opportunity is intended to foster studies that develop, refine, and evaluate approaches to prevent underage drinking, reduce alcohol-related harms, and prevent alcohol use disorders, including multi-level strategies that may operate at the individual, family, school, healthcare system, community, or policy level.

Because this is an investigator-initiated FOA, it is designed to be broad and flexible in terms of research topics and methods, as long as the work is clearly tied to alcohol epidemiology and/or prevention. Competitive projects often leverage rigorous designs and strong analytic approaches, such as population-based surveys, cohort studies, case-control studies, natural experiments, mixed-methods research, implementation and dissemination approaches, or intervention studies when appropriate. The intent is not only to describe the burden of alcohol use and harms, but to generate actionable evidence that can inform prevention programs, public health practice, and policy decisions.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive. In addition to common applicant types such as 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; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, the FOA explicitly welcomes applications from a wide range of mission-driven and community-connected entities. These include 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), federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and applicants located in U.S. territories or possessions. The FOA also permits non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) to apply, reflecting NIH's interest in scientifically strong research that can address alcohol-related public health questions with global relevance or comparative value.

Administratively, this is a grant (not a contract) within the NIH health research portfolio and is associated with CFDA number 93.273. The FOA was created on 2017-11-27, and the provided record lists an original closing date of 2020-05-07 (noting that NIH announcements sometimes have multiple receipt dates over time or may be reissued; applicants typically verify the current status and active due dates in the official NIH listing). No award ceiling or expected number of awards is specified in the provided source data, which is common for many NIH FOAs because final award amounts and counts depend on the quality of applications, available appropriations, and program priorities.

Overall, the opportunity is best read as NIH inviting well-justified, methodologically strong R01 proposals that either (1) deepen understanding of who is affected by alcohol use and alcohol-related harms and why, or (2) produce evidence about what prevents underage drinking, reduces harms, and lowers the incidence or severity of alcohol use disorders. The broad eligibility language and "clinical trial optional" framing are meant to encourage a wide range of institutions and investigators, including community-based and minority-serving organizations, to contribute research that is both scientifically rigorous and relevant to real-world prevention needs.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Epidemiology and Prevention in Alcohol Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)" 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 2017-11-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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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