Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33) | PAR 16 352

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 352

The Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33) funding opportunity (PAR-16-352) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant announcement released under the Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN) initiative. Its main purpose is to support research that improves substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes by developing, refining, and conducting early or preliminary tests of targeted addiction treatment approaches. A defining feature of the opportunity is its focus on interventions that can address use of multiple substances rather than a single drug category, including work that spans alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (often grouped as ATOD). In practical terms, the FOA is aimed at projects that can meaningfully strengthen how treatment is tailored, how people are engaged and retained in care, and how findings can be reproduced and trusted across settings.

The announcement emphasizes three connected themes: assessment, engagement, and data replicability. "Assessment" points to improving how clinicians and researchers identify patient needs, substance use patterns, comorbidities, severity, and treatment responsiveness so that care can be better matched and adjusted. "Engagement" highlights the persistent challenge of getting people into treatment, keeping them involved long enough to benefit, and reducing dropout, missed visits, or other barriers that disrupt care. "Data replicability" signals that NIH wants studies designed and documented in ways that make results more reproducible and easier to validate, which typically implies clearer protocols, careful measurement, transparent analytic plans, and strong attention to data quality and consistency so that the evidence base for addiction treatment becomes more reliable and easier to translate into practice.

This FOA uses the R33 grant mechanism, which NIH commonly associates with later-stage exploratory or developmental efforts where there is a need to conduct more advanced or preliminary testing before a larger-scale efficacy or effectiveness trial. In that sense, the opportunity is positioned to help investigators move from promising concepts or early results toward more convincing evidence by running well-designed pilot studies, feasibility studies, or other rigorous preliminary evaluations of targeted treatment strategies for SUDs involving multiple substances. Because it sits within CRAN, the broader intent also aligns with accelerating addiction science through coordinated NIH efforts and encouraging research that can have cross-cutting impact across substances and treatment systems.

A wide range of applicants are eligible. In addition to standard public-sector and academic entities (state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education), the FOA is open to tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and many nonprofit and private-sector organizations (including nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status and for-profit organizations other than small businesses, as well as small businesses). The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types that NIH wants to encourage, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility is consistent with the goal of supporting research that is relevant across diverse populations, communities, and care settings, including groups and regions that are often underrepresented in research.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under CFDA numbers 93.273, 93.279, and 93.399, and the sponsoring agency is NIH. The FOA was created on 2016-07-01, and the original closing date listed is 2018-01-24. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text or NIH guidance to understand budget expectations, project period norms, and any institute- or program-specific funding considerations tied to CRAN.

Overall, PAR-16-352 is best understood as a targeted NIH grant opportunity supporting early to mid-stage testing of addiction treatment strategies that address multiple substances, with a strong preference for work that improves the precision of assessment, increases patient engagement and retention, and produces findings that are replicable and dependable enough to strengthen the larger SUD treatment evidence base.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Target Assessment, Engagement and Data Replicability to Improve Substance Use Disorders Treatment Outcomes (R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.279, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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.

Apply for PAR 16 352

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