Multi-Site Studies for System-Level Implementation of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Services (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 222

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 222

The NIH funding opportunity titled "Multi-Site Studies for System-Level Implementation of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Services (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PAR-18-222) is a discretionary grant program issued under the Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN) initiative. It is jointly sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), reflecting a broad federal interest in improving how substance use prevention and treatment services are delivered in real-world systems and how those services connect to related public health outcomes.

The main goal of the opportunity is to support research that develops and tests interventions, models, and/or frameworks focused on system-level implementation. In practical terms, the emphasis is not only on whether a prevention or treatment approach works in a controlled research setting, but on how to make evidence-based interventions, clinical guidelines, and proven principles actually take hold across multiple sites and settings. Projects supported by this FOA are expected to examine implementation at the system level, meaning the research should address organizational, network, policy, financing, workflow, workforce, and cross-agency factors that influence whether high-quality substance use prevention and treatment services are adopted, delivered with fidelity, scaled appropriately, and sustained over time.

A central theme is improving the delivery, uptake, quality, and sustainability of evidence-based substance use services. "Delivery" points to how care or prevention programming is operationalized in routine practice. "Uptake" focuses on adoption by providers, organizations, and communities, as well as engagement by patients or target populations. "Quality" includes consistent use of best practices and attention to outcomes, equity, and service effectiveness. "Sustainability" highlights the expectation that the interventions or implementation strategies studied should be feasible to maintain after the study period, rather than disappearing once external research support ends. The FOA is designed for multi-site studies, which typically allows investigators to test implementation approaches across diverse contexts, compare results across locations, and generate findings that are more generalizable than single-site projects.

The activity mechanism is an NIH R01, meaning it supports substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects that can involve complex designs, multiple partners, and rigorous evaluation approaches. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," indicating that applicants may propose a clinical trial if appropriate for the research questions, but they are not required to do so. This flexibility is useful for implementation research, where some studies involve randomized or pragmatic trials of implementation strategies, while others may rely on quasi-experimental designs, stepped-wedge approaches, or mixed-method evaluations that focus on system change processes.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based entities. Eligible applicants listed for this opportunity include 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; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other qualifying organizations. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), regional organizations, eligible federal government agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility reflects an intent to encourage research partnerships that include the kinds of institutions and community-connected organizations that often deliver, coordinate, or influence prevention and treatment services.

At the same time, the FOA places strict limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In effect, the proposed work and organizational participation must remain domestic, which aligns with the system-level implementation focus on U.S. service delivery structures and policy environments.

The opportunity sits within the Education and Health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.273, 93.279, and 93.399. The agency is the National Institutes of Health. The source details provided list an award ceiling of $500,000, and the original closing date shown is 2020-11-13, with a creation date of 2017-11-30.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Multi-Site Studies for System-Level Implementation of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Services (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, 93.279, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 18 222

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: