Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | PAR 25 347

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 347

The Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 Clinical Trials Not Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR-25-347, is a National Institutes of Health grant mechanism designed to help doctoral candidates finish their dissertation research in the area of substance use and substance use disorder (SU(D)). The program is run through NIH with a focus aligned to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) mission, and it supports students from a wide range of academic disciplines who are conducting research that fits NIDA priorities. The central idea is to provide time-limited, dissertation-stage support so promising researchers can complete rigorous projects and transition into the SU(D) research workforce.

This opportunity funds up to two years of dissertation research support. Proposed projects are expected to align with NIDA funding priorities (as outlined on NIDA's funding priorities page) or with the goals laid out in the NIDA Strategic Plan. In practical terms, that means applicants should clearly connect their dissertation aims to the kinds of scientific and public health questions NIDA emphasizes, such as understanding the causes and consequences of substance use, improving prevention and treatment approaches, addressing overdose and related harms, studying comorbid conditions, and improving the translation of evidence into real-world settings, among other areas reflected in NIDA's priority framework.

A major stated purpose of the award is workforce development: it is meant to speed the entry of new investigators into SU(D) research and strengthen the overall pipeline of highly trained researchers in this field. The NOFO also explicitly encourages applications from candidates who can help diversify the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social science research workforce, consistent with NIH's broader Notice of Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). In other words, beyond the scientific value of the dissertation itself, NIDA is signaling that it values applicants and training environments that broaden participation and perspectives within SU(D) research.

The NOFO is labeled "Clinical Trials Not Allowed," which is an important boundary on what can be proposed. Applicants need to ensure the dissertation work does not meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial, meaning the project should not involve prospectively assigning human participants to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes. Observational human subjects research, secondary data analyses, and other non-trial designs may still be possible, but the application must be structured so it remains outside clinical trial territory under NIH policy.

Eligibility spans a broad range of applicant organizations, reflecting NIH's general institutional eligibility rules for grants in this category. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education where applicable); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, among others. The NOFO additionally highlights institutions and organizations that NIH often seeks to ensure are fully aware of eligibility and encouraged to participate, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.

There are also clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply directly, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant institution may, under NIH rules and with appropriate justification and oversight, include certain foreign activities or collaborations as part of the project when they are necessary for the science.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within the Education and Health activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.279. The agency is the National Institutes of Health, the opportunity record shows a creation date of January 2, 2025, and the listed closing date is September 7, 2026. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source text, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO and NIH budget guidance for allowable costs, caps, and other budget parameters.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award (R36 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-07. (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.

Apply for PAR 25 347

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