NIDA Research Education Program for Clinical Researchers and Clinicians (R25 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 083

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 083

The NIDA Research Education Program for Clinical Researchers and Clinicians (R25 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number PAR 18-083, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to strengthen the substance use and addiction research workforce through targeted research education. Using the R25 mechanism, the program supports structured educational activities that sit alongside and enhance existing professional training pathways, with the broader NIH goal of building capacity to meet national biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. In practical terms, the focus is on improving the knowledge base and research readiness of people whose careers are clinically oriented, including clinicians, service providers, and clinical researchers, especially those who blend patient-facing work with research responsibilities.

A key point of this opportunity is that it is not meant to fund routine clinical training that is unrelated to research. Instead, it supports education that directly builds research capability and understanding in the substance abuse and addiction space. The funding emphasizes creative, well-organized educational programs with a primary focus on two main activity types: Courses for Skills Development and Research Experiences. Skills-development courses generally involve structured instruction that builds competencies needed for addiction-related clinical research, while research experiences provide hands-on exposure to research practice, typically through mentored involvement in projects or research environments. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that the program can include clinical trial-related research education components where appropriate, but it is not automatically required for all projects.

The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes many types of organizations that can host and run education programs. Eligible entities include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized as governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories where specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

From the published source details, the administering agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the program is associated with CFDA number 93.279. The listed award ceiling is $350,000. The original closing date shown is 2018-09-07, and the creation date of the opportunity record is 2017-11-17, which signals that applicants should verify the current status, deadlines, and any reissued or active versions of the FOA if they are considering applying now, since NIH opportunities are often renewed, replaced, or updated over time.

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at institutions and organizations that can deliver high-quality research education programming specifically tied to substance use and addiction research, with an emphasis on building practical skills and research experience for clinically focused professionals. The intent is workforce development: expanding the number of clinicians and clinical researchers who are prepared to engage in, contribute to, and lead rigorous addiction-related research, rather than supporting purely service-oriented clinical training that does not have a research education component.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDA Research Education Program for Clinical Researchers and Clinicians (R25 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-07. (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 $350,000.00 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 18 083

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