Exploratory Clinical Neuroscience Research on Substance Use Disorders (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Grant from the National Institutes of Health, open to small businesses. Closes Jun 16, 2028, 605 days left.

Opportunity number	PAR-27-053
Agency	National Institutes of Health
Funding type	Grant
Field	Health
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	93.279
Posted	Aug 31, 2026
Closes	Jun 16, 2028 (605 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

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 and Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others (see the eligibility notes)

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Description

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) uses a R61/R33 Phased Innovation Award activity code to support clinical research applications that are exploratory and developmental in nature and focus on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance use disorders (SUD), including fundamental circuitry and behavior relevant to substance use. For projects not requiring a phased research approach, applicants are encouraged to apply under a different funding activity code (e.g., PA-25-305 "Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)" or its subsequent reissue).

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Health grants right now

There are 350 open federal grants in health that small businesses may apply for; 33 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $500,000. The agencies offering the most are National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA and Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD. Grants in this field stay open a median of 1031 days; this one is open for 655 days.

Who has won this program before

University Of North Carolina AT Chapel Hill $977.0 million · from Jun 29, 2006
Family Health International $719.4 million · from Jun 1, 2006
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center $204.4 million · from Jun 29, 2006
Duke University $200.6 million · from Sep 21, 2016
Duke University $139.8 million · from Jan 1, 2017

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 93.279 with funding activity since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.