Rural Community-Centered Drug Misuse Prevention and Harm Reduction Research: Addressing Implementation, Dissemination, and Equity Challenges across the Continuum of Care (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Only) | RFA DA 24 036

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 24 036

The NIH funding opportunity RFA-DA-24-036, titled "Rural Community-Centered Drug Misuse Prevention and Harm Reduction Research: Addressing Implementation, Dissemination, and Equity Challenges across the Continuum of Care (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Only)," supports research projects that test real-world prevention and harm reduction strategies in rural U.S. communities that have been heavily affected by opioid and psychostimulant misuse. The central aim is to extend and strengthen the continuum of care in rural settings by developing, adapting, and evaluating approaches that reduce risk and harm for people who are not currently being reached by effective prevention or harm reduction services. A major theme of the announcement is practicality: interventions are expected to be implemented in community-relevant contexts, with attention to dissemination, implementation barriers, and equity challenges that often make it harder for rural populations to access and benefit from evidence-based supports.

This is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity in the education and health area (CFDA 93.279) and it uses the R61/R33 phased innovation award structure. In general terms, this phased design is meant to move promising projects from an earlier stage focused on establishing feasibility and readiness (the R61 phase) into a later stage that supports more complete testing and evaluation (the R33 phase), with a clear expectation that projects will meet predefined milestones to transition between phases. The "Clinical Trial Only" label indicates that the proposed work must include a clinical trial component as defined by NIH, meaning applicants should be prepared to describe study design, outcomes, human subjects protections, and trial-related operational plans consistent with NIH clinical trial expectations.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH specifically calls out as encouraged or allowable, 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is restricted in a nuanced way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. In practice, that means a U.S. applicant can include certain foreign activities or collaborations when justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though a foreign organization cannot serve as the primary applicant.

Key logistical details provided include the original closing date of January 26, 2024, and the opportunity’s creation date of November 8, 2023. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided source data, so applicants typically would need to consult the full funding announcement for budget limits, project period details, review criteria, required attachments, and any special requirements tied to rural community engagement, equity considerations, implementation science elements, or milestone-based transitions between the R61 and R33 phases. Overall, the opportunity is designed for teams ready to conduct community-centered clinical trial research that improves how prevention and harm reduction services are implemented, sustained, and equitably delivered across rural communities facing ongoing opioid and stimulant-related harms.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Community-Centered Drug Misuse Prevention and Harm Reduction Research: Addressing Implementation, Dissemination, and Equity Challenges across the Continuum of Care (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Only)" 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 2023-11-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-26. (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.

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