Alcohol Health Services Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 185

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 185

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is inviting applications under the R01 grant mechanism through the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled "Alcohol Health Services Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-23-185). The core purpose of this opportunity is to support health services research that helps close the persistent treatment gap for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), meaning the large difference between how many people need evidence-based care and how many actually receive it. The "clinical trial optional" label signals that proposed projects may include a clinical trial if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required; applicants can propose a wide range of rigorous study designs common to health services and systems research.

The FOA emphasizes five main research directions tied directly to shrinking the AUD treatment gap. First, it prioritizes studies aimed at increasing access to treatment, which can include identifying and removing practical barriers (such as limited service availability, geographic constraints, workforce shortages, or referral bottlenecks) and testing service models that make it easier for individuals to start and stay in care. Second, it encourages work on making AUD treatment more appealing, recognizing that stigma, low perceived need, negative prior experiences, inconvenient formats, and mismatched services can all reduce willingness to engage; research in this area can examine patient-centered approaches, engagement strategies, and ways to improve acceptability and retention. Third, it calls for research on cost structures and insurance systems, supporting studies that examine how financing, reimbursement policies, benefit design, and payer practices shape access, quality, and continuity of AUD care, including analyses of affordability and system incentives that may unintentionally discourage treatment. Fourth, it seeks dissemination and implementation research focused on getting existing evidence-based AUD interventions into real-world practice settings more reliably and at scale; this includes understanding adoption barriers, workflow integration, staff training, fidelity versus adaptation, and sustainability in typical healthcare or community environments. Fifth, it highlights reducing health disparities as a direct strategy for closing the treatment gap, encouraging applicants to focus on populations that experience disproportionate barriers or worse outcomes and to study structural, social, and system-level drivers of inequity in AUD identification, referral, treatment initiation, engagement, and recovery support.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic U.S. organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township, and 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects the reality that solutions to the AUD treatment gap often require collaboration across healthcare systems, community organizations, academic research settings, and policy or payer environments.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the grant funding instrument under the health activity category, with CFDA number 93.273. The FOA record lists an original closing date of July 18, 2023, and a creation date of May 15, 2023. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing, which typically means applicants should consult the full FOA text and NIH standard R01 policies for budget expectations, project period norms, and review criteria. Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at producing actionable, system-relevant evidence that improves how AUD services are financed, delivered, implemented, and tailored so that more people who need care can access effective treatment and benefit from it, particularly in communities facing persistent disparities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alcohol Health Services Research (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.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-05-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-18. (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 23 185

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