Addressing the Challenges of the Opioid Epidemic in Minority Health and Health Disparities Research in the U.S. (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 745

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 745

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity, PAR 18-745, supports early-stage, developmental, and exploratory research on opioid use disorder (OUD) as it affects minority health and health disparity populations in the United States. It uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically meant for projects that are still in the idea-development phase and need support to generate preliminary data, test novel approaches, or explore promising but not yet fully proven hypotheses. Clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants can propose either non-trial research (for example, observational studies, secondary data analyses, mixed-methods work, or implementation-focused investigations) or a small, appropriate clinical trial if it fits the aims and the R21 scope.

The central focus is understanding why OUD prevalence and outcomes vary across populations and places, and then using that knowledge to reduce inequities in prevention, diagnosis, treatment access, treatment quality, and recovery supports. The FOA emphasizes research that digs into mechanisms, not just descriptions of disparities. In practice, this means looking at the drivers behind unequal opioid-related risks and care experiences, such as structural and social determinants of health, differential exposure to pain treatment and prescribing practices, access barriers to evidence-based medications for OUD, stigma and discrimination in healthcare, variation in local service capacity, and the ways insurance, criminal legal involvement, housing instability, or employment conditions shape risk and care pathways. Projects can also examine why some institutions or health systems produce better equity outcomes than others, and what features explain those differences.

A key priority is identifying multi-level intervention strategies, especially at institutional and systems levels, to address OUD in minority and health disparity populations. Rather than focusing only on individual behavior change, the FOA encourages approaches that consider how clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, treatment programs, social service systems, and policies interact to create or reduce inequities. This can include strategies related to care delivery design, referral networks, workforce and training, quality improvement, payment and coverage policies, culturally responsive models of care, and coordination between healthcare and community-based supports. Because the FOA is aimed at exploratory work, a strong application would typically propose a clear conceptual framework and a feasible plan to test a mechanism, pilot an intervention component, or evaluate system-level levers in a way that can later scale into a larger study.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic U.S. organizational types: 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; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional applicant types that are particularly relevant to minority health and disparities work, 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 (AANAPISISs). Faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions are also included among eligible applicants, reflecting an interest in community-engaged and systems-oriented solutions.

Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and foreign components are not allowed. In other words, applications must be led by eligible U.S.-based organizations, cannot be submitted by non-U.S. institutions, and cannot include foreign project components as defined by NIH policy. This aligns with the FOA’s focus on understanding and improving OUD-related equity within U.S. populations and systems.

In terms of funding parameters provided in the source data, the award ceiling is listed as $200,000, and the funding instrument is a grant. The opportunity sits within NIH’s broad health-related program areas and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.865, 93.866), which generally indicates involvement across multiple NIH institutes or centers or coverage across related public health research domains. The original closing date shown is November 13, 2020, and the FOA creation date is April 10, 2018, which is important for applicants to verify current availability and any updated reissues, since NIH opportunities are sometimes reissued or replaced by newer versions.

Overall, this FOA is designed for teams that want to build the evidence base on why opioid harms and OUD care are not experienced equally across populations, and to develop and test practical, multi-level strategies that institutions and systems can use to reduce those inequities. It is a good fit for projects that are innovative, mechanistic, and equity-centered, and that can realistically be completed as exploratory work under the R21 structure while laying groundwork for larger, confirmatory studies later.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Addressing the Challenges of the Opioid Epidemic in Minority Health and Health Disparities Research in the U.S. (R21 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, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-04-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-13. (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 $200,000.00 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 18 745

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