NIDA REI: Research on Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Structural Racism on the Substance Use Trajectory (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 23 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 23 028

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is soliciting applications for a grant opportunity titled "NIDA REI: Research on Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Structural Racism on the Substance Use Trajectory (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)" under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-23-028 (CFDA 93.279). The central purpose of this opportunity is to fund exploratory, basic research that helps explain how structural racism and interpersonal racism shape neurocognitive processes in ways that may influence a persons path toward or away from substance use and substance use disorder. A key emphasis is on generating knowledge that can directly inform prevention efforts, meaning the work is intended to clarify mechanisms that prevention programs could realistically target, rather than only documenting disparities.

This opportunity is linked to NEPS Concept #1862 and focuses on unpacking structural racism into meaningful sub-components and testing how those components affect neurocognition. In practical terms, the announcement is encouraging researchers to move beyond broad, single measures of racism and instead break structural racism down into specific, measurable features and exposures (for example, policy-driven resource deprivation, neighborhood disinvestment, educational and employment inequities, criminal legal system inequities, housing segregation, or unequal access to healthcare), then study how those exposures translate into changes in cognitive and brain-related processes. The neurocognitive angle is central: applicants are expected to investigate mechanisms such as learning, reward processing, stress responsivity, executive function, attention, memory, emotion regulation, decision-making, inhibitory control, and related brain-behavior pathways that could plausibly connect racist structures and experiences to substance use risk, escalation, or persistence across time.

The grant uses the NIH R61/R33 phased innovation mechanism. This structure is designed to support a two-stage project where the early phase (R61) is typically used to establish feasibility, refine measures, validate approaches, or produce early mechanistic evidence, and the second phase (R33) supports a more expanded set of studies once pre-specified milestones are met. In other words, the mechanism is intended for projects that need an initial, milestone-driven developmental period before scaling into a larger, more definitive investigation. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose studies that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, but they are not required to do so; both clinical trial and non-clinical trial research designs can fit, depending on the questions being asked and the methods used.

The scientific scope highlights two intertwined priorities. First, it invites research on interpersonal racism, which may include direct experiences of discrimination, bias, and racist treatment and the ways these experiences alter cognition and stress-related neurobiology. Second, it prioritizes parsing structural racism into component exposures, then linking those exposures to neurocognitive outcomes relevant to substance use trajectories. The prevention emphasis means that projects should ideally point toward modifiable mechanisms or leverage points (for example, identifying which neurocognitive pathways are most affected by particular structural conditions, when during development those effects are strongest, and which protective factors or contexts may buffer harm), thereby producing evidence that could guide preventive interventions, policies, or upstream strategies.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common U.S. applicant types: state, county, 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 Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, as well as Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized ones.

Foreign involvement is restricted in a specific way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. That generally means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign components or collaborations when they are scientifically justified and consistent with NIH policy, even though a foreign institution cannot be the primary applicant.

From the administrative details provided, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Education and Health activity category. The original closing date listed is 2024-11-14. An award ceiling of $500,000 is provided in the listing, which signals an upper bound associated with the opportunity as summarized here. The posting traces back to a creation date of 2022-08-09.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at researchers who can connect structural and interpersonal racism to measurable neurocognitive mechanisms that influence substance use trajectories, with a strong preference for work that can clarify actionable targets for prevention. Competitive projects will typically be those that are conceptually precise about what aspect of structural racism is being measured, methodologically strong in linking those exposures to neurocognitive outcomes, and clear about how the resulting mechanistic insights could translate into real-world prevention approaches rather than remaining purely descriptive.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDA REI: Research on Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Structural Racism on the Substance Use Trajectory (R61/R33 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 2022-08-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-11-14. (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 $500,000.00 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.

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