HEAL Initiative: Research to Increase Implementation of Substance Use Preventive Services (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 24 067

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 24 067

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative, is soliciting research applications for an R01 grant opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Research to Increase Implementation of Substance Use Preventive Services (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-24-067). The central goal is to strengthen how substance use prevention services are put into practice in real-world settings, with a strong emphasis on preventing opioid misuse and opioid use disorder before they start. The opportunity reflects the view that prevention can reduce personal harm and also lower broader social and economic costs, especially given the scale of opioid misuse in the United States. The announcement cites national survey data indicating that in 2020 an estimated 9.5 million people age 12 and older misused opioids in the prior year, underscoring how many lives might look different if effective prevention approaches reached people earlier and more consistently.

This funding opportunity focuses less on inventing entirely new prevention programs from scratch and more on closing the persistent gap between what research says works and what actually gets adopted, delivered well, maintained over time, and expanded to reach more communities. The NIH notes that even when prevention strategies are effective, they often fail to achieve population-level impact because they are not widely adopted, not implemented with fidelity, or not sustained long enough to matter. Some HEAL-funded projects are already examining whether existing prevention or treatment approaches that have shown benefits for non-opioid substance use can also help prevent opioid misuse. Even so, NIH is signaling that major knowledge gaps remain around the practical, on-the-ground work of deployment: how to integrate prevention services into routine systems, how to make them feasible and affordable, how to adapt them appropriately without losing effectiveness, and how to build the infrastructure needed to support long-term delivery.

Applications are expected to be investigator-initiated and to address priorities related to implementation and sustainability of prevention services, as well as the broader creation of prevention infrastructure. In practical terms, this points toward implementation science-oriented research: testing strategies that improve uptake by organizations, improve quality of delivery, increase reach into underserved or high-risk populations, support scaling across sites, and keep programs running after initial funding or enthusiasm fades. The language about being "affordable, practical, sustainable, and designed in partnership with end-users" is a clear signal that NIH wants projects grounded in the realities faced by the people and organizations that would actually use these services, such as schools, healthcare systems, community programs, public health agencies, justice settings, and other local service networks. Partnerships with end-users generally means involving practitioners, administrators, community members, and participants in planning and tailoring approaches so the final implementation strategy fits local constraints and needs.

The mechanism is an R01 research project grant, and the notice specifies "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose studies that do or do not include a clinical trial component, depending on what is necessary to answer the implementation and sustainability questions being studied. The overall program sits within NIH's health mission and is tied to HEAL, indicating alignment with federal priorities to reduce opioid-related harms through evidence-based prevention and systems-level improvements, not only through treatment expansion.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. 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; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions, reflecting an intent to support prevention implementation research across diverse communities and systems.

At the same time, there are important limits regarding foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant may include certain scientifically justified activities conducted outside the U.S. under NIH rules, even though a foreign organization cannot be the applicant institution.

The funding opportunity is listed under CFDA (Assistance Listing) numbers 93.213, 93.279, and 93.866, and it is categorized as a discretionary grant in the areas of education and health. The posting indicates multiple receipt dates and lists an original closing date of January 16, 2026, suggesting a multi-year window for application submissions under this RFA. Overall, the opportunity is geared toward building the practical evidence and infrastructure needed so that proven substance use prevention services, including those relevant to opioid misuse risk, are not just available in theory but are consistently adopted, implemented well, sustained, and scaled to reach the people who need them.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Research to Increase Implementation of Substance Use Preventive Services (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): 93.213, 93.279, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-09-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-16. (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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