Behavioral Interventions for Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder or Adjunct to Medication Assisted Treatment-SAMHSA Opioid STR Grants (R21/R33) | RFA AT 18 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AT 18 001

The Behavioral Interventions for Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder or Adjunct to Medication Assisted Treatment - SAMHSA Opioid STR Grants (R21/R33) funding opportunity (RFA-AT-18-001) is a discretionary NIH grant designed to support research on how behavioral interventions perform when implemented alongside state efforts funded through SAMHSA's Opioid State Targeted Response (STR) program, which was authorized under the 21st Century Cures Act. The central aim is to generate evidence about whether specific behavioral approaches can prevent opioid use disorder (OUD) before it develops (primary prevention), reduce risk or progression among people already showing signs of misuse or early disorder (secondary prevention), or improve outcomes when used as an add-on to medication assisted treatment (MAT) for people diagnosed with OUD. In practical terms, this opportunity is trying to connect research directly to real-world, state-level opioid response plans rather than studying interventions in isolation.

The FOA explicitly encourages applications that test behavioral interventions such as mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and multi-disciplinary rehabilitation. These interventions can be studied either as stand-alone prevention strategies or as adjunctive components layered onto MAT, which typically involves FDA-approved medications (for example, buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone) combined with counseling and recovery supports. A strong thematic priority is the overlap between OUD and chronic pain. Applications that focus on treating the comorbidity of opioid use disorder and chronic pain are described as being of particular interest, reflecting the clinical reality that pain and opioid exposure are often intertwined and that better pain management strategies may reduce relapse risk and improve overall functioning for people in treatment.

This opportunity uses the R21/R33 mechanism, which generally supports a phased approach: an initial exploratory or developmental phase (R21) followed by an expanded phase (R33) that can continue the project if predefined milestones are met. That structure is meant to help applicants move from early testing and feasibility work into more rigorous evaluation without having to start over with a completely separate award, while still holding projects accountable to concrete progress benchmarks. The funding activity category is health, and the CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.213.

Eligibility is broad and includes multiple levels of U.S. government and many types of organizations. Eligible applicants 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; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); 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 under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the FOA places clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, and foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. This means the work is intended to be led and conducted within eligible U.S. organizational structures without formal foreign components.

Key administrative details from the source record include an original closing date of 2017-08-04 and a creation date of 2017-05-17. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, and while the expected number of awards is not specified in the provided data, the ceiling indicates the maximum award amount anticipated under the opportunity as summarized in the record. Overall, the grant is geared toward applied, policy-relevant research that tests behavioral strategies in the context of state STR implementation, with a notable emphasis on improving prevention and treatment outcomes for OUD, especially when chronic pain is part of the clinical picture.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Behavioral Interventions for Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder or Adjunct to Medication Assisted Treatment-SAMHSA Opioid STR Grants (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-04. (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 RFA AT 18 001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: