Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 14 013
Apply for RFA DA 14 013
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Abuse Resistant and Abuse Deterrent Formulations and Devices to Avoid the Abuse, Misuse and Diversion of Prescription Opioids by Patients (SBIR)(R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 18, 2013 and posted on Jul 16, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 1, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Abuse Resistant and Abuse Deterrent Formulations and Devices to Avoid the Abuse, Misuse and Diversion of Prescription Opioids by Patients" is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding announcement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It focuses on practical, patient-level solutions to reduce the non-medical use of prescription opioid pain medications, specifically by supporting new opioid formulations and dispensing technologies that make these drugs harder to abuse, less appealing to misuse, and more difficult to divert.
At its core, the opportunity is built around two related ideas: abuse resistance and abuse deterrence. Abuse resistance generally refers to making a medication physically or chemically difficult to manipulate for non-prescribed routes of administration (for example, crushing a tablet for snorting or dissolving it for injection). Abuse deterrence typically refers to features that discourage misuse even if manipulation is attempted, such as incorporating mechanisms that reduce the rewarding effects when taken improperly or that make tampering unpleasant or ineffective. Alongside formulation work, the announcement also encourages the development of innovative medication dispensing devices or "gadgets" designed to limit opportunities for patients or others to misuse or divert opioids. The overarching theme is prevention at the point where prescriptions are in the hands of patients, rather than relying only on broader enforcement or monitoring approaches.
This is a discretionary grant mechanism under the SBIR program, using the NIH SBIR phased approach indicated by R43/R44. In practice, this means small businesses can propose early-stage feasibility and prototype work (Phase I, typically aligned with R43) and, if successful, move toward more advanced development and validation (Phase II, typically aligned with R44). The funding announcement is tied to the NIH program area listed under CFDA 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), signaling that proposals should be framed as research and development efforts that address drug abuse and addiction-related public health concerns through technology, product, or device innovation.
The opportunity listed an estimated total funding amount of $3,000,000 and explicitly noted that cost sharing or matching is not required. Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR rules. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to submit applications; however, "foreign components" as defined by NIH policy may be allowable in some cases, which generally means certain discrete elements of a project might be carried out abroad if properly justified and compliant with NIH requirements.
Key administrative details in the source information show that the funding opportunity number is RFA-DA-14-013. The announcement was posted on July 16, 2013, with an original closing date of October 11, 2013, later reflected with a current closing date of November 1, 2013, and an archive date of December 1, 2013. While these dates indicate the specific solicitation is historical/archived, the substance of the topic area reflects an ongoing federal interest in technologies that reduce opioid abuse, misuse, and diversion, especially approaches that can be implemented through product design rather than solely through policy or clinical practice changes.
Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at helping small businesses translate scientific and engineering ideas into real-world countermeasures against prescription opioid abuse. Competitive projects under this type of announcement would typically present a clear technical approach for preventing or discouraging tampering and non-medical use, explain how the technology reduces diversion risk in realistic patient settings, and describe a development pathway that fits the SBIR model, including feasibility milestones and a route toward commercialization and public health impact. For full details, the complete announcement was hosted by NIH at the provided link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-14-013.html.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Abuse Resistant and Abuse Deterrent Formulations and Devices to Avoid the Abuse, Misuse and Diversion of Prescription Opioids by Patients."
Which agency and institute are sponsoring this funding announcement?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
What kind of funding mechanism is this (SBIR/STTR or something else)?
This opportunity is offered under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
What SBIR phases or grant activity codes does it use?
The announcement uses the NIH SBIR phased approach indicated by R43/R44, which generally aligns with Phase I (feasibility/proof-of-concept, typically R43) and Phase II (more advanced development/validation, typically R44).
What is the main goal of the grant?
The central goal is to support practical, patient-level solutions that reduce the non-medical use of prescription opioid pain medications by making them harder to abuse, less appealing to misuse, and more difficult to divert.
What problem area is this grant trying to address?
It targets prescription opioid abuse, misuse, and diversion, with an emphasis on prevention at the point where prescriptions are in the hands of patients rather than relying only on enforcement or monitoring approaches.
What types of projects does this opportunity support?
It supports research and development projects focused on (1) new opioid formulations with abuse-resistant and/or abuse-deterrent properties and (2) innovative medication dispensing devices or technologies designed to reduce opportunities for misuse or diversion.
What is meant by "abuse resistance" in this announcement?
Abuse resistance generally refers to making a medication physically or chemically difficult to manipulate for non-prescribed routes of administration, such as crushing a tablet for snorting or dissolving it for injection.
What is meant by "abuse deterrence" in this announcement?
Abuse deterrence typically refers to features that discourage misuse even if someone attempts to manipulate the product, such as mechanisms that reduce rewarding effects when taken improperly or that make tampering unpleasant or ineffective.
Does the announcement focus only on formulations, or are devices also included?
Devices are explicitly included. The opportunity encourages innovative medication dispensing devices (sometimes described as "gadgets") intended to limit misuse or diversion opportunities in real-world patient settings.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR program rules.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization apply if it has non-U.S. components?
Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to submit applications under the stated eligibility limitations.
Are any foreign activities allowed at all under this opportunity?
The information provided notes that "foreign components" as defined by NIH policy may be allowable in some cases. This typically means discrete elements of the project might be carried out abroad if properly justified and compliant with NIH requirements.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity explicitly states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
What is the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount listed is $3,000,000.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program area?
The announcement is tied to CFDA 93.279, Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-DA-14-013.
When was the opportunity posted?
It was posted on July 16, 2013.
What were the closing dates for applications?
The source information lists an original closing date of October 11, 2013, and a later "current closing date" of November 1, 2013.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
Based on the dates provided (including an archive date of December 1, 2013), this specific solicitation is historical/archived rather than currently open.
What is the overall emphasis of the approach encouraged by this opportunity?
The emphasis is on prevention through product design and technology innovations that operate at the patient level (where the medication is dispensed and used), rather than approaches that rely only on policy, enforcement, or monitoring.
What kind of development pathway would typically fit this SBIR opportunity?
Projects would typically describe an SBIR-appropriate pathway including early feasibility milestones (Phase I) followed by more advanced development and validation (Phase II), with a clear route toward commercialization and public health impact.
Where can the full original announcement be found?
The complete announcement was hosted by NIH at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-14-013.html
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