Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 15 015
Apply for RFA DA 15 015
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Research Project Sites (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.307 Minority Health and Health Disparities Research 93.399 Cancer Control 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 4, 2015 and posted on Feb 4, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 14, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $25,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts Special district governments State governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession 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, are not allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Research Project Sites (U01) opportunity (RFA-DA-15-015) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build a large, national, multi-site, longitudinal cohort study following children from early adolescence (around ages 9 to 10) through the years when risk for substance use and substance use disorders increases. The central scientific aim is prospective: to track how substance use and related exposures unfold over time and how they relate to changes in brain development, cognition, and behavior. Rather than focusing only on outcomes after substance use begins, the program is structured to capture pre-use baselines, early experimentation, escalation patterns, and associated neurodevelopmental trajectories, creating a resource for understanding risk and resilience during a critical developmental window.
This funding announcement specifically solicited applications to serve as Research Project Sites, meaning organizations that would recruit participants locally and carry out standardized, protocol-driven study activities as part of a coordinated national consortium. The consortium model was intentionally integrated and depended on tight harmonization across locations so that data collected at different sites could be pooled and compared. While applicants could submit proposals already linked with partner applications, the NIH also allowed unlinked applications; if selected, those would be matched with other funded components after peer review to form the final consortium.
The ABCD Study consortium was defined as having three interlocking parts. First were multiple Research Project Sites (the focus of this FOA) responsible for on-the-ground participant recruitment, assessment, and longitudinal follow-up. Second was a single Data Analysis and Informatics Center, intended to manage data systems, processing, and analytic infrastructure. Third was a single overall Coordinating Center, intended to handle consortium-wide coordination, operations, and implementation consistency. This FOA ran in parallel with companion announcements for those two central components: the Coordinating Center (RFA-DA-15-014) and the Data Analysis and Informatics Center (RFA-DA-15-016). Together, these announcements were meant to stand up a unified national study rather than a set of disconnected projects.
The program was sponsored through the Collaborative Research on Addiction at the NIH (CRAN), reflecting a multi-institute, cross-cutting investment in addiction-related science and adolescent development. Participating NIH components included the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), along with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR). The breadth of partners signaled that the study was intended to inform multiple public health domains, including substance use, mental health, developmental outcomes, health disparities, and related behavioral and social influences.
As a cooperative agreement (U01), the opportunity emphasized substantial NIH involvement beyond typical grant stewardship. Awardees were expected to work jointly with NIH scientific staff in ways that could include helping guide study activities, participating in consortium governance and decision-making, and coordinating on common protocols and shared deliverables. In practical terms, this mechanism supports a more centralized, team-science approach, where sites operate with shared standards and ongoing collaboration rather than pursuing wholly independent methods.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding, with activity areas spanning education, health, income security, and social services, and it referenced multiple CFDA program numbers tied to mental health, alcohol, drug abuse and addiction, minority health and health disparities, cancer control, and child health and development. The announcement indicated an estimated total funding level of $25,000,000. It also stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, lowering barriers for applicants that might not have access to non-federal matching funds.
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and a range of government units (state, county, city/township, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities). Tribal governments and tribal organizations were included, and the announcement explicitly recognized a wide set of mission-focused institutions such as 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 (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the FOA clearly excluded non-U.S. entities and foreign components: non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions could not apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were not allowed.
Key dates show this was a time-limited competition: it was posted February 4, 2015, with an original and current closing date of April 14, 2015, and an archive date of May 15, 2015. In other words, it is no longer open, but it remains a useful reference point for understanding how NIH structured the initial build-out of the ABCD Study through coordinated site-based cooperative agreements.
For applicants and readers looking for the full requirements and technical expectations, NIH provided the full announcement through its grants guide (RFA-DA-15-015) and listed NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is RFA-DA-15-015 (ABCD Study Research Project Sites - U01)?
RFA-DA-15-015 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement funding opportunity to support Research Project Sites for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The goal was to build a large, national, multi-site, longitudinal cohort study following children from early adolescence (around ages 9 to 10) across the developmental period when risk for substance use and substance use disorders increases.
What was the main scientific purpose of the ABCD Study described in this opportunity?
The central aim was prospective: to track how substance use and related exposures unfold over time and how they relate to changes in brain development, cognition, and behavior. The study was structured to capture pre-use baselines, early experimentation, escalation patterns, and associated neurodevelopmental trajectories, creating a resource to understand risk and resilience during a key developmental window.
What does "Research Project Site" mean in this FOA?
Research Project Sites were the local, on-the-ground organizations responsible for recruiting participants and carrying out standardized, protocol-driven study activities as part of a coordinated national consortium. Sites were expected to conduct assessment and longitudinal follow-up using harmonized procedures so data could be pooled and compared across locations.
Was this opportunity for independent projects or a coordinated national study?
It was designed to stand up a unified national study rather than a set of disconnected projects. The consortium model depended on tight harmonization across locations, shared standards, and coordinated implementation so that data collected at different sites could be integrated.
How was the ABCD Study consortium structured?
The consortium was defined as having three interlocking parts: (1) multiple Research Project Sites (this FOA), (2) a single overall Coordinating Center, and (3) a single Data Analysis and Informatics Center.
Were there companion funding announcements associated with this FOA?
Yes. This FOA ran in parallel with companion announcements for the Coordinating Center (RFA-DA-15-014) and the Data Analysis and Informatics Center (RFA-DA-15-016). Together, the three announcements were intended to establish a coordinated national ABCD Study.
Could applicants apply as part of an already-linked partnership, or apply independently?
Both options were allowed. Applicants could submit proposals already linked with partner applications, and NIH also allowed unlinked applications. If an unlinked application was selected, it could be matched with other funded components after peer review to form the final consortium.
What funding mechanism was used and what did it imply?
The mechanism was a cooperative agreement (U01). This structure emphasized substantial NIH involvement beyond typical grant stewardship. Awardees were expected to work jointly with NIH scientific staff, which could include participating in consortium governance and decision-making and coordinating on common protocols and shared deliverables.
Which NIH initiative sponsored this program?
The program was sponsored through the Collaborative Research on Addiction at the NIH (CRAN), reflecting a multi-institute, cross-cutting investment in addiction-related science and adolescent development.
Which NIH components participated in CRAN for this opportunity?
Participating NIH components included the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), along with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR).
What public health and research domains was the study intended to inform?
The breadth of NIH partners signaled that the study was intended to inform multiple domains, including substance use, mental health, developmental outcomes, health disparities, and related behavioral and social influences.
How was this opportunity categorized administratively?
It was categorized as discretionary funding, with activity areas spanning education, health, income security, and social services. It also referenced multiple CFDA program numbers tied to mental health, alcohol, drug abuse and addiction, minority health and health disparities, cancer control, and child health and development.
What was the estimated total funding level indicated in the announcement?
The announcement indicated an estimated total funding level of $25,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and a wide range of government units (state, county, city/township, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities). Tribal governments and tribal organizations were included.
Did the FOA explicitly recognize specific institution types (e.g., HBCUs or Hispanic-serving institutions)?
Yes. It explicitly recognized mission-focused institutions and organizations including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.
Were non-U.S. entities or foreign components allowed to apply?
No. The FOA excluded non-U.S. entities and foreign components: non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions could not apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were not allowed.
What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was posted on February 4, 2015. The original and current closing date was April 14, 2015. The archive date was May 15, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. Based on the listed closing and archive dates, this was a time-limited competition and is no longer open.
Where could applicants find the full requirements and technical expectations?
NIH provided the full announcement through its grants guide under RFA-DA-15-015. The notice also listed NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.
What kinds of responsibilities were expected of funded Research Project Sites?
Funded sites were expected to recruit participants locally and carry out standardized assessments and longitudinal follow-up as part of the consortium. Because the model relied on harmonization, sites were expected to implement shared protocols and contribute to common study deliverables in coordination with NIH staff and the consortium infrastructure.
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| Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Data Analysis and Informatics Center (U24) Apply for RFA DA 15 016 Funding Number: RFA DA 15 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| End of Life and Palliative Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Serious Illnesses (R21) Apply for PA 15 325 Funding Number: PA 15 325 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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