Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research (R01) opportunity (PA-15-082)?

PA-15-082 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity that supported R01 research projects focused on improving the science of drug use prevention. It funded studies designed to strengthen understanding of how prevention works, why it works, who it works for, and the conditions under which it works.

What was the central aim of this FOA?

The central aim was to fund studies that use rigorous scientific methods to test theoretically derived hypotheses about prevention mechanisms and outcomes, including how and why prevention works, for whom it works, and under what conditions it works.

What types of research were emphasized?

The FOA emphasized prevention research that advances prevention science across the lifespan and within diverse populations and real-world settings, rather than focusing only on narrowly defined groups or highly controlled environments.

What were the main priority areas described in the FOA?

The FOA highlighted four main priority areas: (1) developing novel, theory-grounded prevention approaches informed by cognitive, behavioral, and social processes related to drug use initiation and escalation; (2) studying the efficacy and effectiveness of prevention interventions and programs; (3) optimizing the selection, integration, implementation, and long-term sustainment of evidence-based prevention; and (4) using or developing methods suited to studying complex, multi-component prevention efforts across layered contexts and long time horizons.

Did the FOA encourage new (novel) prevention approaches?

Yes. It encouraged development of novel prevention approaches grounded in theory and informed by cognitive, behavioral, and social processes that influence drug use initiation and escalation.

Did the FOA support studies of both efficacy and effectiveness?

Yes. It supported research on both efficacy and effectiveness of prevention interventions and programs. This included controlled trials to test whether an intervention can work under optimal conditions, as well as studies examining performance in typical real-world settings such as communities, schools, healthcare, and other service environments.

What did the FOA mean by improving implementation and sustainment of evidence-based prevention?

It sought research on how evidence-based prevention is selected, integrated, implemented, and sustained over time. This included attention to systems-level factors and health economic factors that affect whether prevention programs can scale and remain durable.

What kinds of systems-level factors were specifically mentioned?

Examples of systems-level issues mentioned included organizational readiness, policy environments, workforce capacity, and service delivery structures that can shape implementation and long-term sustainment.

Were cost and economic considerations part of the FOA?

Yes. The FOA explicitly noted health economic factors such as cost, cost-effectiveness, and resource allocation as considerations that can influence scalability and durability of prevention programs.

Did the FOA encourage methodological innovation?

Yes. It encouraged the use or development of methodologies suited to prevention science, recognizing that prevention often involves multicomponent interventions, layered contexts (for example, families, schools, neighborhoods, and digital environments), and outcomes that unfold over long time horizons.

What grant mechanism was used?

This opportunity used the NIH R01 funding instrument.

What program area did this opportunity fall under?

It was categorized under education and health.

What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was aligned with CFDA 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs).

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching was not required.

Is PA-15-082 currently open for applications?

No. The FOA had an original and final closing date of September 7, 2017, and it was archived on October 8, 2017. That indicates the announcement is no longer open under that specific FOA number.

When was the FOA posted?

The FOA was posted and created on January 9, 2015.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. The listed eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and governmental entities such as city/township, county, state, special district governments, and independent school districts, plus public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.

Were minority-serving institutions explicitly included as eligible applicants?

Yes. The FOA explicitly included categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions.

Were faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were explicitly listed among eligible applicants.

Could tribal governments apply?

Yes. Tribal governments (federally recognized and other than federally recognized) were explicitly listed as eligible applicants.

Were U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were explicitly included among eligible applicants.

Were federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies were explicitly listed as eligible applicants.

Could foreign organizations apply?

Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply under the FOA.

Could a U.S. organization include non-U.S. components in the project?

Yes. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components were allowed as defined by NIH policy.

Where was the full funding announcement posted?

The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-082.html

Who should be contacted for access or technical issues related to the announcement?

For access or technical issues, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.