Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 14 052
Apply for PAR 14 052
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 23, 2013 and posted on Dec 23, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 17, 2016. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- 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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R03)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-14-052) was a discretionary grant program designed to support small, focused research projects that dig into how and why behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) actually work. Rather than funding the development of entirely new therapies, the central aim was to strengthen the scientific understanding of the active ingredients already present in empirically supported behavioral interventions and to clarify the processes that drive improvement. In practical terms, the FOA sought studies that can explain the pathway from a specific treatment component to a measurable change in drinking outcomes, especially by pinpointing the mediators and mechanisms responsible for behavior change.
A major emphasis of this announcement was on mechanism-focused research within existing evidence-based behavioral treatments for AUD. That includes identifying which elements of therapy are doing the heavy lifting and through what process they influence drinking behavior. The FOA also highlighted a translational goal: linking behavioral change processes to underlying neurobiological or cognitive mechanisms. This means applicants were encouraged to connect clinical treatment ingredients and outcomes with measurable processes such as changes in cognitive control, reward sensitivity, stress reactivity, learning processes, craving dynamics, decision-making, attention and cue-reactivity, or other neurocognitive functions that could plausibly mediate treatment response. The broader idea was to move beyond demonstrating that a treatment works and instead specify how it works, which can ultimately refine treatments, improve matching of patients to interventions, and guide the creation of more targeted or efficient approaches.
The mechanism angle also implies an interest in studies that use designs capable of testing mediation or process models, rather than purely outcome comparisons. Projects under this FOA would typically be expected to measure candidate mechanisms over time and relate changes in those mechanisms to subsequent changes in alcohol use outcomes. That could include laboratory-based behavioral tasks, cognitive assessments, or other quantitative measures that can plausibly represent the hypothesized process of change. While the summary text does not list specific methods, the mention of "neurobiological or cognitive processes" indicates that investigators were encouraged to use translational tools that bridge clinical intervention research with basic and cognitive neuroscience-informed constructs, so long as the work stays tightly connected to real treatment components and clinically meaningful outcomes.
This opportunity used the NIH R03 mechanism, which is commonly used for smaller, time-limited projects such as pilot studies, feasibility work, secondary analyses with strong mechanistic aims, or narrowly scoped experiments that can produce interpretable evidence about a mechanism of change. The listed award ceiling was $50,000, reinforcing that the intent was to fund compact projects rather than large-scale clinical trials. The FOA did not require cost sharing or matching funds, lowering barriers for a range of organizations to participate.
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than higher education institutions), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and for-profits other than small businesses), and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts. The FOA also explicitly included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized governments), as well as public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. Additional eligible categories called out in the announcement included various minority-serving institutions (such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies.
At the same time, the eligibility rules clearly excluded non-U.S. entities and foreign involvement in the project structure. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions were not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were not allowed. These restrictions indicate the research activities and institutional control of the work needed to be fully domestic under NIH definitions.
From an administrative standpoint, the program fell under the NIH and the health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs). The FOA was posted and created on December 23, 2013, with an original and final closing date of March 17, 2016, and an archive date of April 17, 2016. In other words, it was a time-limited opportunity that is now archived, but it remains a useful reference point for the kinds of mechanistic, translational behavioral treatment research priorities NIH has encouraged in AUD. For full details, the announcement directed applicants to the NIH posting at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-052.html, and provided NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contacts for technical access or linking issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R03)" (PAR-14-052)?
PAR-14-052 was an NIH discretionary grant funding opportunity that supported small, focused research projects examining how and why behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) produce improvements in drinking outcomes. The central theme was mechanism-focused research: moving beyond showing that a treatment works to explaining how it works.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The main purpose was to strengthen scientific understanding of the active ingredients within empirically supported behavioral interventions for AUD and to clarify the mediators and mechanisms that drive behavior change. The FOA prioritized studies that can map a pathway from a specific treatment component to measurable changes in drinking outcomes.
Does this program fund development of brand-new AUD therapies?
Not as a central aim. The opportunity emphasized understanding the mechanisms and active ingredients already present in evidence-based behavioral treatments, rather than funding the creation of entirely new therapies.
What kinds of research questions were encouraged?
Projects were expected to ask questions such as which elements of an existing evidence-based behavioral treatment are doing the "heavy lifting," through what processes those elements influence drinking behavior, and which mediators explain changes in alcohol use outcomes over time.
What does "mechanisms of behavior change" mean in this FOA?
In this context, mechanisms of behavior change refer to the processes that explain how a treatment component leads to improvement. The FOA specifically highlighted identifying mediators and mechanisms that connect treatment ingredients to later changes in alcohol use outcomes.
What is meant by "active ingredients" of treatment?
"Active ingredients" refers to the specific components or elements within empirically supported behavioral interventions that are responsible for producing change, as opposed to general treatment exposure or non-specific factors.
What kinds of mechanisms or processes did the FOA highlight?
The FOA encouraged linking behavioral change processes to measurable neurobiological or cognitive mechanisms. Examples mentioned included cognitive control, reward sensitivity, stress reactivity, learning processes, craving dynamics, decision-making, attention and cue-reactivity, and other neurocognitive functions that could plausibly mediate treatment response.
Was translational research encouraged?
Yes. A key emphasis was translational work that connects clinical treatment components and outcomes to underlying neurobiological or cognitive processes, bridging clinical intervention research with constructs informed by basic and cognitive neuroscience.
What kinds of study designs were most aligned with this FOA?
Designs capable of testing mediation or process models were most aligned. The FOA implied interest in studies that measure candidate mechanisms over time and relate changes in those mechanisms to subsequent changes in alcohol use outcomes, rather than studies that only compare outcomes between treatments.
Were purely outcome-comparison studies a fit for this opportunity?
The FOA emphasized mechanism testing rather than purely outcome comparisons. Projects were expected to focus on explaining the pathway from treatment components to outcomes by measuring mediators/mechanisms over time.
What types of methods or measures were implied as relevant?
While the summary did not list specific methods, it suggested the use of translational tools such as laboratory-based behavioral tasks, cognitive assessments, and other quantitative measures that represent hypothesized processes of change, as long as they remain tightly connected to real treatment components and clinically meaningful outcomes.
What NIH grant mechanism was used?
This opportunity used the NIH R03 mechanism, which is commonly used for smaller, time-limited projects such as pilot studies, feasibility studies, secondary analyses with strong mechanistic aims, or narrowly scoped experiments.
What was the funding limit (award ceiling) for this R03?
The listed award ceiling was $50,000, reflecting the intent to support compact, focused projects rather than large-scale clinical trials.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than higher education institutions), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts).
Were tribal entities eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized governments).
Were housing authorities eligible applicants?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities were listed among eligible applicants.
Were minority-serving institutions eligible?
Yes. The announcement called out minority-serving institutions, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities.
Could faith-based or community-based organizations apply?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations were included among the eligible categories in the announcement.
Were U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility categories included U.S. territories or possessions.
Were federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement listed eligible federal agencies as part of the eligible applicant categories.
Are non-U.S. institutions allowed to apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions were not eligible to apply under this FOA.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component in the project?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were not allowed. The research activities and institutional control needed to be fully domestic under NIH definitions.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this program was 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs).
When was the FOA posted, and what were the closing dates?
The FOA was posted and created on December 23, 2013. The original and final closing date was March 17, 2016, and the archive date was April 17, 2016.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. This was a time-limited opportunity and is now archived (archive date: April 17, 2016).
Where can the official NIH announcement be found?
The FOA directed applicants to the NIH posting at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-052.html.
Who was listed for technical issues related to access or linking?
The announcement provided NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contacts for technical access or linking issues.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R01)
Previous opportunity: Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R21)
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for PAR 14 052
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 14 052) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R01) Apply for PAR 14 051 Funding Number: PAR 14 051 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $498,500 |
| Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Tobacco Use, Heart Disease, and Associated Chronic Disease Risk Factors and improve maternal and child health support reproductive health in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands, Virgin Islands, and Apply for CDC RFA DP14 1406 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP14 1406 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,410,000 |
| Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System BRFSS Apply for CDC RFA SO14 1401 Funding Number: CDC RFA SO14 1401 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $542,000 |
| Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System BRFSS Pacific Jurisdictions Apply for CDC RFA SO14 1402 Funding Number: CDC RFA SO14 1402 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program Apply for HRSA 14 079 Funding Number: HRSA 14 079 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $325,000 |
| Planning and Developing Infrastructure to Improve the Mental Health and Wellness of Children, Youth and Families in American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) Communities (Short Title Circles of Care VI) Apply for SM 14 003 Funding Number: SM 14 003 Agency: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. Category: Health Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Cooperative Agreements for Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Childrens Health (Short Title Project LAUNCH) Apply for SM 14 004 Funding Number: SM 14 004 Agency: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. Category: Health Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B AIDS Drug Assistance Program Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Apply for HRSA 14 083 Funding Number: HRSA 14 083 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $427,500 |
| Challenge TB Apply for RFA OAA 14 000006 Funding Number: RFA OAA 14 000006 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000,000 |
| Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Program Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Apply for HRSA 14 071 Funding Number: HRSA 14 071 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) Apply for HRSA 14 072 Funding Number: HRSA 14 072 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Recovery Community Services Program Statewide Network (RCSP SN) Apply for TI 14 001 Funding Number: TI 14 001 Agency: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. Category: Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NIDCR Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) Apply for PAR 14 057 Funding Number: PAR 14 057 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Dental Reimbursement Program Apply for HRSA 14 098 Funding Number: HRSA 14 098 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Plasticity and Mechanisms of Cognitive Remediation in Older Adults (R01) Apply for RFA AG 14 016 Funding Number: RFA AG 14 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Pilot and Feasibility Clinical Research Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R21) Apply for PAR 14 060 Funding Number: PAR 14 060 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Integrating Colorectal Cancer Screening with Chronic Disease Apply for CDC RFA DP14 1414 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP14 1414 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Addressing Emerging Infectious Diseases in Bangladesh Apply for RFA GH 14 002 Funding Number: RFA GH 14 002 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $7,500,000 |
| Strengthening Public Health Capacity in Bangladesh Apply for CDC RFA GH14 1405 Funding Number: CDC RFA GH14 1405 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Saving Lives at Birth A Grand Challenge for Development (Round 4) Apply for RFA OAA 14 000071 Funding Number: RFA OAA 14 000071 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PAR 14 052", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.