Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 14 053
Apply for PAR 14 053
- 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 (R21)" 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Independent school districts For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity PAR 14 053, titled "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R21)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding announcement focused on improving how behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) actually work. Instead of simply asking whether an intervention reduces drinking, this FOA is aimed at studies that dig into the "why" and "how" of treatment effects by identifying the underlying mechanisms that drive behavior change. The central theme is that many behavioral therapies are already considered empirically supported, but the field still needs stronger evidence about which specific treatment components (often called active ingredients) cause change, through what neurobiological or cognitive pathways, and under what conditions those mechanisms translate into better alcohol-related outcomes.
A key priority in this announcement is mechanistic research that connects specific elements of behavioral AUD treatments to measurable processes that plausibly mediate improvement. In practical terms, applicants are encouraged to design studies that can test whether particular therapeutic ingredients (for example, skills training elements, motivational components, coping strategy development, or other identifiable intervention elements) are linked to downstream changes in cognition, emotion regulation, learning, decision-making, reward processing, stress responsivity, or other measurable processes. The FOA places special emphasis on translational value, meaning it encourages researchers to bridge clinical behavioral science with neurobiological and cognitive science in a way that can strengthen causal explanations and support the development of more targeted, efficient, and scalable interventions.
This is an R21 mechanism, which generally supports exploratory and developmental research. The announcement lists an award ceiling of $200,000, and it specifies that cost sharing or matching is not required. The activity category is Health, and the CFDA number associated with the program is 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs). The funding instrument type is a grant, and it is categorized as discretionary funding, indicating a competitive peer-reviewed process typical of NIH opportunities.
The eligibility section is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and a range of government entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts. It also includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. The FOA explicitly includes additional eligible applicants 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 or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. At the same time, the announcement clearly restricts foreign participation: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them) are not allowed.
In terms of timeline, the opportunity was posted and created on December 23, 2013, with an original and current closing date of March 17, 2016. The archive date is April 17, 2016, indicating that it is no longer an active, open FOA, but it remains available for reference as a record of the funding initiative and its priorities during that period.
Administrative details provided in the source indicate that applicants who have difficulty accessing the full announcement or encounter linking problems are directed to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV. The full announcement was linked via the NIH grants guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-053.html.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as an NIH effort to sharpen AUD treatment science by moving beyond outcome-only studies and toward mechanism-focused research. Its intent is to support projects that can identify and validate the cognitive and neurobiological processes that explain how behavioral interventions produce change, with the longer-term payoff of refining existing therapies, improving personalization and targeting, and strengthening the translational pipeline from basic process research to real-world clinical impact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - PAR-14-053 (R21)
What is PAR-14-053?
PAR-14-053 is an NIH discretionary funding announcement titled "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders (R21)." It focuses on research that explains how behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) produce change, rather than only whether they reduce drinking.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The central goal is to improve the science behind behavioral AUD treatments by identifying and testing the underlying mechanisms of behavior change. The emphasis is on clarifying the "why" and "how" of treatment effects by linking specific treatment components (active ingredients) to measurable processes that plausibly drive improvement.
What type of research does this FOA prioritize?
This FOA prioritizes mechanistic research that connects identifiable elements of behavioral AUD interventions to downstream cognitive, emotional, learning-related, decision-making, reward, stress, neurobiological, or other measurable processes that may mediate changes in alcohol-related outcomes.
How is this FOA different from studies that only measure drinking outcomes?
Instead of focusing only on whether an intervention reduces drinking, this FOA is aimed at studies designed to test causal explanations for treatment effects. That includes identifying which specific therapeutic ingredients are responsible for change and through what cognitive or neurobiological pathways those ingredients operate.
What are "mechanisms of behavior change" in the context of AUD treatment?
Within this FOA, mechanisms of behavior change refer to the underlying processes that explain how a behavioral treatment leads to improved outcomes. Examples mentioned include measurable changes in cognition, emotion regulation, learning, decision-making, reward processing, stress responsivity, and related processes that could plausibly mediate improvement.
What are "active ingredients" of a behavioral treatment?
"Active ingredients" are specific components of a behavioral intervention that are hypothesized to cause change. The FOA provides examples such as skills training elements, motivational components, coping strategy development, or other identifiable intervention elements that can be tied to measurable mechanisms.
What kind of translational emphasis does the FOA describe?
The FOA emphasizes translational value by encouraging applicants to bridge clinical behavioral science with neurobiological and cognitive science. The intent is to strengthen causal explanations for treatment effects and support development of more targeted, efficient, and scalable interventions.
What funding mechanism is used (R21) and what does it imply?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which generally supports exploratory and developmental research. In this context, it supports studies that probe mechanisms and test links between treatment components and measurable mediators of change.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The announcement lists an award ceiling of $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA specifies that cost sharing or matching is not required.
What is the funding instrument type and funding category?
The funding instrument type is a grant, and it is categorized as discretionary funding, meaning it is a competitive, peer-reviewed opportunity typical of NIH funding announcements.
What is the activity category?
The activity category is Health.
What CFDA number is associated with this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad for U.S.-based applicants. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and a range of government entities (state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts). The FOA also includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes 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 eligible applicants.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes faith-based or community-based organizations as eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes U.S. territories or possessions among eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA lists eligible federal agencies among eligible applicants.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. The FOA explicitly states that non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component?
No. The FOA states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed under NIH definitions?
No. The FOA indicates that foreign components (as NIH defines them) are not allowed.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted and created on December 23, 2013.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original and current closing date listed is March 17, 2016.
Is PAR-14-053 still open?
No. The archive date is April 17, 2016, which indicates the FOA is no longer active and remains available for reference as a record of the initiative and its priorities during that period.
Where can the full announcement be found?
The full announcement was linked via the NIH Grants Guide page at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-053.html
Who should be contacted if there are technical issues accessing the announcement?
Applicants who have difficulty accessing the full announcement or encounter linking problems are directed to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What overall research direction does this FOA reflect?
This FOA reflects an NIH effort to move AUD behavioral treatment research beyond outcome-only studies toward mechanism-focused research. The longer-term intent described is to refine existing therapies, improve targeting and personalization, and strengthen links between basic process research and real-world clinical impact.
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