Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 13 015
Apply for PA 13 015
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Prescription Drug Abuse (R01)" 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 Nov 2, 2012 and posted on Nov 2, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) 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 Private institutions of higher education Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses.
- 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Prescription Drug Abuse (R01) funding opportunity (PA-13-015) was a National Institutes of Health program announcement led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support full-scale, investigator-initiated research projects focused on prescription drug abuse. The central aim was to spur innovative studies that improve understanding of why prescription drug abuse occurs, what harms it causes, and which strategies actually prevent it or treat it. NIDA positioned this opportunity to cover the problem from multiple angles, encouraging projects that range from foundational science to real-world clinical and health systems research, with the overall goal of producing evidence that can guide policy, clinical practice, and service delivery.
A major emphasis of the announcement was on research that defines and characterizes the scope of prescription drug abuse. Applicants were encouraged to quantify the extent of misuse and abuse, identify which classes of prescription medications are most involved, and examine patterns such as single-drug misuse versus combinations of drug types. The opportunity explicitly called for work that clarifies etiology and risk, meaning studies that explain how abuse develops and which factors predict escalation, dependence, overdose risk, or other outcomes. NIDA also highlighted the importance of identifying which populations are most affected and required attention to subgroup differences, including analyses by age group, race and ethnicity, gender, and psychiatric symptomatology. In practice, this invites research that can distinguish different pathways into misuse (for example, experimentation versus self-treatment versus iatrogenic exposure) and document how those pathways vary across communities.
The announcement encouraged a broad range of methodologies, signaling that NIDA was open to diverse study designs and disciplines so long as they address prescription drug abuse in a rigorous way. This included basic science approaches (for example, mechanisms of addiction and reinforcement), clinical research (such as trials and studies in medical settings), epidemiological studies (population-level patterns and determinants), and health services research (how care is organized, delivered, financed, and accessed). Within that broad umbrella, the program especially welcomed studies that examine factors at multiple levels: individual and patient-level factors (such as pain status, mental health, substance use history, trauma exposure, and social environment), prescriber factors (such as prescribing behaviors, decision-making, training, and use of monitoring tools), and health system factors (such as care models, pharmacy practices, insurance coverage, and access to behavioral health or pain management alternatives). This multi-level framing reflects an understanding that prescription drug abuse is not only a matter of individual behavior, but also of clinical practice patterns and system incentives.
NIDA also specified the classes of prescription drugs of interest, focusing on medications with high abuse liability. Examples named in the opportunity included analgesics (commonly opioid pain medications), stimulants (such as those prescribed for attention-related disorders), and central nervous system depressants including sedative/hypnotics and anxiolytics (often used for sleep and anxiety). Importantly, the scope was not limited to one drug class; the program encouraged research that addresses abuse across these categories and the way they may be used together, which matters because combinations can change risk profiles and increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes.
Another notable priority was studying the relationship between the medication and the original clinical indication for which it was prescribed. The announcement highlighted conditions such as pain, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and obesity as examples, and encouraged research that examines how the medical context interacts with environmental and individual factors to contribute to abuse. That focus supports studies that distinguish appropriate medical use from misuse, explore how symptom burden and treatment trajectories influence risk, and evaluate how clinical decision-making and follow-up might prevent unintended transitions from legitimate treatment to harmful use.
On outcomes and impact, the opportunity sought studies that characterize adverse consequences associated with prescription drug abuse across medical, mental health, and social domains. This includes the kinds of harms that often ripple beyond the individual patient, such as family disruption, impaired functioning, comorbid psychiatric conditions, and increased health care utilization. At the same time, NIDA emphasized solutions: applicants were encouraged to develop and test effective prevention approaches, improve service delivery models, and evaluate behavioral and pharmacological treatments. In other words, the program was not only about describing the problem, but also about building and validating interventions that can be implemented in health systems and communities.
Administratively, this was an NIH discretionary grant opportunity using the R01 funding mechanism, which generally supports multi-year, hypothesis-driven research projects of substantial scope. The CFDA listing associated with the program was 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), and the announcement stated that cost sharing or matching was not required. The opportunity was posted on November 2, 2012, with an original and final closing date of January 7, 2016, and it was archived on February 7, 2016, meaning it is no longer open under that specific announcement number.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic and non-domestic applicants. Eligible applicants listed included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The eligibility language also explicitly included Tribal governments and Tribal organizations (including federally recognized entities), and a range of designated institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and AANAPISI-serving institutions. The announcement further allowed foreign organizations and foreign institutions to apply, permitted non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, and allowed foreign components as defined by NIH policy, underscoring NIDA's openness to internationally relevant research where justified.
For reference, the full announcement was provided through the NIH grants guide under PA-13-015 (linked in the source material), and NIH Office of Extramural Research contact support was available for access or technical issues through the listed webmaster email.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Prescription Drug Abuse (R01) - PA-13-015
What is the Prescription Drug Abuse (R01) funding opportunity (PA-13-015)?
PA-13-015 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program announcement led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support full-scale, investigator-initiated research projects focused on prescription drug abuse using the R01 grant mechanism.
What was the main goal of this program announcement?
The central aim was to spur innovative studies that improve understanding of why prescription drug abuse occurs, what harms it causes, and which strategies prevent it or treat it, with the intent of producing evidence that can guide policy, clinical practice, and service delivery.
What kinds of research topics were encouraged under this opportunity?
The announcement encouraged research spanning foundational science through real-world clinical and health systems research, including studies that define the scope of prescription drug abuse, clarify etiology and risk, characterize harms and consequences, and develop or test prevention and treatment strategies.
Was this funding limited to describing the problem, or did it also support solutions?
It supported both. In addition to studies characterizing prevalence, patterns, causes, and consequences, NIDA encouraged research to develop and test effective prevention approaches, improve service delivery models, and evaluate behavioral and pharmacological treatments.
What does "full-scale, investigator-initiated" mean in this context?
It means the program supported substantial research projects proposed and led by investigators (rather than projects narrowly defined by the agency), consistent with the R01 mechanism, which typically funds multi-year, hypothesis-driven research.
Which prescription drug classes were explicitly of interest?
NIDA highlighted medications with high abuse liability, including analgesics (commonly opioid pain medications), stimulants (such as those used for attention-related disorders), and central nervous system depressants such as sedative/hypnotics and anxiolytics.
Did the scope include more than one drug class or combinations of drug types?
Yes. The announcement was not limited to a single drug class and encouraged research addressing abuse across these categories, including patterns involving combinations of drug types, which can affect risk and adverse outcomes.
What types of study outcomes were the program interested in?
The program sought studies that characterize adverse consequences across medical, mental health, and social domains, including outcomes such as family disruption, impaired functioning, comorbid psychiatric conditions, and increased health care utilization.
What did NIDA mean by defining and characterizing the "scope" of prescription drug abuse?
This referred to quantifying the extent of misuse and abuse, identifying which classes of medications are most involved, and examining patterns such as single-drug misuse versus combinations of drug types.
What is meant by "etiology and risk" in the announcement?
It refers to research explaining how prescription drug abuse develops and identifying factors that predict escalation, dependence, overdose risk, or other adverse outcomes.
Did the opportunity emphasize studying which populations are most affected?
Yes. The announcement highlighted identifying the populations most affected and required attention to subgroup differences, including analyses by age group, race and ethnicity, gender, and psychiatric symptomatology.
Did NIDA encourage research on different pathways into misuse?
Yes. The framing invites research that distinguishes pathways into misuse (for example, experimentation, self-treatment, or iatrogenic exposure) and examines how those pathways vary across communities.
What kinds of research methodologies or disciplines were considered responsive?
NIDA signaled openness to diverse, rigorous approaches, including basic science (mechanisms of addiction and reinforcement), clinical research (trials and studies in medical settings), epidemiology (population-level patterns and determinants), and health services research (organization, delivery, financing, and access to care).
Was multi-level research encouraged?
Yes. The announcement especially welcomed studies examining factors at multiple levels, including individual/patient-level factors, prescriber factors, and health system factors.
What are examples of individual or patient-level factors mentioned or implied by the announcement?
Examples included pain status, mental health, substance use history, trauma exposure, and social environment.
What are examples of prescriber-level factors the opportunity suggested studying?
Examples included prescribing behaviors, clinical decision-making, training, and use of monitoring tools.
What are examples of health system factors the opportunity suggested studying?
Examples included care models, pharmacy practices, insurance coverage, and access to behavioral health or pain management alternatives.
Did the opportunity encourage research relating medication misuse to the original clinical indication?
Yes. A priority was studying the relationship between the medication and the condition for which it was prescribed, and how medical context interacts with environmental and individual factors to contribute to abuse.
Which clinical indications were specifically referenced as examples?
Examples included pain, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and obesity.
Did the announcement support research distinguishing appropriate medical use from misuse?
Yes. The stated focus supports studies that distinguish appropriate medical use from misuse, explore how symptom burden and treatment trajectories influence risk, and evaluate how clinical decision-making and follow-up might prevent transitions from legitimate treatment to harmful use.
What funding mechanism did this opportunity use?
It used the NIH R01 mechanism, which generally supports substantial, multi-year research projects.
What was the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA listing associated with the program was 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement stated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
When was this opportunity posted, and when did it close?
It was posted on November 2, 2012, and the original and final closing date was January 7, 2016.
Is PA-13-015 still open for applications?
No. The opportunity was archived on February 7, 2016, meaning it is no longer open under that specific announcement number.
Who was the lead NIH institute for this opportunity?
The program announcement was led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and various government entities (state, county, city/township, and special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Were Tribal governments and Tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly included Tribal governments and Tribal organizations, including federally recognized entities.
Did the eligible applicant types include designated institutional categories like HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions?
Yes. The announcement explicitly included designated institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and AANAPISI-serving institutions.
Could foreign organizations or non-U.S. components apply?
Yes. The announcement allowed foreign organizations and foreign institutions to apply, permitted non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, and allowed foreign components as defined by NIH policy.
Where could applicants find the full announcement details?
The full announcement was provided through the NIH grants guide under PA-13-015 (as referenced in the source material).
Was there a contact for access or technical issues related to the announcement?
Yes. NIH Office of Extramural Research contact support was available for access or technical issues through the listed webmaster email referenced in the source material.
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