Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 14 008
Apply for RFA CA 14 008
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Social Media to Understand and Address Substance Use and Addiction (R01)" 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 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.399 Cancer Control.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 3, 2014 and posted on Jan 3, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education 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) Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 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 allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
Using Social Media to Understand and Address Substance Use and Addiction (R01) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity released under the Collaborative Research on Addiction (CRAN), a trans-NIH initiative aimed at strengthening research that can improve how substance use and addiction are understood and addressed. The focus of this particular announcement is on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) and the increasingly important role social media plays in shaping, reflecting, and potentially changing risk behaviors. In practical terms, the NIH is looking for research that either uses social media data to better monitor and explain ATOD-related behaviors in real-world settings, or uses social media itself as a platform to test interventions that prevent or reduce problematic substance use.
The announcement is structured around two distinct research tracks, and every proposal is expected to clearly fit into one of them. The first track is observational research, where social media interactions are treated as a kind of surveillance or measurement tool. Projects in this area might examine how ATOD use is discussed online, how norms and attitudes spread through networks, how emerging substances or dangerous behaviors show up in posts, or how community-level events and policy changes are reflected in online conversations. The intent is to improve understanding of epidemiology and risk, including who is at risk, what factors are associated with use or escalation, and how behavior patterns develop and change over time. This can include studying content, engagement patterns, social network dynamics, geospatial or temporal trends, and other signals that may help public health and clinical stakeholders respond faster and more effectively.
The second track is intervention research, where the social media environment is used to deliver, support, or enhance screening, prevention, or treatment approaches for ATOD use and addiction. Here, the emphasis is on measuring practical impact, including reach (who the intervention gets in front of), engagement (how people actually interact with it), and outcomes (whether it changes behavior, health indicators, or treatment participation). A project might test whether social media campaigns increase screening or treatment uptake, whether peer-to-peer support communities reduce relapse risk, whether targeted messaging improves cessation or reduces binge drinking, or whether social media tools can support adherence and recovery. Importantly, the FOA signals that NIH is interested not just in whether an intervention can be deployed, but whether it produces measurable behavioral and health benefits and can be evaluated with rigor.
A notable feature of this opportunity is that original preliminary data are not required. That lowers the barrier for applicants who have strong ideas but may not yet have pilot results. At the same time, the NIH still expects a well-developed rationale grounded in the best available evidence. Applicants are expected to integrate relevant information from multiple sources whenever possible, which could include prior literature, existing datasets, theory, prior intervention experience, platform analytics, public health data, or other credible evidence that supports why the proposed approach should work and how it will advance the field.
From an administrative standpoint, this is an R01 research project grant, meaning it is designed to support substantial, hypothesis-driven or otherwise well-justified research efforts rather than small exploratory pilots. The funding opportunity number is RFA-CA-14-008, and it was posted on January 3, 2014, with an application due date of March 25, 2014 (it is now archived, with an archive date of April 25, 2014). The estimated total funding listed for the announcement is $3.5 million. The activity aligns with NIH program areas tied to alcohol research, drug abuse and addiction research, and cancer control, reflecting the broad health consequences linked to substance use (for example, tobacco-related cancer risks and co-occurring health burdens).
Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organization types, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), state governments, small businesses, and certain for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). The FOA also explicitly includes several institution categories often highlighted in federal funding opportunities, 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 Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, although foreign components (as NIH defines them) may be allowed under NIH policy.
Overall, the opportunity reflects NIH interest in meeting people where they already communicate and form norms: online social spaces that can reveal emerging trends quickly and can also be used to deliver timely, scalable interventions. Proposals that fit this FOA would be expected to clearly justify why social media is essential to the research question, specify how social media data or platforms will be used, describe how outcomes will be measured (whether surveillance insights or intervention effects), and address the practical challenges that come with social media research, such as data quality, representativeness, privacy, and ethical considerations, while staying focused on improving understanding or reducing harms related to ATOD use and addiction.
FAQs: Using Social Media to Understand and Address Substance Use and Addiction (R01) (RFA-CA-14-008)
What is this NIH funding opportunity about?
This funding opportunity supports research that uses social media to better understand and address substance use and addiction, with a focus on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Projects can either (1) analyze social media data to monitor and explain ATOD-related behaviors in real-world settings or (2) use social media as a platform to test interventions that prevent or reduce problematic substance use.
What initiative is this FOA part of?
The announcement was released under the Collaborative Research on Addiction (CRAN), a trans-NIH initiative intended to strengthen research that improves how substance use and addiction are understood and addressed.
What type of grant mechanism is this?
This is an NIH R01 Research Project Grant. It is meant for substantial, well-justified research efforts (not small exploratory pilots), typically with clear hypotheses or a strong scientific rationale and rigorous evaluation plans.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-CA-14-008.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The FOA is archived. It was posted on January 3, 2014, had an application due date of March 25, 2014, and an archive date of April 25, 2014.
How much funding was available under this announcement?
The estimated total funding listed for the announcement is $3.5 million.
What substances and behaviors are in scope?
The focus is on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD), including how social media shapes, reflects, or potentially changes risk behaviors related to substance use and addiction.
What are the two research tracks applicants must choose between?
The FOA is structured around two distinct tracks, and proposals are expected to clearly fit into one:
- Observational research: using social media interactions as surveillance/measurement to monitor and explain ATOD-related behaviors.
- Intervention research: using social media as a platform to deliver, support, or enhance screening, prevention, or treatment approaches for ATOD use and addiction.
What kinds of projects fit the observational research track?
Observational projects treat social media as a data source to improve understanding of epidemiology and risk. Examples described in the announcement include studying how ATOD use is discussed online, how norms and attitudes spread through networks, how emerging substances or dangerous behaviors appear in posts, and how community events or policy changes show up in online conversations.
What kinds of measurements are relevant for observational studies under this FOA?
The announcement highlights analyses such as content patterns, engagement behaviors, social network dynamics, and geospatial or temporal trends. The goal is to generate signals that help explain who is at risk, what factors are associated with use or escalation, and how behavior patterns develop and change over time.
What kinds of projects fit the intervention research track?
Intervention projects use social media to deliver or strengthen screening, prevention, or treatment approaches. Examples described include testing whether social media campaigns increase screening or treatment uptake, whether peer-to-peer support communities reduce relapse risk, whether targeted messaging improves cessation or reduces binge drinking, and whether social media tools support adherence and recovery.
What outcomes does NIH emphasize for intervention studies?
The FOA emphasizes measuring practical impact, including:
- Reach: who the intervention is delivered to
- Engagement: how people interact with the intervention
- Outcomes: whether behavior, health indicators, or treatment participation change
NIH signals interest in interventions that can be evaluated rigorously and demonstrate measurable behavioral and health benefits, not just feasibility of deployment.
Is preliminary data required to apply?
No. The FOA states that original preliminary data are not required, which can reduce barriers for applicants with strong concepts that do not yet have pilot results.
If preliminary data are not required, what does NIH still expect?
The announcement still expects a well-developed rationale grounded in the best available evidence. Applicants are expected to integrate relevant information from multiple sources when possible, such as prior literature, existing datasets, theory, prior intervention experience, platform analytics, public health data, or other credible evidence supporting why the approach should work and how it advances the field.
Why does the FOA emphasize social media specifically?
The opportunity reflects NIH interest in research that meets people where they already communicate and form norms: online social spaces. Social media can reveal emerging trends quickly and can also serve as a scalable channel for timely interventions.
What practical challenges does the FOA expect applicants to address?
Proposals are expected to address challenges inherent to social media research, including data quality, representativeness, privacy, and ethical considerations, while keeping the focus on improving understanding of ATOD risk or reducing ATOD-related harms.
What should a strong proposal clearly specify, based on the announcement?
Based on the FOA description, projects should clearly justify why social media is essential to the research question, explain how social media data or platforms will be used, and describe how outcomes will be measured (either surveillance insights for observational studies or intervention effects for intervention studies).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organization types, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), state governments, small businesses, and certain for-profit organizations (other than small businesses).
Are specific institution categories explicitly included?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes institution categories often highlighted in federal opportunities, 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 Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible.
Are any foreign activities allowed at all?
The FOA notes that foreign components (as NIH defines them) may be allowed under NIH policy, even though foreign institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
What NIH program areas does this opportunity align with?
The activity aligns with NIH program areas tied to alcohol research, drug abuse and addiction research, and cancer control, reflecting broad health consequences linked to substance use (for example, tobacco-related cancer risks and other co-occurring health burdens).
What is the overarching goal of the research supported by this FOA?
Overall, the FOA aims to strengthen research that can improve how ATOD use and addiction are understood and addressed, either by producing better real-world monitoring and explanations of risk or by demonstrating effective, measurable interventions delivered through social media.
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