Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 12, 2025 (New) | July 12, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 12, 2025 (New) | November 12, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
Funding Amounts: Up to $90,000/year salary + $50,000/year research development costs; 3–5 years; indirect costs at 8% MTDC
Summary: Supports early-career addiction researchers and clinicians to develop expertise in implementation science through mentored research and an independent clinical trial addressing substance use prevention or treatment.
Key Information: Clinical trial as lead investigator is required; U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required at award; strong institutional commitment and mentor(s) in implementation science needed.
Description
This NIH funding opportunity supports early-career researchers and clinicians with foundational backgrounds in addiction to develop expertise in implementation science. The program provides protected time and resources for mentored research and training, culminating in the conduct of an independent clinical trial (or feasibility/ancillary study) that applies implementation science methods to at least one of the four priority domains of the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy: primary prevention (including opioid prescribing), opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, harm reduction, and/or recovery support services.
The overarching goal is to build a cadre of implementation researchers who can address the overdose crisis, improve addiction clinical practice, and become future leaders and mentors in the field.
Due Dates
- June 12, 2025: New applications
- July 12, 2025: Renewal, resubmission, and revision applications
- October 12, 2025: New applications
- November 12, 2025: Renewal, resubmission, and revision applications
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. Standard NIH K-series due dates apply; see the NIH Standard Due Dates for future cycles.
Funding Amount
- Salary: Up to $90,000 per year (plus fringe benefits), requiring a minimum of 9 person-months (75% effort).
- Research Development Costs: Up to $50,000 per year for research expenses (e.g., supplies, tuition, travel, technical personnel).
- Project Duration: Minimum 3 years, maximum 5 years.
- Indirect Costs: 8% of modified total direct costs (MTDC).
- Number of Awards: NIH anticipates up to 6 awards per year across this and a companion FOA, subject to funding availability.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.
- Early-career researchers or clinicians with a research or health-professional doctoral degree.
- Must have foundational training or experience in substance use prevention or treatment (demonstrated via biosketch, publications, or reference letters).
- Must secure a full-time faculty or equivalent appointment in a research-intensive environment by the time of award.
- Must not have previously held major NIH independent research or career development awards (e.g., R01, K01, K08, K23, K99/R00, etc.).
- Current/former PIs of R03, R21, R34, SBIR/STTR, or institutional K awards remain eligible.
Eligible Organizations
- Public and private higher education institutions
- Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- State, local, and tribal governments
- Independent school districts, public housing authorities, and other eligible entities
Note: Non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply, but foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed.
Application Process
- Mechanism: NIH K01 (Mentored Research Scientist Development Award)
- Clinical Trial Requirement: Applicants must propose to lead an independent clinical trial, feasibility study, or ancillary study as part of their research and career development.
- Mentorship: Applicants must identify a primary mentor (and optionally co-mentors) with expertise in implementation science and substance use research.
- Institutional Commitment: A strong letter of support from the institution is required, guaranteeing protected time and resources for the candidate.
- Application Components:
- Candidate’s background and career goals
- Career development/training plan
- Research plan (including clinical trial design)
- Mentor(s) statement(s)
- Institutional environment and commitment
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Letters of support from collaborators/consultants
- Reference letters (submitted separately via eRA Commons)
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov using ASSIST, institutional S2S, or Workspace.
- Forms: Use NIH FORMS-H Career Development instructions.
- Review Criteria: Candidate potential, career development plan, research plan, mentorship, and institutional environment.
Additional Information
- Clinical Trial Definition: Most implementation trials, including those randomizing at the organization, system, or community level, meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
- Pre-application Consultation: Strongly encouraged to contact NIH program staff early to discuss fit and eligibility.
- Data Sharing: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan, and applicants are encouraged to use common data elements and standards (e.g., PhenX Toolkit).
- Annual HEAL Investigators Meeting: Awardees are expected to attend and participate in annual meetings and related activities.
- Effort: At least 75% full-time professional effort must be devoted to the award.
- Overlap: Applicants may not have two or more competing NIH career development applications pending review concurrently.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional contacts and IC-specific requirements, see the full FOA Section VII.