NIDA Avenir Program: Fundamental Mechanistic Research in Addiction Science
Forecasted
This grant supports early stage investigators proposing innovative, high-risk research on the biological and behavioral mechanisms underlying substance use disorders.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (anticipated)
Funding Amounts: Up to $375,000 per award; ~$3,000,000 total program funding; ~5 awards expected
Summary: Supports exceptionally creative early stage investigators in high-risk, high-reward mechanistic research on the biological and behavioral processes underlying substance use disorders.
Key Information: Forecasted opportunity—dates and details may change; designed for early stage investigators lacking preliminary data for an R01.
Description
This program, administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), aims to catalyze innovative, high-impact mechanistic research into the genetic, molecular, cellular, circuit, pharmacological, behavioral, and cognitive processes relevant to substance use disorders (SUDs). The initiative is specifically designed for exceptionally creative early stage investigators (ESIs), including those from outside the addiction field, who may lack the preliminary data typically required for larger NIH grants (such as the R01). Projects should propose novel, unconventional, or interdisciplinary approaches—either wet-lab or data science—to advance the understanding of fundamental mechanisms underlying addiction.
The Avenir Program is intended to foster the next generation of leaders in addiction science by supporting high-risk, high-reward research that could open new directions in the field.
