Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 25 016
The Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program: Data Mining and Functional Validation is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant opportunity that uses the R01 mechanism and specifically does not allow clinical trials. The focus is on taking advantage of existing SCORCH program datasets and resources to uncover, test, and validate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that shape responses to HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to substance use disorders (SUD), with a strong emphasis on opioid-related biology in the context of HIV. In practical terms, this funding supports projects that move from computational discovery to biological confirmation, so that promising signals found in SCORCH data can be turned into well-supported mechanistic insights and credible therapeutic targets.
A central goal of the opportunity is to support robust data mining of SCORCH datasets. Applicants are expected to analyze SCORCH-generated data to pinpoint specific cell types and molecular features that appear to drive or reflect HIV/ART or SUD-related responses. This can include identifying particular transcripts (gene expression signatures), regulatory DNA elements such as enhancers, and broader transcriptional networks that coordinate gene activity. The intent is not just to catalog differences, but to use modern single-cell and functional genomics approaches to map which cells are responding, what programs they turn on or off, and how those programs may relate to disease mechanisms, treatment effects, or vulnerability and resilience factors.
The second major goal is functional validation. This opportunity is structured to encourage researchers to go beyond discovery-style analysis and directly test whether the candidates identified through data mining actually play a biological role. Supported validation strategies can include epigenomic or transcriptomic manipulation (for example, perturbing candidate regulators or regulatory elements), as well as high-throughput secondary screening approaches that can rapidly assess many candidate factors. The underlying expectation is a clear, experimentally grounded "confirm or deny" step: if a cell type, gene, enhancer, or regulatory network looks important in the SCORCH data, the project should be designed to evaluate causality or functional relevance rather than stopping at correlation.
The third goal is to build foundational knowledge that can accelerate therapeutic development. By connecting single-cell level discoveries to functional evidence, the program aims to clarify molecular mechanisms underlying SUD and/or HIV/ART responses and produce validated targets that can serve as starting points for future interventions. This includes targets relevant to NeuroHIV, such as cognitive phenotypes associated with HIV infection and treatment, particularly where opioid exposure or SUD-related biology may influence neurological outcomes. While this specific R01 announcement does not support clinical trials, it is positioned as a preclinical and mechanistic pipeline that can feed later translational work.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as RFA-DA-25-016 and falls under a discretionary grant category, with an activity category spanning education and health, and a CFDA number of 93.279. The agency is the NIH, and the original closing date provided is August 13, 2024. The award ceiling is listed at $350,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be requested under this announcement (as provided in the source information). The funding instrument is a grant using the R01 mechanism, which typically supports substantial, multi-year research projects with defined aims, rigorous methodology, and strong justification for significance and innovation.
Eligibility is broad and includes many standard applicant types, such as state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education institutions); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. In addition, the announcement explicitly highlights other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to draw on a wide range of institutions and communities, including those that may bring specialized expertise, unique populations, or distinct perspectives relevant to HIV, ART, opioid exposure, and SUD research.
Overall, this SCORCH R01 opportunity is best understood as a bridge between big-data discovery and experimental proof. It funds research that leverages SCORCH single-cell and related datasets to identify high-value molecular hypotheses and then uses functional genomics and validation experiments to establish which findings truly matter biologically. The expected payoff is a clearer mechanistic understanding of how HIV/ART and opioid or SUD-related processes intersect at the cellular level, plus a set of experimentally validated targets that can anchor future therapeutic development, including work related to NeuroHIV and cognitive outcomes.Apply for RFA DA 25 016
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program: Data Mining and Functional Validation (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-09-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-13. (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 $350,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SCORCH Program: Data Mining and Functional Validation grant opportunity?
The Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program: Data Mining and Functional Validation is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant opportunity that supports projects using SCORCH program datasets and resources to discover, test, and validate molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) responses, and substance use disorders (SUD), with a strong emphasis on opioid-related biology in the context of HIV.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism, which is typically used to support substantial research projects with defined aims, rigorous methods, and clear significance and innovation.
Does this R01 opportunity allow clinical trials?
No. This specific R01 opportunity explicitly does not allow clinical trials.
What is the main scientific focus of the program?
The focus is on leveraging existing SCORCH datasets to identify cell types and molecular features associated with HIV/ART and/or SUD responses (especially opioid-related biology in the context of HIV), and then performing functional validation to determine whether the identified candidates are biologically causal or functionally relevant.
What kinds of research activities are encouraged under the data mining goal?
Applicants are expected to conduct robust data mining of SCORCH-generated datasets to pinpoint specific cell types and molecular features that may drive or reflect responses related to HIV, ART, or SUD. Examples described include identifying transcripts (gene expression signatures), regulatory DNA elements such as enhancers, and broader transcriptional networks that coordinate gene activity.
What does the opportunity mean by "single-cell" and "functional genomics" approaches?
Based on the description provided, the program emphasizes modern single-cell and functional genomics approaches to map which cells are responding, which gene programs are activated or suppressed, and how those programs relate to disease mechanisms, treatment effects, and vulnerability or resilience factors.
Is this opportunity intended only for discovery-style computational analyses?
No. The opportunity is structured to move beyond discovery. It is designed as a bridge from computational discovery (data mining of SCORCH datasets) to biological confirmation (functional validation), rather than stopping at correlation or descriptive findings.
What is meant by "functional validation" in this announcement?
Functional validation refers to experimentally testing whether candidates identified during SCORCH dataset analysis actually play a biological role. The expectation is a clear confirm-or-deny step that evaluates causality or functional relevance for cell types, genes, enhancers, or regulatory networks that appear important in the SCORCH data.
What validation strategies are described as being supported?
The description indicates that supported strategies can include epigenomic or transcriptomic manipulation (such as perturbing candidate regulators or regulatory elements) and high-throughput secondary screening approaches to assess many candidate factors efficiently.
What kinds of biological candidates might be identified and validated?
Candidates mentioned include specific cell types, transcripts (gene expression signatures), regulatory DNA elements like enhancers, and transcriptional networks involved in coordinating gene activity related to HIV/ART responses and/or SUD, with a strong emphasis on opioid-related biology in HIV contexts.
How does the program connect HIV/ART research with substance use disorder research?
The program is explicitly focused on the intersection of HIV and ART responses with SUD biology, emphasizing opioid-related mechanisms. The goal is to uncover molecular and cellular mechanisms that shape responses to HIV/ART and to SUD in the context of opioid exposure.
What is the longer-term purpose of the functional validation requirement?
The functional validation requirement is intended to build foundational knowledge that can accelerate therapeutic development by turning promising signals found in SCORCH data into experimentally supported mechanistic insights and credible therapeutic targets.
Is the program aimed at therapeutic development even though clinical trials are not allowed?
Yes. While clinical trials are not supported under this announcement, the program is positioned as a preclinical and mechanistic pipeline intended to generate validated targets that can serve as starting points for future interventions and later translational work.
Does the opportunity include NeuroHIV topics?
Yes. The description notes that validated targets may be relevant to NeuroHIV, including cognitive phenotypes associated with HIV infection and treatment, particularly where opioid exposure or SUD-related biology may influence neurological outcomes.
What is the official identifier for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is listed as RFA-DA-25-016.
Which agency is offering this grant?
The agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.279.
What is the closing date provided for this opportunity?
The original closing date provided is August 13, 2024.
What is the award ceiling for this announcement?
The award ceiling is listed at $350,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be requested under this announcement (as provided in the source information).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant, using the R01 mechanism.
What general categories does this opportunity fall under?
It is described as a discretionary grant category, with an activity category spanning education and health.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility is broad. It includes state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education institutions); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses.
Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly highlights eligible applicants including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly listed among eligible applicants.
Are eligible federal agencies able to apply?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes eligible federal agencies.
What is the overall "pipeline" concept behind this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is designed as a bridge between big-data discovery and experimental proof: mine SCORCH single-cell and related datasets to identify high-value molecular hypotheses, then use functional genomics and validation experiments to establish which findings truly matter biologically.
What is the expected payoff of a successful project under this R01?
The expected payoff described is a clearer mechanistic understanding of how HIV/ART and opioid or SUD-related processes intersect at the cellular level, plus a set of experimentally validated targets that can anchor future therapeutic development, including targets relevant to NeuroHIV and cognitive outcomes.
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| Mechanistic Studies of the Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Complex Morbidity Involving SUD, Psychiatric Disorders, and HIV (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required) Apply for RFA DA 24 006 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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| Mechanistic Research on Neuromodulation for Substance Use Disorders Treatment (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA DA 24 033 Funding Number: RFA DA 24 033 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
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| Exploratory studies to investigate mechanisms of HIV infection, replication, latency, and/or pathogenesis in the context of substance use disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA DA 25 011 Funding Number: RFA DA 25 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $700,000 |
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