Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 284
Understanding Processes of Recovery in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (R21) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (PA-17-284) that supports early-stage, exploratory research on how people recover from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and why relapse happens during or after treatment. The central goal is to move beyond simply measuring whether someone is abstinent or drinking less, and instead dig into the underlying processes that drive recovery over time, including the turning points, supports, and vulnerabilities that shape real-world outcomes. The announcement places a clear emphasis on projects that are both significant and innovative, meaning applicants are encouraged to propose fresh ideas, new measurement strategies, or novel study designs that can open up new directions for AUD treatment research.
The FOA highlights several priority topic areas. One major focus is defining recovery itself, reflecting the reality that recovery can look different across individuals, communities, and clinical contexts. This can include questions about how recovery should be measured, what indicators best capture meaningful change (for example, quality of life, functioning, mental health stability, social connection, or reduced harm), and how recovery definitions may differ across cultural groups or treatment pathways. A second priority is developing and testing new and innovative ways to examine precipitants of relapse. This encourages studies that can capture the near-term triggers and longer-term risk factors that lead to return to drinking, potentially using modern tools like intensive longitudinal assessment, digital phenotyping, passive sensing, ecological momentary assessment, or other approaches that detect dynamic changes in craving, stress, mood, sleep, social context, or exposure to alcohol-related cues.
A third area of interest is understanding the mechanisms of mutual help and recovery. This includes research on how peer support, recovery communities, and mutual-help approaches (such as structured or informal peer-based supports) contribute to change. The emphasis is on mechanisms, meaning the "how" and "why" rather than simply whether mutual-help participation correlates with better outcomes. Related projects might examine social network changes, accountability, identity transformation, coping skill development, self-efficacy, meaning and purpose, or the role of belonging and social reinforcement in sustaining behavior change. The FOA also calls for evaluation of recovery systems of care, which points to the broader service ecosystem surrounding individuals with AUD. This can include how services are coordinated across clinical treatment, continuing care, community supports, housing, employment services, criminal justice involvement, and primary care, as well as how system-level features influence continuity, engagement, equity, and long-term outcomes. Finally, the opportunity encourages research on extended treatment processes for AUD, recognizing that recovery often requires ongoing support and adaptive care over time rather than a single discrete treatment episode. This may include studies of continuing care, step-down models, long-term monitoring, adaptive interventions, or strategies to maintain gains and prevent relapse months or years after initial treatment.
This is an R21 mechanism, meaning it is intended for exploratory and developmental research rather than large, definitive clinical trials. In practice, R21 projects often aim to generate preliminary data, test feasibility, validate measures, explore mechanisms, or develop innovative methods that can later be scaled into larger studies. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, and the program sits within NIH's health research funding area (CFDA 93.273). The original closing date shown in the source information is 2018-01-23, which indicates the specific posting referenced is historical; anyone interested would typically need to check whether NIH has reissued the opportunity, updated it, or provided a successor FOA.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many government, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (so long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly restricts foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy are not allowed.
Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at sharpening the field's understanding of recovery as a process, identifying modifiable mechanisms that sustain improvement or lead to relapse, and strengthening how treatment and community supports are designed and evaluated. Competitive applications under this FOA would typically align closely with one or more of the priority areas, make a strong case for innovation in methods or concepts, and show how the findings could inform better interventions, improved systems of care, or more meaningful and inclusive definitions of recovery for people living with AUD.Apply for PA 17 284
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding Processes of Recovery in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-23. (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 $200,000.00 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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FAQs: Understanding Processes of Recovery in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (R21) (PA-17-284)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled Understanding Processes of Recovery in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (R21), identified as PA-17-284. It supports early-stage, exploratory research focused on how recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) unfolds over time and why relapse occurs during or after treatment.
What is the main goal of the FOA?
The central goal is to move beyond simple outcome metrics like abstinence or reduced drinking and instead study the underlying processes that drive recovery over time. This includes identifying turning points, supports, and vulnerabilities that shape real-world outcomes, and explaining how and why relapse happens.
What type of NIH grant mechanism is this?
This FOA uses the R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research. R21 projects often focus on feasibility work, preliminary data generation, measurement development or validation, testing innovative methods, or early investigations of mechanisms that can lead to larger future studies.
What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
What research areas does the FOA prioritize?
The FOA highlights several priority areas, including:
- Defining recovery and how it should be measured across individuals, communities, and contexts
- Developing and testing innovative ways to examine relapse precipitants (near-term triggers and longer-term risk factors)
- Understanding mechanisms of mutual help and recovery (the how and why mutual-help approaches contribute to change)
- Evaluating recovery systems of care and the broader service ecosystem supporting individuals with AUD
- Studying extended treatment processes for AUD, recognizing recovery may require ongoing and adaptive support over time
What does the FOA mean by moving beyond abstinence as an outcome?
It means focusing on more than whether a person is abstinent or drinking less. The FOA encourages research that examines deeper indicators of meaningful change, such as quality of life, functioning, mental health stability, social connection, reduced harm, and other outcomes that better reflect real-world recovery.
Does this FOA support research on how to define and measure recovery?
Yes. A major focus is defining recovery itself and improving how recovery is measured. This includes identifying indicators that capture meaningful change and examining how definitions of recovery may differ across cultural groups or treatment pathways.
What kinds of relapse research does the FOA encourage?
The FOA encourages studies that examine both near-term triggers and longer-term risk factors for relapse. It specifically emphasizes innovative approaches that can detect dynamic changes over time and better explain why relapse occurs during or after treatment.
Are modern, technology-enabled measurement approaches encouraged?
Yes. The FOA explicitly points to tools and approaches such as intensive longitudinal assessment, digital phenotyping, passive sensing, ecological momentary assessment, and other methods that can track changes in factors like craving, stress, mood, sleep, social context, and exposure to alcohol-related cues.
What does the FOA mean by the "mechanisms" of mutual help and recovery?
It emphasizes understanding how and why peer support, recovery communities, and mutual-help approaches contribute to change, rather than only showing whether participation correlates with improved outcomes. Examples of mechanisms mentioned include social network change, accountability, identity transformation, coping skill development, self-efficacy, meaning and purpose, belonging, and social reinforcement that supports sustained behavior change.
What are "recovery systems of care" in the context of this FOA?
This refers to the broader service ecosystem around individuals with AUD, including how services are coordinated across clinical treatment, continuing care, community supports, housing, employment services, criminal justice involvement, and primary care. The FOA is interested in how system-level features influence continuity, engagement, equity, and long-term outcomes.
Does the FOA recognize recovery as a long-term process?
Yes. The FOA encourages research on extended treatment processes and ongoing support over time, including continuing care, step-down models, long-term monitoring, adaptive interventions, and strategies to maintain gains and prevent relapse months or years after initial treatment.
Is this opportunity intended for large, definitive clinical trials?
No. The R21 mechanism is described as exploratory and developmental, rather than designed for large, definitive clinical trials. The emphasis is on generating early evidence, testing feasibility, developing methods, and exploring mechanisms.
What makes a project a good fit for this FOA based on the description?
Competitive projects would typically align closely with one or more priority areas, demonstrate significance and innovation (for example, fresh concepts, new measurement strategies, or novel study designs), and explain how findings could inform improved interventions, better systems of care, or more meaningful and inclusive definitions of recovery.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many government, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector entities. Examples listed include:
- State, county, and local governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the FOA description)
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
Are there additional eligible organization types explicitly noted?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign organizations or foreign components allowed?
No. The FOA clearly restricts foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The program is listed under CFDA 93.273.
Is the closing date current?
The source information lists an original closing date of 2018-01-23, which indicates the specific posting referenced is historical. Anyone interested would typically need to check whether NIH has reissued, updated, or replaced the FOA with a successor opportunity.
How does the FOA describe "innovation" for applications?
The FOA places a clear emphasis on significance and innovation, encouraging applicants to propose fresh ideas, new measurement strategies, or novel study designs that can open new directions for AUD treatment and recovery research.
What kinds of outcomes or indicators are mentioned as potentially important for measuring recovery?
Examples mentioned include quality of life, functioning, mental health stability, social connection, and reduced harm, reflecting a broader view of meaningful change beyond drinking quantity alone.
What kinds of relapse-related variables does the FOA suggest could be tracked?
The FOA gives examples of dynamic factors that could be monitored, including craving, stress, mood, sleep, social context, and exposure to alcohol-related cues.
What is the overarching purpose of funding this kind of research?
Overall, the opportunity aims to sharpen understanding of recovery as a process, identify modifiable mechanisms that sustain improvement or lead to relapse, and strengthen how treatment and community supports are designed and evaluated for people living with AUD.
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