Avant Garde/Avenir award for Investigators conducting high risk/high reward research on HIV and Substance Use (or Substance Use Disorders)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is preparing to release a funding opportunity titled "Avant Garde/Avenir award for Investigators conducting high risk/high reward research on HIV and Substance Use (or Substance Use Disorders)." This grant initiative supports pioneering scientific work that seeks to address significant challenges at the intersection of HIV and substance use or substance use disorders. The program emphasizes transformative, high-risk, high-reward research that could potentially lead to groundbreaking discoveries and innovations in the biomedical and behavioral fields related to drug abuse and HIV. NIDA’s goal with this forecasted opportunity is to identify and support exceptionally creative investigators, including early-stage researchers, who are exploring new approaches to these complex public health issues. The award specifically encourages novel research ideas that traditional mechanisms may not fund due to their risk profile. The funding is aligned with the NIH’s broader mission of advancing knowledge in health and medicine while addressing critical challenges affecting vulnerable populations, including those impacted by substance use and HIV. This opportunity will be funded as a discretionary grant under the Assistance Listing 93.279, which pertains to Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs. Although the estimated total funding amount, award ceiling, and floor have not been disclosed, applicants should anticipate support for large-scale, high-impact research projects. The funding instrument used will be the DP1 activity code, traditionally associated with high-risk, high-reward research grants intended to provide investigators with significant flexibility and autonomy in pursuit of novel ideas. Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as federally recognized tribal governments, small and for-profit businesses, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, independent school districts, public and private higher education institutions, and various levels of government. The grant opportunity is forecasted to be available nationwide, with no restrictions to specific states or local geographies. The current timeline indicates that the funding opportunity is in the forecasting stage. The estimated funding announcement (post) date is March 9, 2026, with an anticipated application due date of August 15, 2026. Successful applicants would receive awards by April 1, 2027, which also marks the expected start date for funded projects. While applications are not yet being accepted, potential applicants are encouraged to begin developing collaborative proposals to ensure readiness when the NOFO is officially released. For additional information or to discuss potential project alignment, applicants are advised to contact Dr. Vasundhara Varthakavi at the National Institute on Drug Abuse via phone at 301-443-2146 or email vasundhara.varthakavi@nih.gov. This early announcement allows interested parties ample time to form partnerships, conceptualize high-impact research strategies, and plan a strong submission in response to this forward-looking funding opportunity.