Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity for NIDA REI: Racial Equity Visionary Award Program for Research on Substance Use and Racial Equity (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and operating under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced its intent to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Racial Equity Visionary Award Program for Research on Substance Use and Racial Equity. This program, designated under the identifier NOT-DA-24-049 and utilizing the DP1 activity code, is expected to be released in spring 2025. The initiative is part of NIDA’s ongoing efforts to address systemic inequities in health research by funding visionary projects that explore and dismantle the connections between substance use and racial inequity. The opportunity is classified as a discretionary grant and falls under the “Health” category of funding activities. The purpose of this forthcoming opportunity is to support innovative research addressing substance use in the context of racial equity. Through this award, NIDA seeks to fund investigators proposing bold and transformative ideas with the potential to significantly advance understanding in this area. Projects may explore the causes, consequences, and solutions to racial disparities in substance use, treatment access, outcomes, or policy. The award encourages interdisciplinary approaches and aims to develop novel insights that could impact the broader fields of addiction and health equity research. The total expected funding for this opportunity is approximately $3,500,000, with an award ceiling of $700,000 per project. No minimum award floor is specified in the forecasted materials. The number of expected awards is currently unspecified. Matching is not required for this funding opportunity. As a DP1 mechanism, the award structure supports high-risk, high-reward research, offering flexibility in how the funding is used to allow for creative and potentially transformative approaches. Eligibility for this program is broad and includes a wide array of entities such as state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding those that are higher education institutions), for-profit organizations including small businesses, public housing authorities, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations not federally recognized. This broad eligibility scope ensures inclusive access for potential applicants representing diverse communities and disciplines. The estimated application due date is October 14, 2025, with an anticipated posting of the full NOFO around March 1, 2025. Awards are expected to be issued by July 1, 2026, with funded projects beginning on that same date. The opportunity is not offered on a rolling basis, but it is expected to recur. As this is currently a forecasted opportunity, applications are not being accepted yet, but prospective applicants are encouraged to begin building collaborations and developing proposals. All interested parties are encouraged to monitor Grants.gov for the publication of the full NOFO. Inquiries may be directed to the NIH OPERA DGSI Systems Policy Branch at operasystemspolicy@nih.gov. Additional information will be made available upon official release of the NOFO. The funding announcement does not currently include pre-application deadlines or specific questions required for submission, nor does it outline detailed evaluation criteria or application tips. As more information becomes available with the final NOFO release, applicants will be better able to assess application requirements.