HEAL: Translating Addiction Epidemiology, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Research into Practice (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute on Drug Abuse and with contributions from other NIH Institutes, has announced a forecasted funding opportunity entitled HEAL: Translating Addiction Epidemiology, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Research into Practice. This forthcoming program will use the R61/R33 grant mechanism with clinical trial optional and seeks to accelerate the translation of addiction-related research into practical, scalable, and effective interventions. The opportunity responds to urgent public health needs, specifically the opioid crisis and the rising number of overdose events across the United States. By focusing on reducing substance use and misuse and preventing overdose deaths, the initiative aims to move evidence-based and promising strategies more quickly into real-world practice. The scope of funding will prioritize research that identifies and characterizes malleable factors affecting substance use and recovery outcomes. Projects may address barriers and facilitators at various levels including individuals, providers, organizations, communities, or systems. Priority areas for research will include recovery processes, prevention methods, intersections between pain and addiction, engaging family and loved ones in treatment and recovery, transitions across care settings such as inpatient to community treatment, and the integration of mental health services. Other key interests include improving the quality and efficiency of existing services and interventions, exploring relationships between substance use and health outcomes, and enhancing real-time data capture and application to support public health approaches. Applications are not currently being accepted; this announcement is intended to give prospective applicants sufficient time to build collaborations and prepare competitive submissions. The estimated posting date for the full Notice of Funding Opportunity is December 1, 2025, with applications due by February 9, 2026. The estimated award date is December 1, 2026, and project start dates are expected to align with that award date. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the category of funding activity is health, specifically drug use and addiction research programs under Assistance Listing 93.279. Eligibility for this program is broad. Applicants may include state governments, county governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, public or Indian housing authorities, small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and Native American tribal organizations and governments. This broad eligibility ensures diverse participation from both public and private sectors as well as community-based and academic partners. Applications from collaborative teams combining expertise in modeling, health economics, implementation science, translational science, and engagement science are especially encouraged. The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Award ceilings, floors, and total program funding amounts have not been announced and remain to be confirmed in the final Notice of Funding Opportunity. The number of expected awards is also not specified at this stage. Applicants should carefully review the final published opportunity once released to confirm these critical details. Since the opportunity is still in forecast status, evaluation criteria and submission instructions have not yet been provided, but NIH will require applicants to use the Grants.gov application system once the NOFO is live. For additional information, interested parties may contact Tisha Wiley, Ph.D., at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She can be reached at 301-594-4381 or by email at tisha.wiley@nih.gov. This contact will be a key source of clarifications as potential applicants plan their responses. The program is expected to operate under the fiscal year 2027 cycle. Prospective applicants should monitor NIH communications and Grants.gov for the official release and detailed application instructions.