HEAL Initiative: Research Studies to Develop and Implement Interventions to Prevent Opioid Misuse in Community Health Centers (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA DA 23 048

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 23 048

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), released this funding opportunity (RFA-DA-23-048) to support research that directly responds to the national opioid crisis and the associated public health emergency declaration by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The announcement sits within the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Prevention Initiative, which is a broader NIH effort focused on preventing opioid misuse and opioid use disorder by supporting practical, evidence-driven research that can be applied in real-world settings. This particular opportunity targets community health centers (CHCs) because they serve large numbers of patients who may be at elevated risk for opioid misuse, and because CHCs are often positioned to deliver prevention, early identification, and referral services in underserved communities.

The main goal of the program is to develop and rigorously test new interventions or adapt existing interventions to prevent opioid misuse among patients receiving care in CHCs. Alongside intervention development, the FOA also emphasizes implementation research, meaning applicants can propose strategies that help CHCs more consistently screen for opioid and other substance misuse risks and more effectively refer patients into preventive services. In practice, that could include workflows, staffing models, clinical decision support, training approaches, patient engagement strategies, or other methods designed to increase uptake, fidelity, and sustainability of prevention-focused care in CHC environments. A key point is that this is a clinical trial required mechanism, so projects are expected to include a study design that prospectively tests the intervention and/or implementation strategy and measures outcomes.

Funding is provided through the NIH R61/R33 phased innovation award structure, which is designed to support a project in two linked stages. The first stage (R61) functions as an exploratory or developmental phase, supporting the early work needed to refine the intervention or implementation approach, establish feasibility, and meet predefined milestones. The second stage (R33) supports a more complete test of the research aims, typically involving a full-scale evaluation such as a randomized or otherwise rigorous trial in CHCs. The overall project period cannot exceed five years, with up to two years allocated for the development phase and the remainder used for the larger-scale testing phase. The intent is to fund projects that are ready to move from development into evaluation, with clear go/no-go milestones that justify transition from the R61 to the R33.

The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant program in the education and health funding activity category and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.213, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.393), reflecting the broader NIH and HHS program structure that can support addiction-related prevention research. The award ceiling is noted as $750,000 (as provided in the source data). The original closing date in the listing is 2022-11-08, and the FOA was created on 2022-07-26, which is important for applicants reviewing historical requirements or tracking the lifecycle of the announcement.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities that are commonly eligible for NIH funding. This includes state, county, city/township, and 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 other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities, excluding higher education institutions where relevant); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as faith-based or community-based organizations; Hispanic-serving institutions; historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs); tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs); Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions; and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander serving institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as certain regional organizations and eligible federal agencies.

At the same time, the FOA places important limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant can include certain foreign elements in the project if they meet NIH rules and are well-justified. This structure keeps the applicant and primary operational base within the U.S. while still permitting specific international collaboration components when appropriate and compliant.

Overall, this HEAL Initiative R61/R33 opportunity is designed for teams that can work closely with community health centers to build prevention-focused solutions that are both evidence-based and operationally realistic, then evaluate those solutions with the rigor expected of an NIH clinical trial. The emphasis is not just on whether a prevention approach can work under ideal conditions, but on whether it can be implemented effectively in CHCs, reach the intended patient populations, and be sustained in routine care settings where opioid misuse prevention has urgent public health importance.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: Research Studies to Develop and Implement Interventions to Prevent Opioid Misuse in Community Health Centers (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.393.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-07-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-08. (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 $750,000.00 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.

Apply for RFA DA 23 048

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: