NIAAA Resource-Related Research Projects (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 072

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 072

The NIAAA Resource-Related Research Projects (R24, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) opportunity (PAR 21 072) is a National Institutes of Health grant program designed to build and sustain shared research resources that accelerate alcohol-related biomedical research on a national scale. Rather than funding a traditional, hypothesis-driven scientific study, this R24 mechanism supports the creation or enhancement of infrastructure-like assets that many researchers can use, such as curated datasets, standardized materials, specialized tools, platforms, or technical services. The core idea is to improve the speed, quality, and cost-efficiency of progress across the field by making high-value resources broadly accessible.

A key feature of this program is that it is explicitly not intended for hypothesis-driven research proposals. Applications should focus on developing or operating a resource that enables other investigators to conduct high-quality research, not on testing a scientific hypothesis or pursuing a typical set of aims centered on discovery. In practice, a competitive application would describe what the resource is, why it is essential for the alcohol research community, how it will be managed and quality-controlled, how investigators will access it, and how the applicant will ensure the resource is maintained, updated, and delivered reliably over time. The resource is expected to serve the broader alcohol research community and should not be constrained to a local or regional user base, meaning it should be designed for national reach and utility.

The opportunity also emphasizes that the proposed resource should not duplicate what is already available commercially or through existing public resources. That expectation pushes applicants to demonstrate a clear gap in current capabilities and to explain why this specific resource is needed, how it differs from other options, and why centralizing it through an R24 will meaningfully benefit the field. Strong quality control is another central requirement, implying that applicants should propose clear standards, validation procedures, documentation practices, and user support systems so that the outputs (data, materials, or services) are dependable and reproducible.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many types of government entities and institutions. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible organizations. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign involvement is not permitted under this announcement in several ways: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed. This means the applicant organization and the work supported by the award must be fully domestic, aligning the resource development and operations within the United States and its eligible jurisdictions.

From a classification standpoint, this is a discretionary grant within the health funding category and is associated with CFDA number 93.273. The source record lists an original closing date of 2023-09-25, and it does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided excerpt. As the title states, clinical trials are not allowed under this funding mechanism, reinforcing that the project scope should remain focused on building or operating a resource rather than conducting interventional human studies.

Overall, this opportunity is best suited for teams that can credibly operate a widely used, high-quality, non-duplicative research resource for alcohol research, with strong plans for access, governance, quality assurance, and community-wide benefit.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIAAA Resource-Related Research Projects (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2020-11-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 PAR 21 072

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