The Imaging - Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) funding opportunity, PAR-24-297, is issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This program encourages small research grant applications (R03) to facilitate the integration of neuroimaging tools and methodologies into substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction research. It is designed to support both newly independent investigators and established researchers who seek to adopt brain imaging approaches into their work. The grant specifically funds small "proof-of-concept" studies to enable investigators to transition into neuroimaging research.

The I/START program focuses on novel molecular tools and imaging methods, such as PET, PET/CT, SPECT, SPECT/CT, and optical imaging techniques, to better understand central nervous system dysfunction in the context of substance use and SUD. Eligible projects should apply neuroimaging to expand knowledge of the neurobiology of addiction, assess biochemical or structural brain changes, and identify molecular targets and mechanisms implicated in SUD. Applications must demonstrate clear relevance to advancing understanding of substance use or addiction.

Projects of interest may include the design and optimization of novel chemical tools, such as radioligands, for brain imaging, as well as the development of methods for imaging at molecular, cellular, or tissue levels. Applications can also propose imaging studies to explore neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction, differences in responses to addictive substances, or changes resulting from pharmacological or behavioral treatments for SUD. Research that focuses on alcohol alone, or that does not involve brain imaging tools or SUD-related neurobiology, will not be considered responsive to this funding opportunity.

The funding mechanism is an R03 small grant with a project duration of up to one year and a maximum budget of $150,000 in direct costs. Applications can be submitted by public or private institutions of higher education, non-profits, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, and foreign institutions. Non-domestic components of U.S. institutions and foreign entities are also eligible. Applicants must ensure that all registrations, including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, are completed before submission.

Applications are accepted on standard NIH due dates, beginning with the earliest submission date of January 16, 2025, and recurring until the funding opportunity expires on January 8, 2028. Applications undergo peer review based on NIH criteria, including the significance, innovation, and approach of the proposed research, as well as the investigators' expertise and institutional resources. Successful projects will demonstrate scientific rigor, feasibility, and the potential to produce meaningful neuroimaging data that advances the understanding of SUD.

Applicants are required to follow NIH guidelines, including submission of a Data Management and Sharing Plan and compliance with human subjects and clinical trial regulations, if applicable. Proposals must be submitted electronically through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system platforms, and errors identified during submission must be corrected before the due date. Award notifications will follow NIH review processes, with funding contingent upon scientific merit, program relevance, and availability of funds. Award recipients must adhere to NIH post-award reporting requirements, including annual progress reports and final performance summaries.