The Avenir Award Program for Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the NIH, supports early-stage investigators (ESIs) conducting innovative research on the chemistry and pharmacology of addiction and substance use disorders (SUD). This award, aimed at scientists proposing transformative, novel research methods in fields like chemistry, pharmacology, or computational modeling, is designed for those who may not yet have sufficient preliminary data for an R01 grant but show high potential for significant contributions to the field. Researchers from disciplines outside addiction science, who wish to apply their methods to substance use research, are also encouraged to apply.

With a total anticipated funding commitment of $3 million per fiscal year from 2024 through 2026, NIDA expects to grant 5-6 awards each year. Each award provides up to $300,000 in direct costs annually for up to five years, totaling $1.5 million. Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are added separately and are determined upon award. Awardees must dedicate at least 25% of their time (three person months) per year to research supported by the award. Research proposals must strictly focus on the pharmacological and chemical aspects of SUD, excluding studies on broader medical consequences of substance use.

Eligible applicants include domestic and foreign higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, government entities, and tribal organizations. International entities and foreign components within U.S. institutions are eligible, and collaboration across diverse institutions is encouraged. Applicants must be recognized as ESIs within 10 years of completing their terminal degree and must hold or have a commitment to a faculty position by the application’s fiscal year. All institutions must register with SAM.gov, NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE, for foreign entities), and the eRA Commons to apply.

The application package must be submitted through NIH’s ASSIST platform, Grants.gov Workspace, or a system-to-system solution. Required documents include a project description (structured as an essay, not as specific aims), investigator qualifications, and letters of support. Applicants should avoid traditional research grant structures, focusing instead on the potential impact, novelty, and investigator qualifications for conducting innovative research in SUD chemistry and pharmacology. Applications missing three confidential letters of reference, submitted directly by referees, will not be reviewed.

Applications are reviewed in two phases: initial peer review and, for highly rated applicants, an interview with a multidisciplinary scientific panel. Review criteria include the scientific significance, innovativeness of approach, investigator qualifications, and potential impact on the field of SUD. The review panel provides a summary statement and an overall impact score for applicants proceeding to the second review phase, while those not selected are designated as “Not Discussed.” Final award decisions are based on peer review outcomes, funding availability, and programmatic priorities, with announcements made publicly.

Applicants should be aware of key deadlines, such as the annual application due date (August 9 for 2024). Successful awardees will receive a formal Notice of Award (NoA) from the NIH, following which pre-award costs may be reimbursed as per NIH policy. Compliance with data management, sharing, and federal non-discrimination guidelines is mandatory, and awardees are required to submit annual progress reports. For questions, contact information for program officials, peer review contacts, and financial managers is provided in the FOA.