The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites applications for the Alcohol Health Services Research grant under the R01 Clinical Trial Optional mechanism. This funding opportunity seeks to address the significant treatment gap in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) by focusing on five key areas: increasing access to treatment, enhancing the appeal of AUD treatments, examining cost structures and insurance systems, improving dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments, and reducing health disparities among underserved and vulnerable populations. The initiative encourages research that spans the continuum of care, from prevention and screening to intervention and long-term recovery, and considers diverse populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and underserved rural populations.

The overarching goal is to build a robust evidence base for improving AUD treatment strategies and addressing barriers at individual, societal, and organizational levels. This includes identifying barriers to accessing care, integrating AUD treatment into non-specialty healthcare settings like primary care and emergency departments, and assessing the sustainability of telemedicine interventions. Research priorities also include workforce-related factors, geographic variations in treatment policies, and stigma associated with AUD treatment, particularly among health disparity populations. The NIAAA is particularly interested in projects employing innovative research designs, such as hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials, Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials (SMART), and multi-phase optimization strategies (MOST).

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, local governments, state governments, tribal governments, and foreign entities. Organizations serving underrepresented communities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions, are encouraged to apply. Applicants must complete registrations with SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons before submission. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, and individuals with disabilities, are strongly encouraged to participate.

Applicants must prepare their proposals in alignment with NIH's application guidelines, including the submission of a letter of intent at least 30 days before the application due date. Key components of the submission include detailed research plans, data management and sharing plans, and considerations for human subjects' protections. Applications exceeding $500,000 in direct costs in any year require pre-approval at least six weeks before submission. Proposals must address scientific rigor, feasibility, and a well-justified research approach to ensure reproducible and impactful results.

Applications will be evaluated based on scientific merit, innovation, methodological rigor, feasibility, and alignment with NIAAA's programmatic priorities. Reviewers will consider the significance of the research in addressing current gaps in AUD treatment, the robustness of the proposed methodology, and the qualifications and expertise of the research team. The evaluation will also include considerations for human subject protections, inclusion of diverse populations, and adherence to NIH's data management and sharing requirements.

The maximum project period is five years, and direct costs cannot exceed $500,000 annually without prior approval. Standard NIH application due dates apply, with the earliest submission date being January 5, 2025, and the final expiration date set for September 8, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to contact NIAAA program officials early in the process for guidance and must submit applications electronically through NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system platform. Successful applications will contribute to advancing evidence-based approaches to AUD treatment, addressing systemic barriers, and improving health outcomes across diverse populations.