Alcohol Health Services Research (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 192

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Alcohol Health Services Research (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)".

2) Which agency is offering this funding?

This opportunity is offered by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR 25-192.

4) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 93.273.

5) What funding mechanism does this program use?

This program uses the NIH R34 mechanism.

6) What is the R34 mechanism typically designed to support?

As described, the R34 mechanism is commonly designed to support early-stage, preparatory, or pilot work that can position a research team to compete for larger, full-scale studies later.

7) Are clinical trials required under this opportunity?

No. Clinical trials are optional. Applicants may propose either clinical trial or non-trial health services research, as long as the project fits the purpose and scope of the announcement.

8) What is the central goal of this funding opportunity?

The central goal is to help close the treatment gap for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), meaning the mismatch between the number of people who could benefit from evidence-based AUD care and the smaller number who actually receive accessible, acceptable, and effective treatment.

9) What kind of research is this opportunity focused on?

The announcement emphasizes alcohol health services research, which generally focuses on how care is organized, financed, delivered, and implemented in real-world settings.

10) Is this opportunity focused on basic science or tightly controlled efficacy studies?

Based on the description provided, the emphasis is on real-world health services research rather than focusing only on basic science or tightly controlled efficacy studies.

11) What types of project aims are considered responsive?

Responsive projects are described as those aimed at identifying practical, scalable ways to improve how AUD services reach patients and how well those services work across different systems and communities.

12) What are the major areas of emphasis highlighted by NIAAA?

NIAAA highlights five major areas of emphasis:

• Increasing access to treatment for AUD
• Making AUD treatment more appealing
• Examining cost structures and insurance systems
• Dissemination and implementation research on evidence-based AUD approaches
• Reducing health disparities for health disparity populations (woven throughout)

13) What does "increasing access to treatment for AUD" include?

Examples described include studying barriers such as clinical workflows, workforce capacity, geographic availability, referral systems, and integration of AUD care into settings where patients already receive services (for example, primary care, emergency departments, mental health clinics, or community-based programs).

14) What does it mean to make AUD treatment "more appealing"?

This emphasis reflects that many people avoid or drop out of care due to factors such as stigma, inconvenience, poor fit with patient preferences, low perceived benefit, or prior negative experiences. Research may focus on patient-centered models, engagement strategies, low-threshold approaches, culturally responsive services, or service configurations that reduce friction and improve uptake.

15) What kinds of topics fit under cost structures and insurance systems?

This area recognizes that payment policy and insurance design can enable or block access to evidence-based AUD care. The description mentions topics such as reimbursement levels, prior authorization, network adequacy, and benefit design, including analyses of how financing affects service availability and sustainability, what incentives drive provider behavior, and how insurance coverage translates (or fails to translate) into real access.

16) What is meant by dissemination and implementation research in this opportunity?

This area focuses on how existing evidence-based approaches for treating AUD can be adopted, implemented with fidelity, and sustained in routine practice. The description notes possible implementation strategies such as training, supervision, decision support, audit and feedback, and workflow redesign, as well as considerations like organizational readiness, leadership support, and practical adaptations that preserve core components.

17) How does the opportunity address health disparities?

Reducing health disparities is described as a direct strategy to address the AUD treatment gap for health disparity populations. The description highlights barriers tied to structural inequities, discrimination, language barriers, rurality, and uneven distribution of services, and notes that responsive projects may focus on identifying and reducing inequities in access, engagement, retention, and outcomes.

18) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as broad and includes many types of applicants across public, private, academic, nonprofit, and tribal sectors.

19) Are state and local governments eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, as well as special district governments.

20) Are schools and higher education institutions eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.

21) Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligible applicants list includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments.

22) Are nonprofits eligible (with or without 501(c)(3) status)?

Yes. The opportunity is open to nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).

23) Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligible applicants include for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and also include small businesses.

24) Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.

25) Are specific institution types (like HBCUs or Hispanic-serving institutions) mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The announcement explicitly calls out categories of other eligible applicants including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs).

26) Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The description explicitly includes faith-based or community-based organizations among other eligible applicants.

27) Are U.S. territories eligible to apply?

Yes. The description includes U.S. territories or possessions as eligible applicants.

28) Are federal agencies eligible?

Yes. The description includes eligible federal agencies.

29) Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible?

Yes. The description states that non-U.S. (foreign) entities are eligible.

30) What is the funding instrument type?

The funding instrument is a grant.

31) What is the activity category?

The activity category is health.

32) What is the original closing date?

The original closing date provided is 2026-09-07.

33) What is the creation date of the opportunity record?

The opportunity record creation date provided is 2024-11-27.

34) Is an award ceiling listed?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided source data.

35) Is the expected number of awards listed?

No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided source data.