Comprehensive Alcohol Research Centers (P60 Clinical trial Optional) | RFA AA 23 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AA 23 002

The Comprehensive Alcohol Research Centers (P60 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-AA-23-002) is an NIH discretionary grant program designed to build and sustain large, coordinated alcohol research centers. It uses the NIH P60 Comprehensive Research Center mechanism, which is meant for long-term, multi-investigator, multidisciplinary programs that are organized around a single, clearly defined major research theme. In practice, this mechanism supports not just individual research projects, but an integrated center structure that combines multiple lines of research with shared resources and research support activities, all aligned to advance a focused alcohol-related scientific agenda. The "clinical trial optional" designation indicates that the proposed research program may include clinical trials, but clinical trials are not required to be part of the application.

The main purpose of the opportunity is to support an organized research center that can tackle complex alcohol-related problems in a broad-based way, bringing together different disciplines and investigators under one coordinated program. The emphasis is on integration and synergy: the expectation is that the center is more than a collection of separate projects, and instead functions as a unified program where the combined effort, shared infrastructure, and coordinated leadership produce outcomes that would be difficult to achieve through isolated grants. Because the FOA highlights both research and research support activities, applicants should expect to propose center-level components that facilitate collaboration, shared methods or cores, and sustained productivity around the center theme.

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the funding activity category is Health under CFDA number 93.273. The award ceiling listed is $1,250,000, signaling that awards may support substantial center operations and multiple research components under one umbrella. The original closing date for applications was 2023-11-15, and the FOA was created on 2023-05-24.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Higher education institutions are eligible as well, including public or state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. A wide range of nonprofit organizations may apply, including those with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations other than small businesses are eligible, as are small businesses, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the FOA places clear limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities classified as foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may be able to include certain foreign activities or collaborations if they meet NIH's definition and requirements for foreign components, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the applicant organization.

Overall, this opportunity is aimed at applicants that can demonstrate the leadership, infrastructure, and collaborative capacity to run a comprehensive alcohol research center with a coherent, high-impact theme, integrating multiple investigators and disciplines, potentially including but not requiring clinical trials, and supported by center-level resources that enable sustained, coordinated progress in alcohol research.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Comprehensive Alcohol Research Centers (P60 Clinical trial Optional)" 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 2023-05-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-11-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,250,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA AA 23 002

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