Alcohol and Other Drug Interactions: Unintentional Injuries and Overdoses: Epidemiology and Prevention (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 863

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 863

Alcohol and Other Drug Interactions: Unintentional Injuries and Overdoses: Epidemiology and Prevention (PA 18-863) is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) that uses the R01 research project grant mechanism, with clinical trials allowed but not required ("Clinical Trial Optional"). The core aim is to support research that clarifies whether, how, and under what real-world conditions alcohol interacts with other substances, including illicit drugs and prescription medications used illicitly, to increase the risk of unintentional injuries and poisonings, including overdoses. A central theme is that many serious injury and poisoning outcomes do not stem from one substance alone; they emerge from combinations, timing, dose, and context. This funding opportunity is designed to back studies that move beyond simply documenting co-use and instead examine interaction effects and causal pathways, while also developing or testing strategies to prevent or reduce simultaneous use and the harms that follow from it.

In practical terms, the announcement is focused on the epidemiology and prevention of unintentional injuries and overdoses linked to alcohol-plus-drug use. That includes research that characterizes patterns of simultaneous or near-simultaneous use (for example, alcohol with opioids, stimulants, sedatives, cannabis, or misused benzodiazepines), identifies who is at highest risk, and specifies the situational factors that make these combinations particularly dangerous (such as use in social settings, polysubstance use during nightlife, using alone vs. with others, or using in settings where rapid medical response is less likely). Epidemiologic approaches could include analyses of surveillance systems, electronic health records, trauma registries, emergency department data, poison control center data, medical examiner and toxicology records, or prospective cohort studies that measure alcohol and other drug involvement more precisely. The emphasis on "interactions" signals interest in effects that are more than additive, such as alcohol potentiating respiratory depression in opioid use, or contributing to risk taking and impaired judgment that increases exposure to injury hazards while other drugs alter reaction time, coordination, or cognition.

On the prevention side, the opportunity is meant to stimulate research that can reduce the likelihood of simultaneous use and/or reduce the downstream injury and overdose consequences when co-use occurs. Depending on the project, this could involve developing or evaluating screening and brief intervention approaches, tailoring harm-reduction strategies to polysubstance use patterns, improving risk communication about dangerous combinations, or implementing and testing interventions in clinical or community settings where high-risk use is common. Because the FOA is "Clinical Trial Optional," applicants can propose non-interventional observational research, mechanistic or modeling work, or interventional studies including clinical trials, as long as the project is aligned with the overarching goal of understanding and preventing alcohol-and-drug interaction harms. The R01 mechanism also implies that projects are expected to be substantive, hypothesis-driven, and capable of producing rigorous, generalizable findings that can inform future public health action or clinical practice.

The eligible applicant information provided indicates that small businesses can apply, which points toward the possibility of industry-relevant research capacity, such as developing analytic tools, digital prevention interventions, decision-support systems, or data-driven risk prediction approaches that can be evaluated in real-world settings. The listing also identifies the NIH as the funding agency and includes CFDA numbers 93.273 and 93.279, which correspond to NIH program areas associated with alcohol research and related public health priorities. While an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, the use of an R01 mechanism typically supports multi-year research projects with budgets that fit NIH policy and institute-specific guidelines.

Key administrative details from the source include the funding opportunity number PA 18-863, creation date of July 19, 2018, and an original closing date of September 7, 2021. Even with those dates, the substantive description captures the scientific intent: to deepen understanding of polysubstance involvement in unintentional injuries and poisonings, and to generate evidence-based strategies that prevent or reduce high-risk simultaneous use of alcohol and other drugs, whether those other substances are illicit, diverted, or prescription medications used outside medical direction.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alcohol and Other Drug Interactions: Unintentional Injuries and Overdoses: Epidemiology and Prevention (R01 - 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, 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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