Mechanistic Studies on Social Behavior in Substance Use Disorder (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required) | RFA DA 25 033

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 25 033

This funding opportunity, titled "Mechanistic Studies on Social Behavior in Substance Use Disorder (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required)" (RFA-DA-25-033), is an NIH discretionary grant solicitation aimed at advancing basic, human-participant research on how social behavior connects to substance use disorders (SUD) and related comorbid conditions. The central goal is to support innovative, transdisciplinary projects that bridge social and cognitive neuroscience with other social science disciplines in a way that produces a mechanistic explanation of social behavior in the context of SUD. Rather than focusing only on describing associations (for example, that certain social environments correlate with higher substance use), the NOFO is pushing applicants to build and test models that explain how and why social processes contribute to the onset of SUD, shape its progression over time, and influence its consequences.

A key requirement is that proposed studies must qualify as Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH). In NIH terms, these are prospective basic science studies involving human participants that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial while still being considered basic research. In practice, this points to experimentally oriented work in humans where investigators systematically manipulate conditions or exposures (often in tightly controlled laboratory or structured real-world paradigms) to test fundamental mechanisms. The emphasis is on basic mechanisms of social behavior relevant to SUD, not on delivering or testing an intervention for treatment effectiveness, although the mechanistic findings could later inform prevention or treatment development.

The scientific thrust of the NOFO is integration: applicants are expected to combine methods and theories across fields and to culminate in a testable conceptual or computational model. That means NIH is looking for work that goes beyond isolated measures (like a single brain activation finding or a single self-report scale) and instead links social processes, cognitive/affective functions, and neurobiological measures into an explanatory framework that can generate predictions. A strong application under this announcement would typically articulate a mechanistic pathway connecting specific social behaviors or social contexts (such as affiliation, social learning, social reward, rejection, isolation, norms, social stress, group dynamics, or interpersonal decision-making) to SUD-relevant outcomes (initiation risk, escalation, craving, relapse vulnerability, functional impairment) and comorbidities, then test that pathway with rigorous experimental designs in human participants.

Administratively, this is an R01 grant mechanism under NIH, categorized within Education and Health and associated with CFDA number 93.279. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The original closing date listed for applications is 2024-08-14. The posted summary does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget guidance, project period expectations, and any institute-specific constraints.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit entities (including small businesses and for-profits other than small businesses). The NOFO also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). It also notes eligibility for Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized entities, signaling openness to a diverse array of institutional contexts that may be well-positioned to study social behavior and SUD across different populations and environments.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH asking for experimentally rigorous human research that can explain the mechanisms linking social behavior to substance use disorders, using integrated, cross-disciplinary approaches and producing a model that can be empirically tested and refined. The intended outcome is a deeper, mechanistic understanding of social processes in SUD that can serve as a foundation for future translational work, including the identification of targets for prevention, intervention, or policy-relevant strategies grounded in causal and computationally explicit accounts of behavior.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanistic Studies on Social Behavior in Substance Use Disorder (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

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