NIDA Animal Genomics Program (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 244

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 244

The NIDA Animal Genomics Program (PAR-21-244) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity that supports animal-based genetics and genomics research aimed at clarifying the biological roots of substance use disorders (SUD). It uses a U01 cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning funded projects are expected to involve substantial scientific involvement from NIDA staff in addition to the work led by the research team. The announcement is explicitly marked as Clinical Trial Not Allowed, so the supported activities should focus on preclinical or non-clinical trial research rather than testing clinical interventions in humans.

The central goal of the program is to identify genetic, genomic, and molecular (including epigenetic) variants that contribute to addiction-related phenotypes and to different points along the SUD trajectory. The opportunity emphasizes that addiction is not a single moment or outcome, but a progression that can include initial or acute exposure, escalation of use, development of tolerance, dependence, uncontrolled use, abstinence, and relapse or recovery. Applications are expected to connect variation in genes or regulatory mechanisms to measurable traits relevant to these stages, using animal models where phenotypes can be precisely assessed and biological mechanisms can be investigated in depth.

Beyond core addiction phenotypes, the program also targets genetically influenced behavioral traits that are often linked with SUD risk or severity. Examples named in the announcement include impulsivity, novelty seeking, and delay discounting, along with other heritable traits that may shape vulnerability to substance use or the transition to compulsive use. In addition, NIDA highlights the importance of comorbid conditions and stress-related or social paradigms that show genetic correlations with SUD-related traits. The opportunity specifically mentions anxiety, stress, poor maternal care, and social defeat as examples of comorbidities or environmental-behavioral contexts that can be modeled in animals and studied for shared or interacting genetic influences.

A notable feature of the announcement is its broad view of what counts as relevant genetic variation. Projects may investigate essentially any category of variant, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions and deletions (indels), both large and small structural variants, and mobile DNA elements. This signals that NIDA is looking for studies that move beyond a narrow focus on common SNPs and instead consider the full landscape of genome variation that could affect brain function, behavior, and addiction vulnerability.

Methodologically, NIDA strongly encourages genomics, multi-omics, and data-driven approaches that integrate information across biological layers. Competitive projects are likely to include analyses that combine, for example, genomic variation with gene expression, chromatin accessibility, methylation or other epigenetic marks, proteomics, metabolomics, or other molecular readouts. The program explicitly calls for approaches that integrate multi-level omics data, map or delineate gene networks, and uncover the functional consequences of known or newly discovered variants. In practical terms, this points toward systems-level studies where genetic findings are connected to molecular pathways and mechanisms, rather than stopping at association alone.

The expected impact of funded work is twofold: first, to uncover novel mechanisms that help explain why SUD develops and persists, and second, to translate those mechanistic insights into more actionable directions for prevention and treatment. NIDA frames the endpoint as enabling discovery of intervention targets and helping guide the development of individualized or precision therapeutics that address different aspects of SUD, including risk, progression, and relapse. While the work is animal-focused, the broader intent is to generate mechanistic knowledge and target discovery that can inform future human research and therapeutic development.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is broadly open across sectors and organization types. Eligible applicants include various levels of U.S. government (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. It also includes public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other categories. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility reflects an intent to attract diverse scientific teams and institutional contexts, including international expertise where relevant.

Administrative details provided indicate the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health and the program is associated with CFDA number 93.279. The opportunity category is discretionary, the activity area is listed under education and health, and the original closing date shown is July 26, 2024. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source excerpt, which typically means applicants need to consult the full funding announcement or NIH guidance for budget expectations and project scope norms under the U01 mechanism.

Overall, this program is designed for research teams that can connect animal behavioral phenotyping relevant to addiction with modern genomics and integrated multi-omics, and that can translate genetic signals into interpretable pathways, gene networks, and functional mechanisms. The strongest alignment is with projects that treat addiction as a set of stage-specific phenotypes and related behaviors, incorporate broad variant types including structural and mobile elements, and use integrative analytics to produce mechanistic insights that could ultimately support precision-oriented intervention development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDA Animal Genomics Program (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2021-06-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-26. (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.

Apply for PAR 21 244

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