NIDA REI: Addressing Racial Equity in Substance Use and Addiction Outcomes Through Community-Engaged Research at Minority Serving Institutions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has announced a funding opportunity for the Racial Equity Initiative, a multi-year and multi-faceted campaign dedicated to addressing racial and ethnic imbalances within NIDA's research portfolio. This initiative, also known as NIDA REI, centers on the use of community-engaged research at minority-serving institutions (with or without the use of a clinical trial), within the Substance Use and Addiction field.

The primary aim of this initiative is to solicit applications for conducting research that will significantly contribute to the development, implementation, or testing of strategies improving outcomes related to substance misuse. This includes efforts aimed at preventing, reducing, or eliminating disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minority populations in substance use, addiction, and related health implications, including HIV.

Community-engaged research is instrumental in this initiative because it ensures that the research questions being addressed bear immediate relevance and applicability. Research projects should revolve around issues that have been prioritized by the relevant communities.

Collaborative community-partnered investigative teams are the desired applicants for this grant. No prior data is needed to apply, but the projects need to convincingly demonstrate, based on the logical strength of their plan, a promising potential of achieving the desired objectives. NEPS Concept # 1875 identifies this funding opportunity.