Key Dates

Related Announcements

• May 8, 2024 - Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-24-152.
• April 26, 2024 - Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-179. 
• April 24, 2024 - Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-194.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-176.
• September 7, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32). See NOFO PA-23-262.
• August 17, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31). See NOFO PA-23-272.
• January 10, 2022 - Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-22-060.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-200.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-195.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-185.

Issued by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to encourage research that examines illicit drug markets and informs prevention, intervention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts.

Background

The term illicit drug market is defined as the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, retail, sale, and use of prohibited drugs. Users and suppliers interact through these markets with much law enforcement activity aimed at disrupting these interactions.      

Although illicit drug markets are similar to one another in that they are markets operating outside the realm of legitimate commerce, how these markets are organized and operated differ depending on the type of drug. It is important to understand the different characteristics and evolution of illicit drug markets as different forms of market organization and operation have different outcomes, particularly in terms of public health and safety.

Epidemiological research is needed to examine the influential characteristics of different types of drug markets and the impact of these characteristics on market and participant behavior; the interactions between illicit and licit markets; and targeted methods of surveying these markets. Detailed data on different illicit drug markets is critical for informing development of targeted prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies, implementing these strategies successfully, and aiding decisions of public health officials and other policy-makers. By providing policymakers with unbiased, up-to-date, actionable information, they can enact evidence-based strategies to interrupt or prevent these illicit drug marketplaces and the resulting consequences.

This NOSI encourages, but is not limited to, applications that:

• Examine characteristics of drug markets (e.g., price, purity, formulation, availability, geography, structure, etc.) that are the most influential in driving market and participant behavior and the relations between drug market characteristics and drug use.
• Examine characteristics of individual drivers of drug markets.
• Seek to understand drug markets by researching and understanding dealer decision-making.
• Use multi-faceted or novel approaches to research and understand illicit drug markets.
• Examine the interactions with, or influences of, drug markets with one another (e.g., the impact of cannabis policies on the illicit opioid market).
• Use wastewater analysis to provide detailed understanding of illicit drug markets and how they are evolving.
• Test the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of different types of drug checking services and their ability to influence drug use behaviors and outcomes (including testing of drugs sold online).
• Examine the ways that epidemiologic data on illicit drug markets can effectively inform interventions and strategies to disrupt and prevent these activities.
• Use innovative technologies (e.g., testing), healthcare data (e.g., Electronic Health Records), and data linkage to capture real-time characteristics of the local drug market to enable tailoring of treatments.
• Optimize the effectiveness of strategies to survey, interrupt, or prevent illicit drug markets.

Applications are strongly encouraged to consider who the end-users of the research findings will be (e.g., policy-makers, prevention scientists, local health departments, etc.), and if/when appropriate, include possible end-users in the research team to ensure that the knowledge generated will have real-world impact.

This NOSI’s primary interest is U.S. illicit drug markets; however, research involving international illicit drug markets will be considered in the context of the impacts and influences they have on U.S. drug markets, drug use, or substance-related harms.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss potential applications with the Scientific/Research Contact listed below before submitting their application.

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after October 5, 2024 and subsequent receipt dates through September 8, 2028.

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of these announcements through the expiration date of this notice.

• April 26, 2024 - Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-179.
• April 24, 2024 - Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-194.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-176.
• September 7, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32). See NOFO PA-23-262.
• August 17, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31). See NOFO PA-23-272.
• January 10, 2022 - Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-22-060.
• May 8, 2024 - Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-24-152.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-200.
• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-195.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-185.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-DA-26-008” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity with the following additions/substitutions:

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Elyse R. Grossman,Ph.D., JD, MPP
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Email: elyse.grossman@nih.gov