Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 22 182

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 182

The Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number PAR 22-182, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program that supports research aimed at developing and refining behavioral interventions for drug abuse and related health challenges. The core idea is to move beyond early concept testing and fund stronger, later-stage work that can show whether interventions actually work (efficacy), why they work (mechanisms of behavior change), and how to deliver them in ways that make them more effective and easier to implement in real treatment settings. Because it is an R01 mechanism, the program is meant for substantial, hypothesis-driven projects with clear study designs, meaningful outcomes, and the ability to produce results that can influence clinical practice or future effectiveness research.

A major emphasis of the FOA is behavioral intervention development research that may include clinical trials, although clinical trials are optional under this announcement. Supported projects can focus on testing intervention efficacy, identifying the mechanisms that drive behavioral change, and clarifying practical questions that often determine whether an intervention can succeed outside a tightly controlled study. This includes determining dose-response relationships (for example, how much intervention is needed to produce benefit), optimizing treatment components (figuring out what elements are essential versus unnecessary), and establishing the best sequencing when combining approaches. Sequencing can involve purely behavioral strategies, pharmacological strategies, or integrated models that blend behavioral and medication-based care, either simultaneously or in stepwise or sequential formats.

The research scope is centered on drug abuse treatment, but the program clearly encourages work that reflects the complexity seen in real-world patients and service systems. This includes interventions for individuals with comorbidities, recognizing that substance use disorders frequently overlap with mental health conditions, physical health problems, and social instability. The FOA also highlights projects that address treatment adherence, both to drug abuse treatment itself and to medications used for addiction and HIV. In practical terms, that means investigators can propose interventions that help people start treatment, stay engaged, attend sessions, follow through with recovery plans, and take prescribed medications consistently, with careful measurement of adherence and clinically meaningful outcomes.

Technology-enabled approaches are another explicit priority area. The announcement invites research on drug abuse treatment and adherence interventions that use technology to increase impact while also improving implementability and sustainability. This can include digital tools that extend the reach of counselors, reduce barriers to participation, personalize content, provide prompts and feedback, support remote monitoring, or make evidence-based strategies easier to deliver consistently across settings. The emphasis is not only on novelty, but on whether technology improves real-world delivery, scalability, and long-term maintenance of treatment effects.

The FOA also integrates HIV prevention and care priorities specifically within the context of drug abuse treatment. It supports interventions designed to prevent the acquisition or transmission of HIV among individuals in drug abuse treatment, as well as interventions that promote adherence to HIV medications and addiction medications. This reflects an integrated public health approach where substance use treatment settings are treated as key points for reducing HIV risk and improving HIV outcomes. Projects in this area could include behavioral strategies that reduce risky behaviors, improve engagement in HIV prevention services, strengthen medication adherence routines, or better coordinate substance use and HIV care.

Another highlighted area is the intersection of substance misuse and chronic pain. The program encourages interventions that treat substance misuse alongside chronic pain, acknowledging the clinical challenges that arise when pain management and addiction risk overlap. This can include behavioral approaches that address pain coping, function, and quality of life while also reducing misuse and improving safety, potentially in combination with pharmacological approaches when appropriate.

In terms of the stage of science, the FOA explicitly notes interest in Stage II and Stage III efficacy research, meaning projects should generally be beyond basic feasibility and early piloting. While the announcement does not limit applicants to only those stages, it signals a preference for well-developed interventions ready for more rigorous testing, refinement, and optimization. Projects are expected to contribute actionable evidence about what works, for whom, under what conditions, and with what delivery parameters.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations and institutions. Eligible applicants listed in the source include state, county, and 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those specific nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility is consistent with an intent to reach academic, clinical, community, governmental, and international partners who can conduct rigorous intervention research in diverse populations and settings.

Administratively, the program is a grant (funding instrument type: Grant) in the education and health activity category, with CFDA numbers 93.273 and 93.279. The opportunity was created on 2022-05-09, and the original closing date provided is 2025-03-21. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants would typically look to the full FOA and NIH institute or center guidance to understand typical budgets, project periods, and paylines or funding expectations.

Overall, this FOA is designed for teams ready to rigorously test and fine-tune behavioral and integrated treatment approaches for drug abuse, especially where adherence, comorbidity, HIV-related outcomes, technology-enabled delivery, and chronic pain complicate care. The strongest fit is a proposal that can clearly define an intervention, justify why it should work, specify measurable mechanisms and outcomes, and use an appropriate design to determine efficacy and the practical parameters needed for real-world uptake.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (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 2022-05-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-21. (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 22 182

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