Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AA 24 002
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering an STTR funding opportunity focused on building better high-throughput screening (HTS) tools to speed up the discovery of medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The grant, titled "High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Platform for Discovery of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder (R41/R42 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AA-24-002; CFDA 93.273), is aimed specifically at small business concerns working in partnership with a research institution under the STTR mechanism. The core idea is to support projects that create a brand-new HTS platform or meaningfully optimize an existing one so it can be used to identify and prioritize drug-like compounds that may eventually become treatments for AUD.
The scientific focus is on HTS assays that are run either in vivo or in vitro. For in vivo screening, the NOFO emphasizes the use of small vertebrate models (but explicitly excludes rodents) and invertebrate model organisms. In practice, this points to systems that can be scaled for screening large numbers of compounds efficiently, such as zebrafish or other small aquatic vertebrates, as well as invertebrates that can model relevant neurobehavioral or cellular responses. For in vitro approaches, the opportunity allows human cell-based and tissue-based models, which can include cell cultures, organoids, engineered tissues, or similar systems where alcohol exposure and potential therapeutic effects can be measured in a controlled and scalable way. The unifying requirement across these model types is throughput: the platform should be suitable for screening many compounds and conditions in a reproducible, standardized manner.
A key technical requirement is that the assay or platform must be demonstrably sensitive to a range of alcohol concentrations and must also be able to detect treatment effects from candidate compounds. In other words, the model needs to show measurable changes when alcohol levels change, and those changes need to be quantifiable in a way that is accurate and repeatable. The outcomes produced by the platform (behavioral readouts, physiological measurements, molecular markers, imaging-based signals, viability metrics, functional electrophysiology signals, or other quantitative endpoints) must be robust enough to serve as reliable outcome variables for screening. This requirement is important because the purpose of the platform is not just to model alcohol exposure, but to provide a dependable signal that can be used to distinguish promising therapeutic candidates from non-effective ones.
From an eligibility standpoint, the competition is limited to small businesses using the STTR mechanism (R41/R42). Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, the notice indicates that foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed in some cases, meaning limited, well-justified foreign involvement could potentially be permissible if it fits NIH policy and is appropriately described and approved. The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under health, and it uses the R41/R42 phased structure typical of STTR, where projects often begin with an early-stage feasibility and development phase followed by a later-stage expansion/validation phase, though the exact project structure would need to align with NIH STTR expectations.
Administratively, the original closing date listed for the opportunity is April 9, 2024, and the award ceiling is $500,000. While the listing does not specify the expected number of awards in the provided data, the ceiling gives a sense of the intended scale: these are development-focused awards meant to produce a working and credible screening platform rather than to fund large multi-year clinical programs. Clinical trials are not allowed under this NOFO, which reinforces that the deliverable NIH is seeking here is the screening capability itself (and potentially the identification of candidate compounds through that platform), not the testing of interventions in human participants.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NIH investing in the enabling technology needed for AUD medication discovery: scalable, quantitative model systems that respond predictably to alcohol and can be used to detect whether a compound meaningfully alters alcohol-related biological or functional outcomes. A competitive application would typically center on clear assay design, strong evidence of sensitivity to alcohol dose and treatment effects, solid plans for reproducibility and quality control, and a development path showing how the platform will be optimized into a practical HTS tool that can reliably support compound discovery for AUD.Apply for RFA AA 24 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Platform for Discovery of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder (R41/R42 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this NIH funding opportunity about?
This NIH STTR funding opportunity supports the development of high-throughput screening (HTS) tools that can speed up the discovery of medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The goal is to create a brand-new HTS platform or meaningfully optimize an existing one so it can reliably identify and prioritize drug-like compounds that could eventually become AUD treatments.
What is the official title and identifier for the grant?
The opportunity is titled "High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Platform for Discovery of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder (R41/R42 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)." The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AA-24-002, and the CFDA listing provided is 93.273.
What funding mechanism is being used?
This is an STTR opportunity using the NIH R41/R42 phased structure. It is intended for small business concerns partnering with a research institution under the STTR mechanism.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to small business concerns applying through the STTR mechanism (R41/R42) in partnership with a research institution.
Are foreign organizations allowed to apply?
No. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply under this opportunity.
Can a U.S. applicant include non-U.S. components?
Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the notice indicates that foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) may be allowed in some cases, meaning limited and well-justified foreign involvement could be permissible if it fits NIH policy and is appropriately described and approved.
What kind of work is NIH trying to fund here?
NIH is investing in enabling technology for AUD medication discovery: scalable, quantitative HTS platforms that respond predictably to alcohol exposure and can detect treatment effects from candidate compounds. The emphasis is on developing a credible screening capability rather than running human studies.
What types of HTS assay models are allowed?
The opportunity supports HTS assays run either in vivo or in vitro, as long as the platform is suitable for screening many compounds and conditions in a reproducible, standardized manner.
What in vivo models does the NOFO encourage?
For in vivo screening, the NOFO emphasizes small vertebrate models (explicitly excluding rodents) and invertebrate model organisms. These are systems that can scale to efficiently screen large numbers of compounds.
Are rodent models allowed for in vivo screening under this opportunity?
No. Rodents are explicitly excluded for in vivo screening in the description provided.
What in vitro models are allowed?
In vitro approaches may use human cell-based and tissue-based models. Examples listed include cell cultures, organoids, engineered tissues, or similar systems where alcohol exposure and potential therapeutic effects can be measured in a controlled and scalable way.
What does NIH mean by "high-throughput" in this context?
The platform should be capable of screening many compounds and conditions efficiently, with reproducible and standardized procedures. The throughput requirement is a central expectation across both in vivo and in vitro approaches.
What sensitivity requirements must the assay or platform meet?
A key technical requirement is that the assay or platform must be demonstrably sensitive to a range of alcohol concentrations and must also be able to detect treatment effects from candidate compounds. In practical terms, alcohol dose changes should produce measurable, quantifiable changes, and candidate treatments should be able to shift those outcomes in a detectable way.
What kinds of readouts or endpoints can the platform use?
The platform may use a range of quantitative endpoints, including behavioral readouts, physiological measurements, molecular markers, imaging-based signals, viability metrics, functional electrophysiology signals, or other quantitative endpoints. The core requirement is that the outputs are robust enough to serve as reliable outcome variables for screening.
Why is reproducibility and standardization emphasized?
Because the platform is intended for screening, its outputs must be dependable and repeatable. The opportunity stresses reproducible, standardized performance so the platform can reliably distinguish promising therapeutic candidates from non-effective ones.
Is the goal to test medications in humans?
No. Clinical trials are not allowed under this NOFO. The deliverable NIH is seeking is the screening capability itself (and potentially the identification of candidate compounds through that platform), not testing interventions in human participants.
What is the funding instrument and category?
The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under health.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling listed is $500,000.
What is the application closing date?
The original closing date listed for the opportunity is April 9, 2024.
How many awards will NIH make?
The expected number of awards is not specified in the information provided.
What would a competitive application generally emphasize (based on the description provided)?
Based on the description provided, a competitive application would typically focus on clear assay design, strong evidence of sensitivity to alcohol dose and treatment effects, solid plans for reproducibility and quality control, and a development path showing how the platform will be optimized into a practical HTS tool that can reliably support compound discovery for AUD.
Does the opportunity require creation of a brand-new platform, or can an existing platform be improved?
Either is allowed. The core idea is to create a brand-new HTS platform or meaningfully optimize an existing platform so it can be used to identify and prioritize drug-like compounds for potential AUD treatment development.
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