Enhancing Social Connectedness and Ameliorating Loneliness to Prevent and Treat SUD and Support Recovery (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DA 23 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 23 009

The NIH funding opportunity "Enhancing Social Connectedness and Ameliorating Loneliness to Prevent and Treat SUD and Support Recovery" (RFA-DA-23-009) supports early-stage, exploratory research projects that test intervention approaches aimed at reducing loneliness and/or strengthening social connectedness as a way to prevent substance use, treat substance use disorders (SUDs), or improve recovery outcomes for people with SUDs. It uses the R21 mechanism, which is typically intended for pilot or proof-of-concept work that can generate preliminary evidence, refine methods, and set the stage for larger, more definitive studies later on. A key boundary in this announcement is that clinical trials are not allowed, meaning applicants need to design their projects so they do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial while still producing meaningful intervention-focused insights (for example, feasibility development, pilot testing components that do not involve prospective assignment to conditions to evaluate health outcomes, or other non-trial intervention research approaches consistent with NIH guidance).

The core idea behind the program is that social relationships and the subjective experience of loneliness are not just background factors, but potentially important drivers of substance use risk, SUD onset, relapse, and long-term recovery. NIH is looking for intervention projects that build directly on existing foundational and epidemiologic research on social connectedness and loneliness, and that help move the field toward a more coherent, unified theory explaining how these social factors influence substance use behaviors and SUD trajectories. In practical terms, proposals should not only test an approach, but also clarify mechanisms, pathways, or conceptual models that link social disconnection or connection to substance use and recovery processes.

Interventions can be designed for multiple levels of influence. Projects may focus on individuals (such as strategies to build social skills, increase supportive contacts, or reduce perceived isolation), dyads (for example, partner- or peer-based support approaches), families (such as strengthening family functioning or recovery-supportive communication), or broader community contexts. The announcement explicitly welcomes telehealth and technology-enabled delivery, which could include remote counseling or coaching, digitally supported peer networks, or other virtual modalities designed to reduce loneliness and increase supportive engagement. It also encourages community-level interventions that target structural or environmental conditions, recognizing that loneliness and disconnection are often shaped by social determinants of health. This means applicants can propose changes in policies, environments, or community infrastructures that make connection more accessible and sustainable, rather than placing the entire burden on individuals to "be more social."

The opportunity is intentionally broad about where these interventions might be implemented, reflecting the many places where people live, work, and seek support. Potential settings include workplaces, online or social media spaces, educational environments, housing contexts (including supportive or recovery housing), and recovery centers, among others. This flexibility opens the door to proposals that meet people where they are, including outside traditional healthcare environments, and that address real-world barriers to connection such as transportation, stigma, unstable housing, limited community resources, or lack of culturally relevant support.

Across all possible approaches, the program emphasizes user-centered research and real-world usefulness. NIH is signaling interest in solutions that are practical and implementable, not just theoretically interesting. Strong proposals are likely to prioritize acceptability to the intended population, feasibility in typical service settings, cost considerations, and the potential to scale and sustain the intervention beyond a single research site. The overall aim is to produce actionable knowledge and intervention strategies that can realistically reduce substance use and addiction harms by strengthening the social conditions that support prevention and recovery.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health, listed under CFDA 93.279, with an original closing date of August 15, 2022, and a posting date of March 14, 2022. Eligible applicants span a wide range of organizations, including state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribes and other tribal entities; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as faith-based and community-based organizations, minority-serving institutions (including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities), regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, and even non-U.S. entities/foreign organizations. This broad eligibility aligns with the topic area, since effective connectedness and loneliness interventions often require partnerships across healthcare, community services, housing, education, and culturally specific community institutions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Social Connectedness and Ameliorating Loneliness to Prevent and Treat SUD and Support Recovery (R21 - 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 2022-03-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-15. (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 RFA DA 23 009

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