Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 20 017
The grant opportunity titled "Digital Health Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in context of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional)" is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation focused on building practical, commercial-ready digital health products that can reduce substance use disorder risk by targeting social determinants of health. Rather than funding general research on addiction alone, the emphasis is on tools that can realistically be developed into products and deployed in real-world settings to improve the underlying social and environmental conditions that contribute to drug use, relapse, and poor recovery outcomes, including in populations affected by opioids.
At the core of the announcement is the idea that substance use disorders are heavily influenced by conditions outside the clinic. Social determinants of health typically include factors like housing instability and homelessness, unemployment and financial stress, limited access to transportation, food insecurity, low health literacy, lack of reliable social support, exposure to violence, involvement with the justice system, stigma and discrimination, and barriers to accessing healthcare and recovery services. This opportunity is looking for digital health technologies that do more than track symptoms or deliver generic education. The goal is to create digital approaches that actively help people navigate and improve these upstream conditions, because those conditions often determine whether someone can start treatment, stay engaged, and sustain recovery.
The mechanism is R41/R42, which indicates the SBIR phased structure: a Phase I (R41) focused on early feasibility, prototype development, and proof of concept, followed by a Phase II (R42) focused on further development, validation, and steps needed for commercialization and broader implementation. The "Clinical Trial Optional" label means applicants may propose studies that meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial if it fits the product and its evidence plan, but they are not required to run a clinical trial to apply. In practice, this creates flexibility: a company might propose usability testing, pilot implementation studies, pragmatic trials, or other evaluation strategies aligned with the maturity of the technology.
Eligibility is restricted to small businesses, consistent with SBIR rules. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement may be allowed, which generally means a U.S. applicant could potentially include some discrete foreign involvement if it is well-justified and compliant with NIH policy, but the applicant organization itself must be eligible and U.S.-based.
From an agency and catalog standpoint, the opportunity is issued by NIH, with CFDA number 93.279, and it is categorized under education and health. The funding opportunity number is RFA-DA-20-017, indicating it is tied to NIH’s drug abuse-focused institute/mission area (historically associated with NIDA). It was created on 2019-05-13 with an original closing date of 2019-07-29, meaning it was a time-limited solicitation with a specific due date rather than an always-open program announcement.
What NIH is effectively signaling with this announcement is a demand for scalable, technology-enabled interventions that can be integrated into the addiction treatment and recovery ecosystem while addressing real barriers in people’s daily lives. That could include mobile apps, telehealth enhancements, digital navigation platforms, remote support systems, decision-support tools for providers working with high-risk communities, or integrated platforms that connect individuals to social services. The key is that the product should be digital health-based, oriented toward commercialization, and intentionally designed to improve social and environmental risk factors that drive SUD vulnerability and worsen outcomes.Apply for RFA DA 20 017
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Digital Health Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in context of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-05-13.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Digital Health Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in context of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional)."
Which agency is offering this funding?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-DA-20-017.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.279.
What is the main purpose of this SBIR solicitation?
The purpose is to support small businesses in building practical, commercial-ready digital health products that reduce substance use disorder (SUD) risk and improve recovery-related outcomes by targeting social determinants of health (SDOH).
Is this grant focused on general addiction research?
No. The emphasis is not on general addiction research alone. The focus is on digital health technologies that can be realistically developed into products and deployed in real-world settings to improve the social and environmental conditions that contribute to drug use, relapse, and poor recovery outcomes.
What does "social determinants of health" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this opportunity, social determinants of health refer to non-clinical factors that strongly influence SUD risk and recovery, such as housing instability and homelessness, unemployment and financial stress, limited transportation access, food insecurity, low health literacy, lack of reliable social support, exposure to violence, justice system involvement, stigma and discrimination, and barriers to accessing healthcare and recovery services.
What kinds of digital health technologies are NIH looking for?
NIH is looking for digital health technologies that go beyond symptom tracking or generic education and actively help people navigate and improve upstream social and environmental conditions linked to SUD vulnerability and outcomes. Examples mentioned include mobile apps, telehealth enhancements, digital navigation platforms, remote support systems, provider decision-support tools for high-risk communities, and integrated platforms that connect individuals to social services.
Do proposed tools need to be deployable in real-world settings?
Yes. A central theme is that the tools should be scalable and integrable into real-world addiction treatment and recovery ecosystems, addressing real barriers in peoples daily lives.
What does commercialization mean here?
The solicitation emphasizes products oriented toward commercialization. In practical terms, NIH is signaling interest in technologies that can be developed into market-ready offerings and implemented broadly rather than remaining as research prototypes.
What do the mechanisms R41 and R42 mean?
R41/R42 refers to the SBIR phased structure. Phase I (R41) typically supports early feasibility work, prototype development, and proof of concept. Phase II (R42) supports further development, validation, and steps needed for commercialization and broader implementation.
Is a clinical trial required to apply?
No. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose a study that meets NIHs definition of a clinical trial if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required to apply.
What types of evaluation or evidence-building activities are compatible with this opportunity?
The opportunity allows flexibility depending on technology maturity and evidence needs. Examples referenced include usability testing, pilot implementation studies, pragmatic trials, or other evaluation strategies aligned with the products development stage.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to small businesses, consistent with NIH SBIR rules.
Can non-U.S. (foreign) institutions apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.
Are any foreign components allowed at all?
Possibly. Foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement may be allowed if well-justified and compliant with NIH policy. However, the applicant organization itself must be eligible and U.S.-based.
What populations or substances are included in the intent of this opportunity?
The opportunity is broadly about substance use disorders, and it explicitly notes relevance to populations affected by opioids.
What are examples of "upstream" conditions this opportunity wants to address?
Upstream conditions described include housing instability, unemployment and financial stress, transportation barriers, food insecurity, limited health literacy, weak social support, exposure to violence, justice involvement, stigma and discrimination, and barriers to healthcare and recovery services.
What makes a proposed digital health tool a good fit based on the description?
A strong fit would be a digital health product designed to actively address or reduce real-world social and environmental barriers tied to SUD risk and recovery, with a credible path to product development, validation, deployment, and commercialization.
When was this funding opportunity created and when was it due?
It was created on 2019-05-13 and had an original closing date of 2019-07-29, indicating a time-limited solicitation with a specific due date.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized under education and health.
Is this an always-open NIH program announcement?
No. The description indicates it was time-limited with a specific closing date rather than an always-open program.
How does this opportunity relate to addiction treatment and recovery systems?
NIH is signaling demand for technology-enabled interventions that can be integrated into the addiction treatment and recovery ecosystem while addressing day-to-day barriers that affect starting treatment, staying engaged, and sustaining recovery.
Does the opportunity prefer tools that only provide education or tracking?
No. It specifically emphasizes tools that do more than track symptoms or deliver generic education, aiming instead for digital approaches that help improve underlying social and environmental risk factors.
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