Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program Expansion: CNS Data Generation for Chronic Opioid, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and/or Cannabinoid Exposures (U01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DA 23 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 23 004

The Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program Expansion: CNS Data Generation for Chronic Opioid, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and/or Cannabinoid Exposures is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (RFA-DA-23-004) that uses a U01 cooperative agreement mechanism and does not allow clinical trials. The central goal is to generate and expand central nervous system (CNS) single-cell datasets that help researchers pinpoint the molecular signatures of individual cell types that are relevant to substance use disorders (SUDs) and to HIV persistence, including processes tied to HIV replication, latency, and reservoir biology. The emphasis is on exploiting modern single-cell and single-nucleus approaches, not just at the level of gene expression, but also across other layers of regulation such as the epigenome and nucleome, along with other emerging single-cell assays that can capture cell identity, state, and regulatory control with high resolution.

Scientifically, the opportunity is aimed at mapping how chronic exposure to opioids and other commonly co-used substances (specifically methamphetamine, cocaine, and/or cannabinoids) affects CNS cellular populations and their molecular programs, especially in contexts that intersect with HIV. In practical terms, the initiative is meant to enable a clearer, cell-by-cell view of which CNS cells show distinctive transcriptional or regulatory patterns linked to substance exposure, which cell types may be more permissive or resilient to HIV-related mechanisms, and how substance exposure might reshape cellular environments in ways that influence HIV persistence or immune and glial responses in the brain. By focusing on single-cell transcriptomic, epigenomic, nucleomic, and related assays, the program is aligned with building detailed reference-quality datasets that can support downstream hypothesis generation, target discovery, and cross-study comparisons in neuroHIV and addiction research.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal opportunity in the Education and Health activity area, listed under CFDA 93.279, with NIH as the sponsoring agency. The U01 cooperative agreement format generally indicates substantial scientific involvement or partnership expectations from NIH program staff compared to a standard investigator-initiated grant, and it often fits projects where coordination, data generation standards, or shared resources are important. The posted original closing date for applications was 2022-08-11, and the source excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, implying those details would normally be found in the full announcement and related NIH documentation.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of domestic and certain non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations. The opportunity explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types as well, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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), Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (other than federally recognized), and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to encourage participation across many institutional contexts, including organizations serving underrepresented communities and entities outside the continental U.S., consistent with building broadly useful CNS single-cell resources and expertise.

Overall, the SCORCH Program Expansion opportunity is best understood as a data-generation and discovery-enabling initiative centered on high-resolution, single-cell molecular profiling of CNS tissues or models relevant to chronic substance exposure and HIV-related biology. The expected output is the kind of cell-type- and cell-state-specific molecular information that traditional bulk assays cannot provide, with the longer-term purpose of clarifying mechanisms at the intersection of addiction and neuroHIV, and accelerating the identification of cellular targets or pathways that could inform future research and intervention strategies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program Expansion: CNS Data Generation for Chronic Opioid, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and/or Cannabinoid Exposures (U01 - 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 2022-03-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-11. (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 23 004

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