Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program

Key Facts

Status: Open

Posted date: September 10, 2025

Opportunity ID: 360553

Opportunity number: PAS-26-035

Opportunity category: Discretionary

Agency name: National Institutes of Health

Agency code: HHS-NIH11

Award floor: $0

Award ceiling: $100,000

Cost sharing required: No

Funding Instrument Types
  • Grant
Category of Funding Activity
  • Health
Eligible Applicants
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • 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
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Tools
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
  • agency_code:hhs_nih11
  • category_of_funding_activity:health
  • cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
  • eligible_applicants:city_or_township_governments
  • eligible_applicants:county_governments
  • eligible_applicants:for_profit_organizations_other_than_small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:independent_school_districts
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_governments_federally_recognized
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_organizations_other_than_federally_recognized_tribal_governments
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_having_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_that_do_not_have_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:others
  • eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_housing_authoritiesindian_housing_authorities
  • eligible_applicants:small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:special_district_governments
  • eligible_applicants:state_governments
  • funding_instrument_type:grant
  • opportunity_category:discretionary
  • status:open
Description

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) seeks to advance its mission by providing seed funding for projects that build expertise and enable research at the intersection of substance use research and one or more of the following fields:Discovery and development of new chemical entities or biologics to advance therapeutic interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs) and drug dependenceDevelopment and application of brain imaging tools or brain imaging methodsApplication of innovative neurocognitive and behavioral science tools or paradigmsApplication of advanced data science techniques and innovative computational methods, including artificial intelligenceResearch that can lead to advancing basic, clinical, translational, epidemiological, or intervention science regarding substance use and HIV/AIDSProjects funded by the Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) program are expected to yield findings that will lead to new concepts or guide the design of more comprehensive studies and serve as preliminary data for a larger R or equivalent applications. Early stage and new investigators, as well as investigators new to substance use or AIDS research, are encouraged to apply. Grant Authorities that allow NIDA to forecast this opportunity are as follows: Section 301 (42 U.S.C. § 241) and Section 405 (42 U.S.C. § 284).

Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) seeks to advance its mission by providing seed funding for projects that build expertise and enable research at the intersection of substance use research and one or more of the following fields:Discovery and development of new chemical entities or biologics to advance therapeutic interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs) and drug dependenceDevelopment and application of brain imaging tools or brain imaging methodsApplication of innovative neurocognitive and behavioral science tools or paradigmsApplication of advanced data science techniques and innovative computational methods, including artificial intelligenceResearch that can lead to advancing basic, clinical, translational, epidemiological, or intervention science regarding substance use and HIV/AIDSProjects funded by the Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) program are expected to yield findings that will lead to new concepts or guide the design of more comprehensive studies and serve as preliminary data for a larger R or equivalent applications. Early stage and new investigators, as well as investigators new to substance use or AIDS research, are encouraged to apply. Grant Authorities that allow NIDA to forecast this opportunity are as follows: Section 301 (42 U.S.C. § 241) and Section 405 (42 U.S.C. § 284).
Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program
Open
National Institutes of Health
Health
Grant
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
2025-09-10