HEAL Initiative: HEAL Data2Action Modeling and Economic Resource Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 22 049

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 22 049

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released this funding opportunity, RFA-DA-22-049, under the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative to establish a single Modeling and Economic Resource Center that will serve the broader HEAL Data2Action (D2A) Program. The award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement (clinical trial optional), which typically means the funded center will work in close coordination with NIH and with other HEAL D2A awardees, providing shared expertise and deliverables rather than operating as a stand-alone research project. The overall aim is practical: give HEAL D2A Innovation Projects high-quality modeling and economic analysis support so communities and health systems can make better decisions about which overdose-related interventions to implement, how to implement them, and what impact and costs to expect.

Functionally, the center is meant to be a technical and analytic backbone for the Innovation Projects. A major part of the work is simulation modeling to estimate the potential public health effects of different strategies to prevent and respond to overdose. The FOA emphasizes methods such as agent-based modeling, predictive modeling, geospatial modeling, and other simulation approaches that can help translate real-world local conditions into actionable projections. In plain terms, the center should be able to help an Innovation Project compare scenarios (for example, different service configurations, targeting approaches, or implementation levels), estimate outcomes at the population level, and communicate those results in a way that supports local decision-making.

A second core function is economic analysis. The center is expected to help Innovation Projects assess costs and cost-benefit (or related economic measures) associated with proposed or ongoing service delivery changes. That includes developing practical costing tools that Innovation grantees can actually use, not just one-off analyses. These tools are intended to inform choices such as which intervention package to select, what scale is feasible, where resources are likely to have the greatest effect, and what tradeoffs might arise. Alongside this direct support role, the center is also expected to conduct original, state-of-the-art research that applies modern economic and simulation modeling techniques to deepen understanding of the overdose crisis and identify strategies that could reduce overdose morbidity and mortality.

This FOA runs in parallel with companion funding opportunities that cover other components of the HEAL D2A Program, so the Resource Center is designed to plug into a larger coordinated portfolio. Because it is a cooperative agreement, the center should be prepared for active collaboration, shared planning, and ongoing responsiveness to the needs of multiple Innovation Projects rather than serving a single site or narrow topic.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organization types: state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws a firm boundary around foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

Key administrative details from the notice include: it is a discretionary funding opportunity using the cooperative agreement funding instrument; the activity area is listed under education and health; and the CFDA numbers are 93.213, 93.279, and 93.846. The opportunity was created on January 3, 2022, with an original closing date of March 10, 2022. The listed award ceiling is $1,000,000. The FOA indicates an expectation of one award, consistent with the goal of funding a single Resource Center to support the larger set of Innovation Projects.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HEAL Initiative: HEAL Data2Action Modeling and Economic Resource Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.279, 93.846.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-01-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-10. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• 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 22 049

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: