Forecast to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Limited Competition for the Continuation of the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) Research Project
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions seeking to continue longitudinal studies on adolescent alcohol use and brain development. Eligible applicants typically include universities, medical schools, research institutes, and organizations with NIH-funded research capacity and institutional infrastructure. The consortium involves multi-site collaboration to follow existing participants (ages 12–37) and acquire neurobiological and behavioral data. Projects must align with NIAAA's mission to understand alcohol's impact on adolescent neurodevelopment and inform prevention strategies.
This is a limited competition award (continuation grant). Only institutions with existing participation in NCANDA or demonstrated expertise in developmental neuroscience and alcohol research can apply. Applications must demonstrate commitment to longitudinal data collection, psychiatric and neuroimaging assessments, and collaborative science.
Geographic scope is national; no state restrictions apply. The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, requiring active collaboration with NIAAA program staff.
Key dates
- May 13, 2025 Applications open
- Aug 1, 2026 Application deadline in 49 days
- Jul 1, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) launched the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) in 2012 to determine how adolescent alcohol-related disruption of normal brain growth patterns of structure, related brain function, and psychiatric health affects brain functioning in emerging adulthood. The consortium uses an accelerated longitudinal design and has acquired data on over 800 individuals between the ages of 12 to 32 years. This wide age range covers the period before onset of drinking, the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, the critical period for binge drinking, and the time of maturing out. This unique dataset provides novel information on the enduring and transient consequences of adolescent drinking on adult brain function and behavior. Current studies on adults drinking do not have this type of data. Renewal of this limited competition NOFO will enable NCANDA to continue to follow these participants up to 37 years of age and acquire data critical to understanding how early versus late onset drinking during adolescence differentially impacts drinking behavior in adulthood. This limited competition renewal will provide valuable information for developing evidence-based alcohol prevention strategies and early intervention approaches to prevent the progression to more severe drinking and AUD thereby preventing the development of chronic disease, improving health outcomes, and increasing quality of life and longevity. Applications are not being solicited at this time. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the U01 activity code. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of developmental neuroscience are encouraged to begin to consider applying for this new NOFO.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Community Health Center
- County Government
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- R01/U01 SF-424 (R&R) application forms
- Project Narrative and Specific Aims
- Research Strategy section detailing longitudinal assessments and data collection plans
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical sketches of key personnel
- Facilities and administrative resources documentation
- Letters of support/collaboration from multi-site partners
- Institutional certifications (IRB approval, fiscal management)
Program contact
- 👤 Dominique Lorang-Leins National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- 📧 Lorangd@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 301-594-6228
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.273 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$125,900,663
-
$34,675,742
-
$34,469,501
-
$33,261,336
-
$32,897,567
-
$31,652,514
-
$30,394,602
-
$29,223,384
-
$29,168,993
-
$28,833,935
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $238.5M
- NY 3 awards $162.6M
- OR 7 awards $95.2M
- NC 4 awards $66.5M
- IN 3 awards $57.1M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.273). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $430,377,419 | |
| 2025 | $429,906,735 | |
| 2026 est. | $12,401,560 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Universities, medical schools, research institutes, and other institutions with established research infrastructure and NIH funding experience can apply. This is a limited competition; priority goes to current NCANDA consortium sites.
What is the deadline?
The forecast deadline is August 1, 2026. A formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) will be released later with specific application deadlines.
What activities are supported?
Funding supports longitudinal data collection on existing participants, neuroimaging assessments, psychiatric evaluations, and research to examine how adolescent drinking patterns affect adult brain function and behavior.
How competitive is this funding?
Highly competitive. Applicants must demonstrate expertise in developmental neuroscience, experience with longitudinal cohort studies, and institutional capacity for multi-site collaboration.
What is the funding range?
Total pool is $5 million across all sites. Individual site awards vary; specific amounts will be detailed in the formal NOFO.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Begin building collaborations now while the NOFO is in forecast stage. Strong multi-institutional partnerships strengthen competitiveness.
- Emphasize your institution's existing data collection infrastructure, neuroimaging capacity, and experience retaining longitudinal study participants.
- Clearly articulate how your site's research will advance understanding of alcohol's effects on adolescent brain development and inform prevention strategies.
- Demonstrate strong administrative and financial management, especially experience managing Cooperative Agreements with federal oversight.
- Align your specific aims with NIAAA's priority research questions about early versus late-onset drinking in adolescence and trajectories into adulthood.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying without existing longitudinal study infrastructure or prior NIH funding experience. Failing to clearly demonstrate how your site adds unique scientific value to the consortium. Underestimating the cooperative agreement requirement—this demands active, ongoing collaboration with NIAAA program staff, not just independent research.
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