Limited Competition for the Continuation of the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) Administrative Resource (U24 Clinical Trials Optional)
Can you apply?
This grant is for NIH researchers and research institutions continuing or expanding the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA). Eligible applicants typically include universities, research hospitals, and research-focused nonprofits with established research capacity. This is a limited competition award, meaning only pre-identified or consortium-affiliated institutions may apply. The project must focus on longitudinal research examining alcohol use and brain development in adolescents and young adults through age 37.
Applicants must have documented expertise in developmental neuroscience, alcohol research, or related fields. Institutions must demonstrate ability to conduct long-term longitudinal studies and maintain participant cohorts. Collaborations with existing NCANDA sites are strongly encouraged.
This is a national competition open to eligible U.S. institutions and researchers.
Key dates
- May 22, 2025 Applications open
- Aug 1, 2026 Application deadline in 61 days
- Jul 1, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
This grant is for NIH researchers and research institutions continuing or expanding the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA). Eligible applicants typically include universities, research hospitals, and research-focused nonprofits with established research capacity. This is a limited competition award, meaning only pre-identified or consortium-affiliated institutions may apply. The project must focus on longitudinal research examining alcohol use and brain development in adolescents and young adults through age 37.
Applicants must have documented expertise in developmental neuroscience, alcohol research, or related fields. Institutions must demonstrate ability to conduct long-term longitudinal studies and maintain participant cohorts. Collaborations with existing NCANDA sites are strongly encouraged.
This is a national competition open to eligible U.S. institutions and researchers.
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. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the U24 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
- County Government
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for NIH researchers and research institutions continuing or expanding the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA). Eligible applicants typically include universities, research hospitals, and research-focused nonprofits with established research capacity. This is a limited competition award, meaning only pre-identified or consortium-affiliated institutions may apply. The project must focus on longitudinal research examining alcohol use and brain development in adolescents and young adults through age 37.
Applicants must have documented expertise in developmental neuroscience, alcohol research, or related fields. Institutions must demonstrate ability to conduct long-term longitudinal studies and maintain participant cohorts. Collaborations with existing NCANDA sites are strongly encouraged.
This is a national competition open to eligible U.S. institutions and researchers.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) or equivalent NIH form
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biosketches of key personnel
- Letters of Support from consortium partners
- Research Strategy (specific aims, methods, timeline)
Program contact
- 👤 Shailesh Kumar National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- 📧 shailesh.kumar2@nih.gov
- 📞 301-827-0722
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
-
$32,873,693
-
$31,652,514
-
$30,394,602
-
$29,168,993
-
$28,833,935
-
$27,633,126
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $238.4M
- NY 3 awards $162.6M
- OR 7 awards $93.5M
- 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?
Eligible applicants are research institutions, universities, and research-focused nonprofits with documented expertise in developmental neuroscience and alcohol research. This is a limited competition, so only pre-identified or consortium-affiliated researchers may apply.
What is the application deadline?
The fixed deadline is August 1, 2026. This notice provides advance notice for applicants to develop collaborations and prepare proposals.
What research activities are supported?
Funding supports longitudinal research on alcohol use and brain development in adolescents and emerging adults. The project continues existing NCANDA cohort studies through age 37 and examines links between adolescent drinking and adult outcomes.
How competitive is this grant?
This is a limited competition with restricted eligibility. Proposals should demonstrate clear connections to NCANDA's existing research framework and substantial expertise in developmental neuroscience.
What funding level should I expect?
The total funding pool is $350,000. Exact award amounts depend on project scope and may be distributed among multiple funded projects.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Begin developing collaborations now with existing NCANDA sites and consortium members to strengthen your proposal.
- Emphasize how your project extends NCANDA's unique longitudinal dataset and addresses gaps in understanding adolescent drinking impacts.
- Clearly articulate expertise in developmental neuroscience and long-term cohort management.
- Demonstrate institutional capacity to maintain participant engagement and data quality over extended study periods.
- Align your research questions with NIAAA priorities for alcohol prevention and intervention strategies.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Limited competition applications fail when lacking clear consortium affiliation or insufficient developmental neuroscience expertise. Proposals that ignore NCANDA's existing research framework or duplicate ongoing studies are less competitive. Poor descriptions of longitudinal study management capacity and participant retention strategies weaken applications.
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