Specialized Alcohol Research Centers (P50 Clinical trial Optional)
Can you apply?
This grant is for established research centers conducting advanced studies on alcohol-related health issues. Eligible applicants are research institutions, universities, medical schools, and nonprofit organizations with substantial research infrastructure and capacity. Applicants must have demonstrated research productivity in alcohol-related science and be able to support a multidisciplinary team of investigators. This is a highly competitive P50 grant for program projects and centers that can conduct both basic and clinical research on alcohol.
Applicants must have institutional research support systems in place. They should have documented expertise in alcohol research or related biomedical sciences. The grant supports comprehensive centers with multiple research components. Clinical trial capability is optional but strengthens competitiveness.
Key dates
- Jan 30, 2026 Applications open
- Sep 15, 2026 Application deadline in 92 days
- Jun 1, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supports a broad-based Alcohol Research Centers program to foster and conduct interdisciplinary, collaborative research on alcohol misuse, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and alcohol-related problems, and other health-related consequences across the lifespan. The NIAAA Centers Program provides leadership in research, and research methodology development on a wide variety of topics relevant to the Institute’s mission. The focus of the NIAAA Centers program should be on generating a critical mass of researchers in a given understudied and/or innovative topic area relevant to the NIAAA mission with an emphasis on interdisciplinary coordination and cooperation among independent researchers and development and mentorship of young investigators. A center must contribute more to the alcohol field than the sum of its parts. Topics include but are not limited to, the nature, etiology, genetics, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of alcohol misuse, AUD, alcohol-related end-organ diseases, and their biomedical, psychosocial, and economic consequences across the lifespan. Centers are also major contributors to the development of research methods, technologies, and approaches that sustain innovative goal-directed research on understanding the chronic disorder of alcohol misuse that is such a personal, social and medical burden to US society.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) Federal Application Form
- Project Narrative and Research Strategy
- Detailed Budget and Justification
- Biographical Sketches of all Key Personnel
- Letters of Institutional Support and Resource Commitment
- Research Plan for Each Project Component
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Human Subjects Protection Documentation (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Philippe Marmillot
- 📧 NIAAAOEA@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 301-443-2861
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 is eligible to apply for this P50 grant?
Research institutions, universities, and nonprofit organizations with significant research infrastructure can apply. You need demonstrated capacity to support multidisciplinary research teams.
What type of research does this grant support?
The grant supports alcohol research centers conducting program projects with multiple integrated research components. Both basic science and clinical research are eligible.
Can small organizations apply for this grant?
P50s require substantial institutional support and research infrastructure. This is typically for well-established research-intensive organizations.
What makes an application competitive?
Strong preliminary data, experienced research teams, multidisciplinary collaboration, and institutional commitment to alcohol research are key. Letters of institutional support matter.
How much funding is available?
P50 grants typically fund $500K–$2M+ annually depending on the research scope and institutional capacity. Budgets scale with project complexity.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build your research team carefully. Include established investigators with track records in alcohol research or adjacent biomedical fields.
- Demonstrate preliminary data showing feasibility of your center's multiple research components. Pilot studies strengthen your case.
- Include a strong institutional commitment letter showing administrative support, research infrastructure, and dedicated space or resources.
- If including a clinical trial component, detail recruitment and retention strategies clearly. Address regulatory readiness for human subjects research.
- Start the application process 4–6 months before the deadline. P50s demand extensive coordination among multiple PIs and institutional leaders.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak institutional support letters or unclear commitment to the center's research mission. Proposing research activities without sufficient preliminary data or team expertise. Underestimating coordination and management requirements for a multi-component center structure.
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