Prevention and Intervention Approaches for FASD — PAR-25-159
Supports FASD prevention and intervention planning studies to establish feasibility and practical research direction.
PAR-25-159, Prevention and Intervention Approaches for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, funds R34 planning grants through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). R34 awards are planning-phase grants designed to develop and test the feasibility of prevention and intervention approaches for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) before advancing to larger efficacy trials. NIAAA is the largest funder of biomedical FASD research in the United States, spending approximately $30 million annually on roughly 96 active FASD grants as of FY2023 — representing about 7% of its extramural research and training budget. FASD affects an estimated 1 to 5 percent of U.S. first-grade children, making it a significant public health priority.
The solicitation opened January 16, 2024 and expires January 8, 2027. Clinical trial activity is optional under PAR-25-159, meaning applicants may include limited clinical trial components within the R34 planning scope. Research scope covers prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure, treatment of women with AUD, improvement of FASD diagnosis and prevalence estimation, and development of FASD-specific behavioral or medical interventions. A companion FOA, PAR-25-158, uses the R61/R33 phased innovation mechanism for projects with larger clinical trial components and expires November 17, 2026. Standard NIH eligibility applies: domestic US universities, medical schools, hospitals, research institutes, for-profit organizations, and individual investigators with institutional affiliation may all apply.
NIAAA's FASD research infrastructure includes the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD), a multidisciplinary consortium established in 2003, as well as three specialized Alcohol Research Centers focused on FASD. Competitive R34 applicants under PAR-25-159 establish a clear theoretical framework, specify measurable feasibility outcomes, and demonstrate awareness of existing CIFASD and NMARC work to avoid duplication. Program contacts are Tatiana Balachova (tatiana.balachova@nih.gov) in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research and Bill Dunty (William.Dunty@nih.gov), NIAAA's FASD Research Coordinator.
Prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure, treating women with AUD, FASD diagnosis improvement, prevalence estimation, and developing FASD interventions.
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