Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 221
The grant opportunity "Fast-Track Development of Medications to Treat Cannabis Use Disorders (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18 221) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its core purpose is to speed up the discovery and development pipeline for medications aimed at treating Cannabis Use Disorders (CUDs), with a clear emphasis on moving promising candidates forward toward the long-term objective of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. In practical terms, the program is built for projects that are not just exploratory, but positioned to generate the kind of evidence, development milestones, and readiness needed to support eventual regulatory pathways.
A central idea behind the announcement is that the scientific landscape for CUD treatment has improved significantly. Better understanding of cannabinoid biology and how marijuana affects the brain, combined with the emergence of new compounds and the possibility of repurposing already marketed medications, creates a timely opening to develop safe and effective pharmacotherapies. The FOA is therefore framed as a push to translate these scientific advances into tangible treatment options that can be tested, refined, and advanced efficiently rather than remaining stuck in early-stage research.
The funding uses the UG3/UH3 "fast-track" mechanism, which is designed as a two-phase structure. The UG3 phase typically supports early, milestone-driven planning and preparation activities needed to de-risk and set up the next stage, while the UH3 phase supports the later-stage execution work once predefined milestones are met. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose studies that include clinical trials, but a trial is not strictly required; projects can be structured to focus on the key development steps needed to progress a medication candidate, depending on what is most appropriate for that candidate and its readiness level. Because the instrument type is a cooperative agreement, NIH is expected to have substantial involvement during the project, meaning awardees generally work in closer coordination with program staff than they would under a standard research grant.
This opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the activity area of education and health, with CFDA number 93.279. The program anticipates making about three awards, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000, signaling a focus on a small number of well-developed, high-potential projects rather than a broad portfolio of smaller exploratory studies. The original announcement timeline lists a creation date of November 29, 2017, and an original closing date of May 7, 2018.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that could contribute meaningfully to medication development, such as state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicants as allowed by the FOA's additional eligibility language. This wide eligibility reflects the reality that medication development often requires cross-sector expertise, including academic research capacity, clinical infrastructure, translational science, and, in some cases, commercial development experience.
Overall, the announcement is best understood as a targeted translational push: it is trying to take credible medication candidates for Cannabis Use Disorders and accelerate them through key development steps using a milestone-based, NIH-involved cooperative agreement structure, with the explicit intention of advancing the strongest candidates toward eventual FDA approval and real-world clinical use.Apply for PAR 18 221
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fast-Track Development of Medications to Treat Cannabis Use Disorders (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 29, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 07, 2018. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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