Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 19 021
The Mobile Technologies Extending Reach of Primary Care for Substance-Use-Disorders funding opportunity (RFA-DA-19-021) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) small business grant solicitation using the SBIR/STTR-style mechanisms R43/R44, with clinical trials listed as optional. Its core purpose is to spur the development and early testing of a prototype mobile or tablet application that fits naturally into U.S. primary care workflows and helps primary care providers extend the impact of brief interventions for risky or problematic substance use beyond the clinic visit. The emphasis is on creating a low-cost, practical, and easy-to-use tool that can support ongoing follow-up, reduce gaps in care, and improve continuity for patients who may be at risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD).
A key expectation is that the application does more than simply display generic educational content. Instead, it should deliver timely, tailored feedback to patients after an intervention, using patient-entered responses to drive what feedback is shown and when it is shown. Tailoring should be tied to validated screening and assessment approaches used to determine a patient level of substance-use risk, so that messages and guidance match the severity and specific needs of the individual. In practical terms, the app is meant to function as a structured follow-up companion that helps patients stay engaged with their care plan, reinforces the intervention delivered in primary care, and provides ongoing prompts, check-ins, and feedback that are responsive to the patient reported status.
The opportunity also stresses behavior change support grounded in evidence-based principles commonly used in brief interventions, such as motivational interviewing or other behavioral therapy approaches. That means the feedback and prompts should be designed to encourage health-promoting behaviors and strengthen self-monitoring and self-management skills, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all reminders. The application should help patients adhere to treatment plans established during the clinical encounter, including reinforcing goals, tracking progress, and supporting practical steps that reduce risk. This could include structured self-assessments, craving or trigger tracking, goal review, coping strategy prompts, and personalized suggestions that align with the patient readiness to change and assessed risk level.
Another central requirement is action tracking and care coordination. The tool should be able to track completion of concrete health action items, particularly those related to linkage to additional indicated services. Examples include documenting whether a patient scheduled or attended follow-up care, connected with specialty treatment, engaged with counseling supports, or completed other recommended next steps. By capturing this information and making it usable in a primary care setting, the application is intended to improve coordination and delivery of services for patients who need more than a single brief intervention, helping primary care teams monitor follow-through and identify when additional outreach or adjustments are needed.
Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with the R43/R44 mechanisms and the listed eligible applicant category. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components may be allowable under NIH policy in certain circumstances, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, so applicants would need to verify the exact boundaries and requirements in the full funding announcement. The agency is NIH, the activity area is health, and the CFDA number referenced is 93.279. The original closing date provided for this opportunity was 2019-03-19, and the posting indicates it was created on 2019-01-09.Apply for RFA DA 19 021
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mobile Technologies Extending Reach of Primary Care for Substance-Use-Disorders (R43/R44 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 2019-01-09.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name and identifier of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Mobile Technologies Extending Reach of Primary Care for Substance-Use-Disorders and is identified as RFA-DA-19-021.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This solicitation is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the main goal of the opportunity?
The core purpose is to spur the development and early testing of a prototype mobile or tablet application that fits into U.S. primary care workflows and helps primary care providers extend the impact of brief interventions for risky or problematic substance use beyond the clinic visit.
What kind of technology is the opportunity focused on?
The focus is on a mobile or tablet application designed as a follow-up companion to primary-care-delivered brief interventions for substance-use risk.
Is the app intended to be used during the clinic visit or after the visit?
The emphasis is on supporting patients beyond the clinic visit by providing ongoing follow-up, check-ins, prompts, and feedback that reinforces the intervention delivered in primary care.
What does it mean that the tool should "fit naturally" into primary care workflows?
Based on the opportunity description, the app is expected to be practical and easy to use in real-world primary care settings, supporting continuity and follow-up without creating unnecessary burden or complexity for primary care teams.
Does the app need to be low-cost and easy to use?
Yes. A stated emphasis is on creating a low-cost, practical, and easy-to-use tool that supports follow-up and reduces gaps in care.
Is simply providing educational content enough to meet the expectations?
No. A key expectation is that the application should do more than display generic educational materials. It should deliver timely, tailored feedback that changes based on patient-entered responses, including what feedback is shown and when it is shown.
What does "tailored feedback" mean in this solicitation?
Tailored feedback means the app should use patient-entered responses to determine the content and timing of messages, prompts, and guidance so that they match the individual patient needs and circumstances rather than using one-size-fits-all messaging.
Does the tailoring need to be based on validated screening and assessment methods?
Yes. The tailoring is expected to be tied to validated screening and assessment approaches used to determine a patient level of substance-use risk, so the app feedback aligns with severity and specific needs.
What patient population is the app intended to support?
The app is intended for patients in primary care who are identified as having risky or problematic substance use and may be at risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD).
What types of behavior change support are expected?
The opportunity stresses behavior change support grounded in evidence-based principles commonly used in brief interventions, such as motivational interviewing or other behavioral therapy approaches. The tool should encourage health-promoting behaviors and strengthen self-monitoring and self-management skills.
What are examples of features the app could include?
Examples described include structured self-assessments, craving or trigger tracking, goal review, coping strategy prompts, personalized suggestions aligned with readiness to change and assessed risk level, and other tailored check-ins that support progress and adherence to a care plan.
Does the app need to support adherence to a treatment plan created during the clinical encounter?
Yes. The application is expected to help patients adhere to treatment plans established during the clinical encounter by reinforcing goals, tracking progress, and supporting practical steps that reduce risk.
What is meant by "action tracking and care coordination" in this opportunity?
The tool is expected to track completion of concrete health action items, particularly those related to linkage to additional indicated services, and to make that information usable in a primary care setting to improve coordination and delivery of services.
What are examples of action items the app should be able to track?
Examples provided include whether a patient scheduled or attended follow-up care, connected with specialty treatment, engaged with counseling supports, or completed other recommended next steps.
Why is action tracking important for this specific program?
The description indicates action tracking helps primary care teams monitor follow-through and identify when additional outreach or adjustments are needed, especially for patients who require more than a single brief intervention.
What funding mechanisms are used for this opportunity?
This is an NIH small business solicitation using SBIR/STTR-style mechanisms R43/R44.
Are clinical trials allowed under this funding opportunity?
Clinical trials are listed as optional.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with the R43/R44 mechanisms and the listed eligible applicant category.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) institutions eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component on the application?
The information provided states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. It also notes that foreign components may be allowable under NIH policy in certain circumstances (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), so applicants would need to confirm specifics in the full funding announcement.
What is the activity area for this opportunity?
The activity area is health.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The referenced CFDA number is 93.279.
When was this opportunity posted, and what was the original closing date?
The posting indicates it was created on 2019-01-09, and the original closing date provided was 2019-03-19.
What stage of product development is being encouraged?
The opportunity emphasizes development and early testing of a prototype mobile or tablet application.
Is the tool expected to be a stand-alone patient app or integrated into clinical care?
The description frames the tool as a structured follow-up companion that supports patients while also improving continuity and coordination in a primary care context, including tracking follow-through on action items in a way that is usable in primary care settings.
What is the overall problem this opportunity is trying to address?
It targets gaps that can occur after brief interventions in primary care by supporting ongoing follow-up, reducing gaps in care, and improving continuity for patients with risky or problematic substance use who may be at risk of developing SUD.
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| Alcohol and Other Substance Use Research Education Programs for Health Professionals (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 19 207 Funding Number: PAR 19 207 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
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