Mobile Technologies Extending Reach of Primary Care for Substance-Use-Disorders (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 19 021

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.

• 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.

Apply for RFA DA 19 021

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