Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program

The Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program, administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Department of Health and Human Services, provides seed funding to investigators entering high-priority areas of substance use research. The program targets the intersection of substance use and fields such as the development of new chemical entities or biologics, brain imaging tools, neurocognitive and behavioral science, advanced data science including artificial intelligence, and research involving HIV/AIDS. The primary goal is to support pilot studies, secondary analyses, and methodology development that generate proof-of-concept data and feasibility metrics to inform future larger R01 or equivalent grant applications. Early stage and new investigators, as well as those new to substance use or AIDS research, are specifically encouraged to apply. Funding is available for a maximum project period of two years, with budgets for direct costs up to 100,000 dollars per year. NIDA intends to fund approximately six to seven awards per fiscal year, with a total allocation of 1,000,000 dollars per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2030. Applications are evaluated through the NIH peer review system based on significance, innovation, approach, investigator expertise, and environment. Eligible applicants include small businesses and other for-profit organizations, provided they maintain active registration in the System for Award Management and eRA Commons. Recipients must adhere to strict cybersecurity incident reporting requirements, notifying agencies within 48 hours of discovery, and must comply with 45 CFR Part 46 for research involving human subjects.