Research Project Leader Proposals
The Rural Drug Addiction Research (RDAR) Center is pleased to announce an opening for Research Project Leader (RPL) funding. The RPL position is open to all disciplines and aims to propel emerging scholars to research independence. While experience in substance use research is not required, the focus of the proposal must be on applying an individual’s expertise in areas relevant to substance use and misuse. A successful proposal must link the research plan to RDAR’s mission and will be required to use the Center’s research core, the Longitudinal Networks Core (LNC).
Current full-time faculty at the University of Nebraska are encouraged to apply. Individuals must be eligible to receive NIH funds. Individuals must not have current or past PD/PI funding from another large grant mechanism (R01, MIRA, etc.). RPLs may not be funded by another RDAR or IDeA-mechanism at the time the award is issued. Members of RDAR’s Mentoring, Engagement, and Outreach Workgroup cannot receive RPL funding. We encourage interested investigators to contact RDAR’s Center Administrator (dcrawford3@unl.edu) with any questions regarding Research Project Leader eligibility.
RPLs may receive up to $300,000 in direct costs for two-year projects. Budget requests are limited to $150,000 in direct costs per year. RPLs are required to commit 50% of their effort towards the RPL project during each year of funding. RPLs will receive direct mentoring and access to Center resources for professional development, networking, and project support.
To ensure that RPL proposals fit with the funding mechanism, applicants must submit a curriculum vitae and a two-page proposal expressing interest in applying for RPL funding. The proposal should use standard NIH formatting requirements (½ inch margins, Arial size 11-point font). The curriculum vitae and proposal should be submitted as a single PDF file through the RDAR Research Project Leader NURamp module. Applications must be received by 5:00 pm CDT on January 15, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted. To view the full call for proposals, click here.
2026 RDAR Pilot Applications
The Rural Drug Addiction Research (RDAR) Center is pleased to announce an opportunity for funding that is open to all disciplines. Applicants must be full-time faculty in the University of Nebraska system who are eligible for NIH funding. Expertise in substance use research is not a requirement. The RDAR leadership team supports applying an individual’s or team’s expertise in areas relevant to substance use and misuse.
Successful applicants may receive up to $50,000 in direct costs for two-year projects. Budget requests are limited to $25,000 in direct costs per year. One-year pilot projects of $25,000 are allowed. Pilot Project Investigators will also receive access to resources of the Center for professional development and project support.
Application documents should use standard NIH formatting requirements (½ inch margins, Arial size 11-point font), with a July 1, 2026, start date. The full application should be submitted as a single PDF file through the RDAR Pilot Project NURamp module. Applications must be received by 5:00pm CDT on January 30, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. To view the full Request for Applications (RFA), please click here.
Secondary Analysis to Publication (SAP) Award
The Rural Drug Addiction Research (RDAR) Center through this Secondary Analysis to Publication (SAP) Award aims to increase the use of existing secondary data to better understand substance use patterns, associated characteristics, and outcomes in Nebraska. To this end, we seek to support proposals that analyze, present, and publish on data sets collected by its research core – the Longitudinal Networks Core (LNC). At present, there are two secondary data sets available to be supported by this SAP Award: 1) the Regional Health Cohort (RHC) data and 2) the substance use and gambling data sponsored by the RDAR Center in the Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS).
To support this work, the RDAR Center will cover LNC service center fees for data access for up to 2 years ($5,000), support the travel expenses for one individual to present the research at a conference located in the US (up to $4,000), and pay the post-review fees for open access if required for the peer-reviewed manuscript (costs greater than $3,500 must receive prior approval). In some disciplines, a subset of journals requires a fee before the peer-review process. This charge will not be covered by this award.
Application documents should use standard NIH formatting that includes single spaced with 11-point font (Arial or Georgia) and 0.5” margins. The full application should be submitted as a single PDF file through the NURamp module for RDAR Secondary Analysis to Publication Award. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis (no standard deadline). To view the full Request for Applications (RFA), please click here.
Building on Our Strengths (BOOST) Award
The Rural Drug Addiction Research (RDAR) Center seeks applications for funding to supplement existing research grants with the potential to support new innovation in or increase knowledge about substance use and related topics. The purpose of these supplement awards is to create synergies with ongoing projects and to leverage resources to promote high-impact work within the scope of RDAR.
Total costs for supplement awards are generally expected to range from $10,000 to $25,000, although larger requests may be considered. All submissions should justify the requested costs and convey how the supplement would enhance competitiveness for external funding for substance use research.
To ensure that proposals fit well with the supplement mechanism, applicants must submit a brief (1 page maximum) Letter of Intent (LOI) expressing interest in applying for a supplement award. The LOI should be submitted as a PDF file through the NURamp module for RDAR Building on Our Strengths (BOOST) Supplement Letter of Intent. LOIs will be accepted on a rolling basis. To view the full LOI opportunity, please click here.