REACH

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REACH Scholar Application

Now accepting applications for the 2027-2029 cohort!

Sign up for our newsletter for an invitation to a virtual Applicant Q/A session in July 2026.

Applications due August 31, 2026

At a glance: how to apply

  • Who should apply: Eligible applicants include early career research scientists (e.g., postdoctoral fellows and faculty at the instructor or Assistant Professor levels) based at domestic institutions in the United States, including Puerto Rico.
  • Key dates: Applications are due August 31, 2026 at 11:59PM with the project running from February 2027 through January 2029.
  • Funding available: Up to $10,000 for pilot grant, and up to additional $10,000 for community engagement
  • What you need to submit: Statement of interest, project proposal, community engagement plan, budget and budget justification, Biosketch, and letters of support

See Scholarship Application Requirements for more information.

Background

Homelessness is a public health crisis that intersects with substance use disorders (SUDs), infectious diseases (including HIV and other bloodborne and community-acquired infections), and chronic disease, creating substantial barriers to prevention, treatment, and long-term health. In the US, there is a critical lack of clinical researchers in homelessness that currently limits the ability to develop, test, and implement innovative strategies to reduce homelessness, increase housing, and improve health outcomes. To increase the number and capacity of clinical scientists working with populations experiencing homelessness, we established the Research Education for Addressing Challenges of Homelessness (REACH) Program. The two-year supplemental training program is led by a team of investigators from across the US who collectively have decades of experience conducting research related to substance use, HIV, and associated co-morbidities among people experiencing homelessness. This program is designed to prepare participants for competitive NIH-funded research careers, with emphasis on rigorous methods, community-engaged approaches, and research that advances NIDA’s mission.

Program Goals

This program is designed to prepare participants for NIH-funded research careers in the field and aims to provide participants with the following:  

  • A solid educational foundation for clinical research including research methodology and scientific writing skills.
  • Supplemental education on issues unique to populations experiencing homelessness including: the ethics and practice of conducting research with vulnerable unhoused populations; the epidemiology and treatment of substance use disorders, HIV, and homelessness; barriers to treatment outcomes in this population; innovative research strategies to address the HIV and overdose epidemics among people experiencing homelessness; and relevant community engagement and implementation science research methods and strategies.
  • A mentored research experience including up to $20,000 for pilot projects (up to $10,000 for the research award and up to an additional $10,000 for community engagement activities; see Budget section for details) that will offer participants the opportunity to develop interventions and preliminary datasets appropriate for future NIH grants and/or conduct secondary analyses of existing datasets, work with community organizations, and disseminate their findings.
  • Ongoing mentored research support with their own institutional mentor, a REACH Advisor with extensive work in the field, and a Community Advisor with on-the-ground experience.
  • Collaborative learning experiences with research-in-progress and expert seminars and national meetings.

This training program does not provide direct stipends nor salary support for participants. Resources are available to support: participation in educational opportunities including registration fees and associated travel, room, and board expenses; pilot research projects; and dissemination activities including attendance at relevant conferences and scientific meetings.

Expectations

The REACH Program includes a robust educational curriculum. Upon acceptance, scholars commit to:

  • Attending scheduled didactic lectures, seminars, and research-in-progress sessions (virtual or in-person, as applicable).
  • Attending the spring workshop in conjunction with the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and the fall workshop (travel and accommodations will be covered by the program).
  • Regularly scheduling meetings with your REACH mentorship team to assess progress.
  • Providing annual progress updates (e.g., products, milestones, dissemination activities) to support required NIH R25DA065058 reporting.
  • Acknowledging NIDA support by citing the REACH R25 award (R25DA065058) on all publications, presentations, and grant applications that arise from work conducted under this program, using the following language: “This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R25DA065058.”
  • Being a good steward of the program.

Timeline

Application Due DatesScientific ReviewExecutive Committee ReviewDecision NotificationStart Date/End Date
August 31, 2026September 2026October 2026December 2026February 2027/January 2029
August 31, 2027September 2027October 2027December 2027February 2028/January 2030
August 31, 2028September 2028October 2028December 2028February 2029/January 2031
August 31, 2029September 2029October 2029December 2029February 2030/January 2032

Late submissions will not be accepted.

The REACH Program anticipates funding approximately four scholars per cohort, subject to availability of funds and satisfactory progress of the overall R25 award. Continuation of the program beyond the current award period is contingent on NIH funding.

After initial review, scholars may be asked to provide written responses to reviewer comments before final acceptance determinations are made. Applicants not selected in a given cycle may request written feedback and may reapply in future application cycles.

Eligibility

Early career research scientists (including postdoctoral fellows and faculty at the instructor or Assistant Professor levels) from the United States and Puerto Rico are welcome to apply.  

  • Eligibility Note: Applicants whose primary institutional affiliation is not one of the program’s current subcontract sites (Hennepin Healthcare, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Oregon Health & Science University, and University of California, San Francisco) may be subject to additional review and approval requirements under current NIH policy. This requirement will not impact selection decisions. Applicants will be evaluated based on merit, and the strongest candidates will be selected regardless of institutional affiliation. Participation for selected candidates may be contingent upon NIH approval.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee, with final selections made by the REACH Executive Committee. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Applicant’s potential to develop an independent, NIH-/extramurally funded research career
  • Mentor funding and publication record and other qualifications
  • Alignment with program goals
  • Significance, feasibility, methodological rigor, and innovation of the proposed project

Scholar Application Requirements

All documents should be prepared as separate, clearly labeled PDF files that meet NIH formatting guidelines, and submitted together as a single ZIP file for upload.

Statement of Interest (2 Pages)
  1. Introduction (½ page)
    • Briefly introduce yourself, your current role, and your emerging research focus as it relates to homelessness, SUD, and/or HIV or other infectious diseases. State clearly why you are applying to this R25 and how it fits into your emerging research identity.
  2. Background & Relevant Experience (½ page)
    • Summarize prior experiences that have prepared you for this training, including:
      • Research, clinical, or community engagement work with people experiencing homelessness
      • Training in research methodology, epidemiology, or scientific writing
      • Experience working with vulnerable or marginalized populations
      • Any exposure to substance use or HIV/infectious disease‑related research
  3. Career Goals & Training Needs (½ page)
    • Describe:
      • Short‑term goals (skills you need to develop, methods you hope to learn, immediate research outputs)
      • Long‑term goals (your path toward becoming an independent, NIH‑funded investigator and your envisioned research niche)
    • Specific competencies you need to achieve these goals 
  4. Proposed Pilot Project Area (½ page)
    • This is a conceptual overview only – not the detailed proposal.
    • Include:
      • The topic you hope to investigate 
      • How it integrates homelessness with substance use, HIV or other infectious diseases, or both
      • The population and setting you expect to work with 
      • The anticipated contribution to science or public health 
      • Potential data sources, community partners, or intervention ideas
  5. Mentorship & Fit with the REACH Program (¼ page)
    • Describe:
      • Your primary and secondary institutional mentors, including their relevant expertise, funding record, and qualifications to support your proposed research
      • Skills you hope to gain from mentorship and how the mentoring team’s expertise collectively addresses your proposed research aims
      • How your home institution’s environment supports the proposed research
  6. Expected Impact of Participation (¼ page)
    • Describe:
      • How participation in REACH will accelerate your path toward an independent, NIH-funded research career
      • Your commitment to contributing to the REACH scholar community and to advancing research on homelessness
Project Proposal (3 Pages)

The proposal must include a focus on homelessness and the intersection with 1) substance use, 2) HIV or other infectious diseases, or 3) both.

Proposal must include the following sections:

  • Specific Aims (with hypothesis as appropriate)
  • Study design
  • Methods including a description of the study site and/or data
  • Analysis plan  
  • Mentoring plan: identify primary and secondary mentors; describe planned meeting frequency; specify skills, methods, or content areas each mentor will support; and describe how the mentoring team’s expertise collectively addresses the proposed research aims
  • Anticipated dissemination product(s) (e.g., presentations, publications, grant submissions) expected to result from the project
  • A brief description of how the project may impact science and/or public health as a whole
  • Timeline for the proposed project  
  • References (not counted toward the 3-page limit; append as a clearly labeled section)
  • If projects involve human subjects, vulnerable populations, and/or community engaged research, applicants much provide brief human subjects compliance statements (e.g., IRB plans, Data & Safety Monitoring expectations, and anticipated IRB submission timeline) (not counted toward the 3-page limit; append as a clearly labeled section)
Optional: Community Partership Funds (2 Pages)

If community partnership funds are being requested. Community Engagement Plan describing:

  • How the project follows community-engaged research principals
  • Why the requested funds fall outside traditional pilot award costs
  • How community engagement will be maintained throughout the project
  • How funds will support sustainable, long-term partnerships
Budget and Budget Justification

The maximum allowable pilot research award is $10,000. An additional $10,000 is available for community engagement activities and requires submission of a separate Community Engagement Plan (see Section 3 above). Applicants requesting community engagement funds must justify why these activities fall outside the scope of the standard pilot award. Indirect costs are strongly discouraged, and we recommend they be waived by the applicant’s institution given the limited availability of funds. All expenditures must comply with NIH rules for allowable costs under 2 CFR § 200 and the terms of award R25DA065058. Note that funds may not be used for salary support, stipends, tuition, or equipment purchases exceeding NIH thresholds without prior written approval.

  • Total costs must still fit within the per‑scholar pilot cap; institutions are encouraged to waive or minimize F&A.
SciENcv Biosketch(s)
  • Scholar Biosketch
  • Institutional Mentor Biosketch
Letter(s) of support
  1. From mentor
  2. From community site(s)