NIH DP1 Grants — NIH Director's Pioneer Award

Recent DP1 awards from NIH RePORTER

Examples of funded DP1 projects across the last two fiscal years. The matching-award count comes from the full result set; funding totals, averages, rankings, and examples use the first 500 records returned by NIH RePORTER. Figures reflect a snapshot last refreshed on June 9, 2026.

Example DP1 projects from the sample

• Epigenetic engrams in planarians

  5DP1NS148061-02
  Roberto Bonasio · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PA · $1,137,500 · awarded Jun 5, 2026 · NIH

  ABSTRACT Although selective synaptic remodeling within neural circuits is widely accepted as the molecular substrate for storage of memories in the brain—the so called “engram”—evidence exists in different model organisms that memories and behaviors can be encoded, and possibly transmitted, by RNA, suggesting that acquired neural states can propagate to…

• Ending HIV: Bringing Integrated Prevention and Treatment Services to People Who Use Drugs Where They Live

  5DP1DA056106-05
  SANDRA SPRINGER · YALE UNIVERSITY, CT · $1,172,500 · awarded Jun 5, 2026 · NIH

  The United States (U.S.) Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) plan’s primary goal is to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 90% by 2030, but this will not happen unless we develop ways to BRING the evidenced- based services to persons who use drugs (PWUD). Overdose deaths are dramatically increasing in the US, and fentanyl and stimulants are fueling new HIV…

• Illuminating Neuropeptide Modulation of Substance Abuse Withdrawal: Novel Photochemical Tools for Precision Control

  1DP1DA066060-01
  Ismail Ahmed · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UT · $462,000 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary/Abstract Methamphetamine use disorder afflicts millions of Americans and precipitates a debilitating withdrawal syndrome marked by hypodopaminergia, anxiety, and somatic distress, yet our ability to interrogate its neuropeptidergic underpinnings is hindered by a lack of versatile, high precision chemical probes in neuroscience. We…

• Lifespan effects of prenatal and perinatal opioid exposure on the brain's metabolic-epigenetic axis

  5DP1DA063517-02
  Ana Cristancho · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA, PA · $534,000 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY The rising opioid use rates have led to a significant increase in children exposed to opioids in utero, with adverse effects on both the placenta and developing brain. These effects include alterations in brain structures, including the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Affected children also have an increased susceptibility to…

• Multiscale Insights into the Epigenetic Basis of THC Consumption

  5DP1DA063522-02
  Jacqueline-Marie Ferland · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI, NY · $507,000 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary The United States is in the midst of a significant paradigm shift around the perception and use of cannabis. The majority of states now permit recreational or medical use, reflecting a shift in views of cannabis with many believing the drug is not harmful or addictive. Despite the rise in these beliefs, repeated large-scale reports show that…

• Impact of HIV co-infections and comorbidities on circadian rhythm in the liver

  5DP1DK139804-03
  Eleftherios Michailidis · EMORY UNIVERSITY, GA · $540,074 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary HIV-associated comorbidities, co-infections, and complications (CCCs) can exacerbate the health burden in people living with HIV (PLWH). Using innovative cell culture and in vivo systems, this application focuses on HIV-related pathogenesis in the liver and the establishment of a new area of HIV research that combines studies of the…

• Characterizing and exploiting "allosteric crosstalk" amongst pain receptors

  1DP1DA066056-01
  Evan O'Brien · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, MD · $466,363 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY Opioid receptors not only mediate pain relief but also act as the targets of potent exogenous opioids that are devastatingly addictive and cause overdose deaths. The principal target for both analgesia and addiction of exogenous opioids is the µ-opioid receptor (µOR). While traditionally thought to be regulated exclusively by opioids, recent…

• Dissecting and modulating cell type and circuit-specific epigenetic mechanisms of cocaine addiction

  5DP1DA063507-02
  Dmitry Velmeshev · DUKE UNIVERSITY, NC · $436,050 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Abstract: Millions of Americans are current or past cocaine users, with 2% of the US population reporting to have used the drug in the past year. Cocaine is highly addictive, and cocaine addiction is devastating to society and individuals, leading to financial loss, job loss and violence within families. Additionally, cocaine abuse is responsible for 40% of…

• DEVELOPING GPCR MODULATORS OF SOMATOSTATIN INTERNEURONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF OPIOID USE DISORDER

  5DP1DA060482-03
  Max Joffe · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH, PA · $429,300 · awarded May 26, 2026 · NIH

  Approved medications and available treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) do not adequately address long- term changes in cravings, motivation, and mood; thus, while tragic, it is not surprising that between 60-90% of individuals with OUD experience relapse, even following inpatient rehabilitation. Currently available treatments for OUD target the µ…

• Precision pharmacogenomics and Indigenous research: A novel approach to tobacco cessation efficacy in American Indian communities

  5DP1DA061279-03
  Katrina Claw · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, CO · $982,800 · awarded May 22, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY: The leading cause of health inequities and premature death in the United States (US) is smoking. Creating equitable access to smoking cessation aids and supporting quit attempts by smokers from diverse racial and ethnic groups are top health priorities. Advancements to personalizing smoking cessation treatment based on the genetic profiles…

• Chemical biology tools for illuminating cannabinoid signaling pathways in opioid use disorder.

  5DP1DA060496-03
  James Frank · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY, OR · $421,200 · awarded May 22, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary/Abstract The opioid epidemic is a persistent public health crisis in the United States and abroad, historically dominated by the misuse of prescription opioids and heroin; however, those illicit substances have been overtaken by a surge in the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl’s unmatched potency and addictiveness makes it more difficult…

• The Metabolic Crossroads: Decoding Fentanyl's Impact on HIV/HBV Co-infection for Targeted Interventions

  1DP1DA066168-01
  Eleftherios Michailidis · EMORY UNIVERSITY, GA · $1,095,500 · awarded May 22, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary The convergence of the opioid crisis and HIV epidemic has created an unprecedented public health emergency, with approximately 10% of people living with HIV also co-infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). While HIV/HBV co-infection already accelerates liver disease progression and increases mortality, the introduction of synthetic opioids…

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