National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a U.S. federal research institute established in September 1973 and operating under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1992. Its mission is to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction, and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health through basic, clinical, and epidemiological research. NIDA is recognized as the world's largest funder of scientific research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction, with an FY 2024 budget request of approximately $1.66 billion.

NIDA's work spans prevention, treatment, and policy. Key programs include the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network—comprising 16 research nodes and more than 240 community-anchored treatment programs—and the HIV Research Program focusing on the intersection of HIV and substance use disorders. NIDA also co-leads the federal HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative targeting the opioid overdose crisis. The institute runs the long-running Monitoring the Future Survey tracking drug use trends among adolescents.

Current research priorities reflect a public health crisis in which provisional data show over 110,000 Americans dying annually from drug overdoses, driven by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, stimulants, and polysubstance use. Innovations in prevention science, treatment efficacy, and brain-disorder-based understanding of addiction are directly aligned with NIDA's mandate. Notably, the FY 2026 budget proposes consolidating NIDA into a new National Institute of Behavioral Health.