Pink Cloud app to help people stay sober after treatment
Official title: Digital Aftercare Assessed: An Evaluation of the Pink Cloud Application in Post-Treatment Substance Use Disorder Support.
Funded at Pink Cloud LLC · NIH-11191566 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see if the Pink Cloud smartphone app helps people with alcohol or drug addiction stay sober after completing treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pink Cloud LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Culver City, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $960,746 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DA061662-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191566 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have recently completed treatment for substance or alcohol use disorder, own a smartphone, and are seeking aftercare support would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a smartphone, those who need inpatient or intensive psychiatric care, or those who prefer only face-to-face support may not benefit from this digital approach.
What this research studies
You would be invited to use the Pink Cloud smartphone app after finishing treatment for alcohol or drug use. The app links you to a large, searchable list of in-person and virtual 12-step meetings and includes tools like a sobriety counter, daily planners, and private journals. Study staff will track how people use the app and compare recovery outcomes and self-reported substance use over several months to see whether app users do better than standard aftercare. Most participation and data collection can be done remotely while protecting your privacy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could make aftercare easier to access and help more people maintain sobriety after treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Some digital recovery tools have shown promise in smaller studies, but large controlled trials of widely used 12-step apps like Pink Cloud are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Pink Cloud LLC
Culver City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Varughese, Jason — Pink Cloud LLC
- Study coordinator: Varughese, Jason
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.