Open for applications
Federal funding opportunity
Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health
- OpportunityPAR-25-037
- Agency codeHHS-NIH11
- CategoryDiscretionary (D)
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages research on the biology of high confidence risk factors associated with complex brain disorders, with a focus on the intracellular, transcellular and circuit substrates of neural function. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term complex can refer to a multifactorial contribution to risk (e.g., polygenic and/or environmental) and/or highly distributed functional features of the brain disorder. Studies may be either hypothesis-generating (unbiased discovery) or hypothesis-testing in design and may utilize in vivo, in situ, or in vitro experimental paradigms, e.g., model organisms or human cell-based assays. While behavioral paradigms and outcome measures can be incorporated into the research design to facilitate the characterization of intracellular, transcellular and circuit mechanisms, these are neither required nor expected. Studies should not attempt to model disorders but instead should aim to elucidate the neurobiological impact of individual or combined risk factor(s), such as the affected molecular and cellular components and their relationships within defined biological process(es). This can include the fundamental biology of these factors, components and processes. The resulting paradigms, component pathways and biological processes should be disseminated with sufficient detail to enrich common and/or federated data resources (e.g., those contributing to the Gene Ontology, Synaptic Gene Ontology, FAIR Data Informatics) in order to bridge the gap between disease risk factors, biological mechanism and therapeutic target identification. The present NOFO (R21 activity code) can be used for applications to develop early stage, high-risk, exploratory approaches or establish proof-of-concept where there is little or no preliminary data. Applicants proposing to develop lines of inquiry where feasibility or proof of concept has been established should apply to the companion R01 NOFO (PAR-xx-xxx).
Timeline
Key dates
-
November 18, 2024
Opportunity posted to grants.gov -
August 21, 2026
Today — 17 days of the window remain -
September 7, 2026
Applications close -
October 13, 2026
Opportunity archived
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- City or township governments
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- County governments
- State governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Additional info on eligibility
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.
- Cost sharing or matching
- Not required
Awarding agency
Additional information
- Agency name
- National Institutes of Health
- Full announcement
- https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-037.html ↗
- Grantor contact
-
National Institutes of Health
301-402-2541
grantsinfo@nih.gov
Assistance listing
CFDA program(s)
-
93.242Mental Health Research Grants
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