Urgent Award: COVID-19 Mental Health Research (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 22 112

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 112

The Urgent Award: COVID-19 Mental Health Research (R01 Clinical Trial Required) (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 22-112) is a discretionary grant program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically aligned with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), to support time-sensitive research addressing mental health needs and consequences linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The activity sits in the health funding category (CFDA 93.242) and uses the R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven projects that can produce rigorous, generalizable findings. A key feature of this particular opportunity is that it is “Clinical Trial Required,” which signals that the proposed work must include a clinical trial component and is expected to test an intervention, service approach, or other trial-appropriate strategy rather than only observational or descriptive research.

The overall purpose of the opportunity is to accelerate mental health research that responds to urgent pandemic-related issues. In practical terms, this type of NIMH urgent award is designed for projects that cannot wait for a normal research timeline because the public health context creates immediate and evolving needs. While the provided source text does not list specific scientific priorities, the title and NIMH framing strongly indicate interest in studies that evaluate clinically meaningful outcomes related to mental health during or in the aftermath of COVID-19, such as prevention or treatment approaches, service delivery models, and other intervention strategies that can be tested through a clinical trial and inform near-term decision-making in real-world settings.

The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling listed at $750,000. The source data does not specify the total number of expected awards, which often means the number may depend on application volume, merit, and available appropriations. The original closing date for submissions was December 23, 2022, and the opportunity record was created on January 31, 2022, which places it squarely in the period when federal agencies were still actively standing up targeted COVID-19 research efforts.

Eligibility is broad and spans many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Academic applicants can include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments, and the announcement also highlights Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) as an additional eligible applicant category. The program is open to nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education under that classification), and it also allows for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses. The “Others” category is included as well, which typically serves as a catch-all for eligible entities not neatly captured in the standard list.

In addition to the standard eligibility list, the opportunity explicitly calls out several institution types and community-oriented organizations as “Other Eligible Applicants.” These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). It also includes faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions. Taken together, this emphasis reflects an intent to support research that can be carried out in diverse settings and with partners that are closely connected to populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic and by behavioral health access gaps.

Because it is an R01 with a clinical trial requirement, applicants would generally be expected to propose a well-justified trial design, clearly defined primary and secondary outcomes, an appropriate recruitment and retention plan, and safeguards for participants. Projects that align with an “urgent award” framing typically need to make a strong case that the work is both feasible on an accelerated timeline and likely to yield actionable findings relevant to COVID-19-related mental health challenges.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Urgent Award: COVID-19 Mental Health Research (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-01-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 22 112

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