Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 07 222
Apply for PA 07 222
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Developmental Psychopharmacology (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 25, 2009 and posted on Feb 21, 2007.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 25, 2009 Multiple Receipt Dates See Link to Full Announcement for details.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments Independent school districts State governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Foreign institutions are eligible to apply. Eligible agencies of the Federal Government can apply. Faith based or community based organizations can apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Developmental Psychopharmacology (R21) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA-07-222) is an NIH discretionary grant announcement aimed at building early-stage, exploratory research on how psychotherapeutic and other psychotropic medications affect the developing, or immature, brain. The central idea is that children are not simply "small adults" in pharmacology, so the FOA encourages studies that can pin down how physiological and neurobiological responses to psychiatric medications change across development. In practice, that means projects focused on mapping age- or stage-specific response profiles, identifying sensitive windows of brain development, and clarifying mechanisms through which commonly used medications for pediatric mental disorders influence neural circuits, neurochemistry, or broader biological systems as the brain matures.
The scientific scope is intentionally broad in terms of study approach and population, as long as the work is directly tied to developmental neurobiology and medication exposure. The FOA explicitly welcomes research in model systems, including animal studies, as well as research in human populations. This allows applicants to propose mechanistic work that might not be feasible in children (for example, invasive measurements in animal models), alongside observational, clinical, translational, or biomarker-driven studies in pediatric or adolescent groups. The emphasis is on understanding neurobiological impact and developmental trajectories of response rather than only documenting clinical outcomes, though clinical data can be part of the evidence base when it helps clarify developmental mechanisms.
In terms of the funding mechanism, this announcement uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21). That mechanism is designed for projects that are innovative, higher-risk, or at an earlier stage of development than a full-scale R01, often supporting pilot data generation, proof-of-concept studies, or the testing of novel hypotheses or methodologies. The FOA also notes that it runs in parallel with an announcement of identical scientific scope under the R01 mechanism (PA-07-084), which is relevant for applicants deciding whether their project is best framed as an exploratory R21 or a more mature, comprehensive R01.
Funding under this FOA is not guaranteed and depends on NIH budget availability and the volume and quality of submitted applications. The announcement does not promise a fixed number of awards; instead, it states that awards are contingent on funds and on receiving a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The associated program areas span mental health and child development and may intersect with substance use and addiction research domains, as reflected in the CFDA listings: 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces the financial burden on applicants and is typical for many NIH research grant mechanisms.
Eligibility is expansive, reflecting NIH’s broad applicant pool. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and a wide range of governmental entities (state, county, city/township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities). Tribal governments and tribal organizations are included as eligible entities, and the FOA states that foreign institutions may apply as well. It also indicates that eligible federal government agencies can apply, and that faith-based and community-based organizations are eligible, which can be important for community-engaged or clinically embedded pediatric research networks.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on February 21, 2007, and the listing includes multiple receipt dates (rather than a single deadline), with the original closing date noted as February 25, 2009 and an archive date of March 25, 2009. The sponsor is the National Institutes of Health, and the full announcement is referenced through the NIH grants guide link. For technical issues accessing the announcement, the contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as NIH’s push for carefully designed, developmentally informed psychopharmacology research that can clarify how psychiatric medications interact with the changing biology of the brain across childhood and adolescence. It supports projects that can generate foundational mechanistic insight and developmental maps of medication response, which in turn can inform safer prescribing, better dosing strategies, improved risk-benefit assessments, and more targeted treatment approaches for mental disorders in pediatric populations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Developmental Psychopharmacology (R21) - PA-07-222
What is the Developmental Psychopharmacology (R21) opportunity (PA-07-222)?
PA-07-222 is an NIH discretionary grant announcement using the R21 (Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant) mechanism. It supports early-stage, exploratory studies focused on how psychotherapeutic and other psychotropic medications affect the developing (immature) brain.
What is the main scientific focus of this FOA?
The FOA focuses on developmentally informed psychopharmacology: understanding how physiological and neurobiological responses to psychiatric medications change across childhood and adolescence. A central premise is that children are not simply "small adults" in pharmacology, so age- or stage-specific effects are a key emphasis.
What kinds of research questions does the FOA encourage?
The FOA encourages projects that, for example, map age- or stage-specific response profiles to psychiatric medications, identify sensitive windows of brain development, and clarify mechanisms by which commonly used pediatric psychiatric medications influence neural circuits, neurochemistry, or broader biological systems as the brain matures.
Is the scope limited to clinical outcomes in children?
No. The emphasis is on understanding neurobiological impact and developmental trajectories of response rather than only documenting clinical outcomes. Clinical data can be included when it helps clarify developmental mechanisms, but the FOA prioritizes mechanistic and developmental insight tied to medication exposure.
Are animal or other model system studies allowed?
Yes. The FOA explicitly welcomes research in model systems, including animal studies, as well as research in human populations. This allows mechanistic work that may not be feasible in children (such as invasive measurements) to be pursued in appropriate models.
Are studies in human populations allowed?
Yes. The FOA welcomes research in human populations, including pediatric or adolescent groups, and mentions approaches such as observational, clinical, translational, or biomarker-driven studies, as long as they are directly tied to developmental neurobiology and medication exposure.
What funding mechanism does this announcement use?
This FOA uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) mechanism, which is designed for innovative, higher-risk projects and early-stage studies such as pilot data generation, proof-of-concept work, and testing novel hypotheses or methods.
Is there a related R01 opportunity with the same scientific scope?
Yes. The FOA notes it runs in parallel with an announcement of identical scientific scope under the R01 mechanism (PA-07-084). This is relevant for applicants deciding whether their project fits an exploratory R21 or a more mature, comprehensive R01.
Is funding guaranteed, and does the FOA specify a fixed number of awards?
No. The FOA states that awards are contingent on NIH budget availability and on receiving a sufficient number of meritorious applications. It does not promise a fixed number of awards.
Is there any cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Which broad program areas or CFDA listings are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity may intersect with mental health, child development, and substance use/addiction research domains, as reflected in the CFDA listings: 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and many governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities).
Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Tribal governments and tribal organizations are included as eligible entities.
Can foreign institutions apply?
Yes. The FOA states that foreign institutions may apply as well.
Can federal government agencies apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that eligible federal government agencies can apply.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA states that faith-based and community-based organizations are eligible, which may be relevant for community-engaged or clinically embedded pediatric research networks.
When was this opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on February 21, 2007. The listing indicates multiple receipt dates rather than a single deadline, with an original closing date noted as February 25, 2009 and an archive date of March 25, 2009.
Who is the sponsor?
The sponsor is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where can applicants find the full announcement?
The full announcement is referenced through the NIH grants guide link (as described in the opportunity listing).
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement?
For technical issues accessing the announcement, the contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What is the overall goal or intended impact of the FOA?
The FOA aims to generate foundational mechanistic insight and developmental maps of medication response across childhood and adolescence. The intended downstream value is to inform safer prescribing, better dosing strategies, improved risk-benefit assessments, and more targeted treatment approaches for pediatric mental disorders.
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