Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 06 248

  • The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "From Intervention Development to Services Exploratory Research Grants (R34)" 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.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2008 and posted on Mar 17, 2006.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 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.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $225,000.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township 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 County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Independent school districts Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
  • Foreign institutions are eligible to apply. Eligible agencies of the Federal Government are eligible to apply. Faith based or community based organizations are eligible.
Apply for PAR 06 248

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Opportunity Summary:

The NIH funding opportunity "From Intervention Development to Services Exploratory Research Grants (R34)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-06-248) supports early-stage, exploratory work that helps move promising mental health and health-risk-behavior ideas toward larger, more definitive studies. The main purpose is to fund the kinds of groundwork that are often required before a full-scale efficacy or effectiveness trial is realistic, such as refining an intervention concept, adapting an existing approach for a new population or setting, running pilot tests, and generating the preliminary evidence needed to justify a larger grant application later on.

This FOA is focused on three broad types of projects. First, it encourages development and/or pilot testing of brand-new interventions or thoughtfully adapted versions of existing interventions. That can include shaping program content, determining delivery methods, developing training procedures for providers, building manuals or protocols, and testing whether the approach can be implemented as intended. Second, it supports pilot testing of interventions that already have demonstrated efficacy, but need additional preliminary work before being evaluated in broader, real-world effectiveness studies. This is especially relevant when an intervention is being moved from a controlled research environment into typical community, clinical, school, justice, or other service settings where constraints and variability are greater. Third, it welcomes innovative services research ideas that are not yet ready for large-scale testing and require initial development or feasibility work, such as new service models, engagement strategies, implementation supports, or system-level approaches that could improve care delivery or outcomes.

A key theme across all supported projects is practicality and readiness-building. The R34 mechanism is meant to provide resources to evaluate whether a proposed approach is feasible to deliver, acceptable to participants and stakeholders, tolerable, and safe, while also producing credible preliminary data. In other words, the FOA is less about proving final effectiveness and more about answering the "Can this work in practice, and is it ready for a bigger trial?" questions. Typical outputs could include feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention, adherence, and fidelity), early signals of clinical or behavioral change, measures of acceptability and satisfaction, and evidence that the procedures and setting can support a future larger study.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH, categorized within health and tied to CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The award ceiling listed is $225,000. The FOA used multiple receipt dates rather than a single deadline, with applicants directed to the full announcement for the specific schedule and requirements. The total amount awarded and the number of awards were not fixed in advance and instead depended on the number of applications received, their scientific quality, the proposed duration, and the requested costs.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that might conduct intervention or services research. Eligible applicants include state and local governments (such as county, city or township, and special district governments), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations. The announcement also notes that foreign institutions are eligible to apply, eligible federal government agencies may apply, and faith-based or community-based organizations are eligible as well, which signals an openness to community-partnered and practice-based research environments.

Overall, PAR-06-248 is designed for investigators and organizations who have a promising intervention, adaptation, or services innovation but still need structured pilot work to prove that the approach can be delivered safely and acceptably, and to gather enough preliminary evidence to compete for a larger efficacy or effectiveness trial later. The full announcement, including detailed application instructions and receipt dates, was provided through the NIH grants guide link referenced in the opportunity listing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NIH R34: From Intervention Development to Services Exploratory Research Grants (PAR-06-248)

What is the NIH funding opportunity PAR-06-248 (R34) meant to support?

PAR-06-248 supports early-stage, exploratory research that helps move promising mental health and health-risk-behavior interventions or services ideas toward larger, more definitive studies. It is designed to fund the groundwork that is often needed before a full-scale efficacy or effectiveness trial is realistic.

What is the main purpose of the R34 mechanism in this FOA?

The main purpose is readiness-building. The R34 is intended to help investigators refine, adapt, and pilot test an intervention or services innovation, and to produce credible preliminary evidence that justifies a later application for a larger grant (such as a full efficacy or effectiveness trial).

Is this FOA intended to prove final effectiveness?

No. This FOA is less about proving final effectiveness and more about determining whether an approach can work in practice and whether it is ready for a larger study. The emphasis is on feasibility, acceptability, tolerability, safety, and preliminary data that support a future larger trial.

What kinds of projects does PAR-06-248 focus on?

The FOA describes three broad categories: (1) development and/or pilot testing of new interventions or thoughtfully adapted interventions, (2) pilot testing of interventions with demonstrated efficacy that need preliminary work before broader real-world effectiveness studies, and (3) innovative services research ideas needing initial development or feasibility work before large-scale testing.

What does "intervention development and/or pilot testing" include under this FOA?

This can include refining program content, choosing or testing delivery methods, developing provider training procedures, building manuals or protocols, and evaluating whether the intervention can be implemented as intended (including fidelity and practical delivery considerations).

Can the grant be used to adapt an existing intervention to a new population or setting?

Yes. The FOA explicitly supports thoughtfully adapting an existing intervention for a new population or setting, along with the pilot work needed to refine the adaptation and assess feasibility and acceptability.

What does the FOA mean by moving an intervention into "real-world" settings?

It refers to shifting from controlled research environments into typical service settings where constraints and variability are greater, such as community, clinical, school, justice, or other service settings.

Does PAR-06-248 support pilot testing of interventions that already have demonstrated efficacy?

Yes. The FOA supports pilot testing of interventions with demonstrated efficacy when additional preliminary work is needed before evaluating them in broader effectiveness studies in routine service settings.

What types of "services research" innovations are appropriate for this R34?

The FOA welcomes innovative services research ideas that are not yet ready for large-scale testing and require early development or feasibility work, such as new service models, engagement strategies, implementation supports, or system-level approaches intended to improve care delivery or outcomes.

What kinds of outcomes or outputs are typically expected from an R34 project under this FOA?

Typical outputs may include feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention, adherence, and fidelity), early signals of clinical or behavioral change, measures of acceptability and satisfaction, and evidence that the setting and procedures can support a future larger study.

What feasibility questions is this FOA trying to answer?

The FOA emphasizes questions like whether the approach is feasible to deliver, acceptable to participants and stakeholders, tolerable, and safe, and whether enough credible preliminary data can be generated to justify a larger, later-stage application.

What is meant by "fidelity" in the context of this FOA?

Based on the FOA description, fidelity refers to whether the intervention can be implemented as intended, including adherence to the planned protocol and consistency of delivery in the intended setting.

What is the award ceiling for PAR-06-248?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $225,000.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity specifies that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

This FOA is associated with CFDA 93.242, Mental Health Research Grants.

Are the number of awards or total dollars awarded fixed for this FOA?

No. The total amount awarded and the number of awards were not fixed in advance; they depended on the number of applications received, their scientific quality, the proposed duration, and the requested costs.

How are application deadlines handled for this FOA?

The FOA used multiple receipt dates rather than a single deadline, and applicants were directed to the full announcement for the specific schedule and requirements.

Where can applicants find the detailed instructions and receipt dates?

The detailed application instructions, receipt dates, and requirements were provided in the full announcement available through the NIH grants guide link referenced in the opportunity listing.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes state and local governments (including county, city or township, and special district governments), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

Yes. The announcement notes that foreign institutions are eligible to apply.

Can federal government agencies apply?

Yes. The announcement indicates that eligible federal government agencies may apply.

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA notes that faith-based and community-based organizations are eligible, signaling openness to community-partnered and practice-based research environments.

What general research areas does this FOA target?

It targets mental health and health-risk-behavior intervention development, adaptation, pilot testing, and exploratory services research intended to improve care delivery or outcomes.

Who is this FOA best suited for?

It is best suited for investigators and organizations with a promising intervention, adaptation, or services innovation that still needs structured pilot work to demonstrate feasibility, safety, tolerability, acceptability, and to generate preliminary evidence needed to compete for a larger trial-focused grant later.

What is the administrative classification of this funding opportunity?

It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH, categorized within health.

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