Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 13 021
Apply for RFA MH 13 021
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Neural Processes Underlying Sex Differences Related to Risk and Resilience for Mental Illness (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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2011 and posted on Dec 13, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 13, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $275,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Neural Processes Underlying Sex Differences Related to Risk and Resilience for Mental Illness (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-13-021) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement focused on understanding how and why males and females can differ in their vulnerability to, or protection from, mental illness. Led by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in partnership with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), the program emphasizes basic and translational neuroscience that directly tests clear, well-justified hypotheses about neural mechanisms that contribute to sex differences tied to mental health outcomes. A central expectation is that applicants do more than simply compare males and females; they must explain why the proposed sex-related mechanisms matter for mental disorders and how the work will move the field forward in understanding causes (etiology) and/or underlying disease biology (pathophysiology) in both sexes.
This announcement uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant mechanism (R21), which is designed to support early-stage, innovative, or higher-risk ideas that can open new directions rather than require a fully mature evidence base. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for projects that can generate compelling preliminary evidence, develop novel approaches, or test targeted mechanistic questions about sex differences in neural processes relevant to risk and resilience. The overall goal is to sharpen the scientific understanding of how sex-related biological factors influence brain systems implicated in mental disorders, including the possibility that different neural pathways, circuit dynamics, developmental trajectories, or neurobiological responses to stress and experience help explain differences in prevalence, symptom patterns, or course of illness between males and females.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) in the health research category, listed under CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds. The FOA was posted and created on December 13, 2011, with an original and final closing date of March 13, 2012, and it was archived on April 13, 2012. While it is an archived opportunity and no longer open for submission, the details still provide a useful picture of NIH priorities at the time and the type of work NIMH and ORWH sought to stimulate. The estimated total funding amount was $3,700,000, and the award ceiling was $275,000, indicating support for multiple exploratory awards rather than a small number of large projects.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic U.S. organizations as well as non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including those with 501(c)(3) status and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education in that particular category); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; small businesses; and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The FOA also explicitly lists additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal governments), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and foreign institutions. It also allows non-domestic components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which signals an interest in enabling strong science regardless of geography when justified and compliant with NIH policies.
In terms of what an application needed to communicate, the key theme is rigorous, hypothesis-driven work on neural mechanisms that can explain sex differences relevant to mental health, with a strong rationale for significance. The FOA stresses that proposals should explicitly connect the proposed neurobiology to advancing understanding of mental disorder risk or resilience in males and females. In other words, sex is not treated as a demographic variable to control for, but as a biological dimension that can reveal mechanisms of vulnerability, protection, onset timing, or disorder expression. The full archived announcement was hosted by NIH at the provided link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-13-021.html), and technical access issues were directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Neural Processes Underlying Sex Differences Related to Risk and Resilience for Mental Illness (R21)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-13-021.
Which federal agency offered this opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement.
Which NIH institutes/offices led and partnered on the announcement?
The program was led by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in partnership with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH).
What is the main scientific purpose of the opportunity?
The purpose is to improve understanding of how and why males and females can differ in vulnerability to, or protection from, mental illness by focusing on neural mechanisms related to risk and resilience.
What kind of research does the FOA emphasize?
It emphasizes basic and translational neuroscience that directly tests clear, well-justified hypotheses about neural mechanisms contributing to sex differences tied to mental health outcomes.
Does the FOA support projects that only compare males and females?
No. A central expectation is that applicants go beyond simple male-female comparisons and explain why the proposed sex-related mechanisms matter for mental disorders and how the work advances understanding of etiology and/or pathophysiology in both sexes.
What is meant by "sex differences" in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, sex is treated as a biological dimension that can reveal mechanisms of vulnerability, protection, onset timing, or disorder expression, rather than merely a demographic variable to control for.
What grant mechanism is used?
The announcement uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant mechanism (R21).
What is the intent of the R21 mechanism for this opportunity?
The R21 mechanism is intended to support early-stage, innovative, or higher-risk ideas that can open new research directions without requiring a fully mature evidence base.
What types of outcomes or deliverables were encouraged for R21 projects under this FOA?
The FOA sought projects that could generate compelling preliminary evidence, develop novel approaches, or test targeted mechanistic questions about sex differences in neural processes relevant to risk and resilience for mental illness.
What kinds of neural or biological explanations were considered relevant?
The FOA highlights the possibility that different neural pathways, circuit dynamics, developmental trajectories, or neurobiological responses to stress and experience may help explain differences in prevalence, symptom patterns, or course of illness between males and females.
What is the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type is a Grant.
What is the CFDA number and program area?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.242, Mental Health Research Grants.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
How much total funding was estimated for the program?
The estimated total funding amount was $3,700,000.
What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling was $275,000.
What does the ceiling and total funding suggest about the program structure?
The combination of a $3,700,000 estimated total and a $275,000 ceiling indicates support for multiple exploratory awards rather than a small number of large projects.
When was the FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted and created on December 13, 2011.
What were the application due dates?
The original and final closing date was March 13, 2012.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. This is an archived opportunity and is no longer open for submission.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on April 13, 2012.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic U.S. organizations as well as non-U.S. entities, including governments, higher education institutions, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizational types explicitly listed in the FOA.
Which U.S. government entities were eligible?
Eligible U.S. government applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Were educational institutions eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included independent school districts and both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education.
Were nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (with the FOA separately excluding institutions of higher education from that specific nonprofit category wording).
Were for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
Did the FOA encourage or include specific institution types such as minority-serving institutions?
Yes. The FOA explicitly listed additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs).
Were tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included tribal organizations, including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal governments.
Were faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included faith-based or community-based organizations among eligible applicant categories.
Were U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were listed among eligible applicant categories.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA includes foreign institutions among eligible applicants and also allows non-domestic components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
What was the core expectation for how applicants should frame significance?
Applications were expected to explicitly connect proposed neurobiology to advancing understanding of mental disorder risk or resilience in males and females, with a strong rationale for why the sex-related mechanisms matter for mental disorders.
Where can the full archived FOA be found?
The archived announcement was hosted by NIH at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-13-021.html
Who was listed for technical access issues related to the FOA webpage?
Technical access issues were directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
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