Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 13 391
Apply for PAR 13 391
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Computational Methods for Understanding the Functional Role of DNA Variants that are Associated with Mental Disorders (Collaborative R01)" 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 Nov 13, 2013 and posted on Nov 13, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities State governments Small businesses City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Private institutions of higher education 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 Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- 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 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 NIH grant opportunity PAR 13 391, titled "New Computational Methods for Understanding the Functional Role of DNA Variants that are Associated with Mental Disorders (Collaborative R01)," was designed to fund research teams developing next-generation computational, bioinformatic, and statistical methods that can clarify what genetically associated DNA variants actually do in the context of mental illness. The central problem this FOA targets is the gap between discovering associations in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) or sequencing studies and understanding biological function. Many variants linked to psychiatric and other mental disorders sit in noncoding regions, act through subtle regulatory mechanisms, and may have effects that depend heavily on brain cell type, developmental timing, circuitry, and environmental context. This program aimed to push the field beyond simple variant lists by supporting tools and analytic frameworks that can interpret those variants in ways that meaningfully inform biology and, ultimately, treatment discovery.
A key emphasis of the announcement is that mental disorders often have complex etiologies, meaning that the genetic architecture can involve many variants of small effect, heterogeneity across individuals, and interactions with brain-specific regulatory systems. Because the brain is uniquely complicated in terms of cell diversity, spatial organization, and developmental trajectories, methods that work well in other tissues may not translate cleanly to neuropsychiatric disease. The FOA therefore called for innovative approaches that explicitly account for brain and neurodevelopmental nuances when assigning function to variants. The expected payoff is practical: better computational methods should help researchers prioritize causal variants, identify the genes and pathways they influence, nominate druggable targets, and guide experimental validation in model systems.
This was a discretionary NIH grant mechanism using the R01 funding instrument, but specifically in a collaborative format. The FOA was intended for projects that genuinely require two or more research sites to complete the work. In this linked collaborative structure, each participating site submits its own R01 application and must have its own Program Director/Principal Investigator. The linked set of applications is also expected to function as a coordinated whole, with clear plans for cross-site management and integration. The announcement explicitly highlights the need for mechanisms that support cross-site coordination, quality control, database management, statistical analysis, and reporting, reflecting NIH expectations that multi-site computational efforts must be rigorous, reproducible, and operationally well organized.
In terms of eligible applicants, the opportunity was broad and inclusive. Eligible organizations included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) in certain cases), a wide range of governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, and for-profit organizations (including small businesses, with a separate category for non-small-business for-profits). The FOA also allowed applications from Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments, and it specifically noted eligibility for institutions serving historically underrepresented populations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISI institutions. Importantly, foreign participation was allowed: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) could apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components were permitted under NIH policy, making it feasible to build international computational collaborations when scientifically justified.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity fell under the NIH and was associated with CFDA number 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). It did not require cost sharing or matching. The posting date and creation date were November 13, 2013. The original and final listed closing date was January 7, 2017, with an archive date of February 7, 2017, meaning it is no longer active as a current competition. The estimated total funding level listed for the FOA was $3,000,000, which signals a moderate programmatic investment intended to catalyze method development rather than support very large clinical consortia.
Overall, PAR 13 391 was essentially a methods-focused, multi-site R01 initiative aimed at building the computational infrastructure needed to translate psychiatric genetics findings into functional biological insight. By emphasizing brain-specific complexity, cross-site coordination, and the creation of advanced analytic tools, the program’s intent was to make genetic discoveries more actionable, helping the field move toward clearer mechanisms and better-targeted therapeutic strategies.
FAQs: NIH PAR 13 391 - New Computational Methods for Understanding the Functional Role of DNA Variants Associated with Mental Disorders (Collaborative R01)
What is NIH PAR 13 391?
PAR 13 391 is an NIH grant opportunity titled "New Computational Methods for Understanding the Functional Role of DNA Variants that are Associated with Mental Disorders (Collaborative R01)." It was designed to support research teams building next-generation computational, bioinformatic, and statistical methods to interpret DNA variants linked to mental disorders.
What problem was this funding opportunity trying to solve?
The program targeted a major gap in psychiatric genetics: moving from genetic association signals (from GWAS or sequencing studies) to a clear understanding of biological function. Many associated variants do not directly explain mechanism, especially when they fall in noncoding regions and act through subtle regulatory effects.
What types of methods were expected under this FOA?
The FOA emphasized innovative computational, bioinformatic, and statistical approaches that help clarify what genetically associated variants do biologically. The goal was to produce tools and analytic frameworks that go beyond producing "variant lists" and instead help interpret functional impact in ways that inform biology and downstream research.
Why does the FOA emphasize noncoding variants?
Many variants associated with psychiatric and other mental disorders are located in noncoding parts of the genome. These variants can influence disease risk through regulatory mechanisms rather than altering protein coding sequences, making functional interpretation more complex and computationally demanding.
Why is brain specificity and neurodevelopment a major focus?
The FOA notes that the brain has unusually high complexity, including diverse cell types, spatial organization, and changing developmental trajectories. Methods that translate well in other tissues may not work cleanly for neuropsychiatric conditions, so the program called for approaches that explicitly account for brain cell type, developmental timing, circuitry, and environmental context.
How does the FOA describe the genetic architecture of mental disorders?
It highlights complex etiologies, including many variants of small effect, heterogeneity across individuals, and interactions with brain-specific regulatory systems. This complexity increases the need for advanced analytic methods to prioritize likely causal variants and understand their functional consequences.
What outcomes or "payoffs" did NIH expect these methods to enable?
The expected payoff was practical and translational: improved methods should help prioritize causal variants, identify the genes and pathways those variants influence, nominate druggable targets, and guide experimental validation in model systems.
What funding mechanism was used?
This opportunity used the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism, specifically in a collaborative format (Collaborative R01).
What does "Collaborative R01" mean in this FOA?
It means the project was expected to truly require two or more research sites. Each participating site submits its own R01 application, and each site must have its own Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI). The linked applications are expected to operate as a coordinated whole rather than as loosely connected projects.
How are applications submitted for a linked collaborative structure?
In this FOA's collaborative structure, each research site submits a separate R01 application, led by its own PD/PI. The set of applications is linked and is expected to include clear plans for cross-site integration and coordinated execution.
What kinds of coordination and operations were emphasized for multi-site projects?
The FOA explicitly highlighted the need for mechanisms supporting cross-site coordination, quality control, database management, statistical analysis, and reporting. This reflects NIH expectations that multi-site computational efforts be well organized, rigorous, and reproducible.
Does the FOA require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching.
Which NIH program area or CFDA listing is associated with this opportunity?
The FOA was associated with CFDA number 93.242, listed as Mental Health Research Grants.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits); a wide range of government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits).
Were organizations serving historically underrepresented populations explicitly included?
Yes. The FOA specifically noted eligibility for institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISI institutions.
Were tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA allowed applications from Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments.
Was foreign participation allowed?
Yes. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) could apply. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components were permitted under NIH policy, enabling international collaborations when scientifically justified.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The final listed closing date was January 7, 2017, and the archive date was February 7, 2017. That indicates it is no longer active as a current competition.
When was the FOA posted and created?
The posting date and creation date were both November 13, 2013.
How much funding was estimated for this FOA overall?
The estimated total funding level listed was $3,000,000. This suggests a moderate, targeted investment aimed at catalyzing method development rather than funding very large clinical consortia.
What types of genetic studies does the FOA reference as sources of variant associations?
The FOA references genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and sequencing studies as key sources of variant-disease associations that require improved functional interpretation.
What kinds of context-dependent effects did the FOA point to as important for variant interpretation?
It emphasized that effects may depend on brain cell type, developmental timing, circuitry, and environmental context, which can make functional interpretation substantially harder than in simpler or more accessible tissues.
What is the overall intent of PAR 13 391 in plain terms?
In plain terms, the FOA aimed to fund coordinated, multi-site teams to build the computational infrastructure and analytic methods needed to make psychiatric genetics findings more actionable by linking associated DNA variants to biological mechanism and potential therapeutic direction.
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