Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 15 600
Apply for RFA MH 15 600
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMH Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (NIMH BRAINS) (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 Jun 11, 2014 and posted on Jun 11, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 24, 2016. (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.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses 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 Independent school districts City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
- 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Foreign Institutions Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The NIMH Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS) (R01) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health funding opportunity designed to help exceptional early-career investigators establish independent, high-impact research programs in areas central to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission. The core idea is to pair substantial research support with research career development for scientists who are already demonstrating unusual productivity and promise, and who are still in the formative stages of building a long-term research trajectory. Through this mechanism, NIMH aims to accelerate the transition from early success to sustained independence by enabling investigators to launch ambitious programs rather than smaller, incremental projects.
The opportunity specifically targets innovative research that could meaningfully change how the field understands, diagnoses, treats, or prevents mental disorders. It is intentionally broad in the kinds of science it will support, spanning clinical, translational, basic, and services research. That breadth is meant to encourage applicants to propose bold, conceptually creative work, including projects that bridge levels of analysis (for example, linking neural systems to behavior, or translating mechanistic findings into clinical or service-delivery improvements). The emphasis is on research that has the potential to be transformative, not just additive, and that aligns with the NIMH strategic research directions.
Programmatically, BRAINS is grounded in two major NIMH frameworks: the NIMH Strategic Plan and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. In practice, this means proposed projects are expected to fit within NIMH-identified priorities and to address recognized gaps in knowledge or capability. The RDoC connection signals a preference for approaches that move beyond symptom-only descriptions toward dimensional, mechanism-informed constructs (such as cognition, negative valence systems, arousal/regulatory systems, or social processes), often integrating multiple data types (behavioral measures, neurobiological signals, genetics, computational models, clinical outcomes, or real-world functioning). Applicants would typically be expected to explain how their work maps onto these priorities and why it fills an important gap.
This is an R01 grant, meaning it uses NIH’s flagship investigator-initiated research project mechanism, but it is offered as a targeted solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-15-600). The total estimated program funding listed is $3,000,000, and the award ceiling is $400,000. No cost sharing or matching is required, which lowers barriers for applicants and institutions by not requiring additional non-federal financial commitments to secure the award.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizational types, reflecting NIH’s general approach to maximizing participation while keeping the focus on domestic research capacity. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses, certain for-profit organizations, independent school districts, and multiple levels of government entities (city/township, county, state, special districts). The announcement also explicitly recognizes a range of mission-relevant or underserved institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and regional organizations, where appropriate.
At the same time, there are clear geographic and organizational restrictions typical of NIH opportunities focused on U.S. research infrastructure. Foreign institutions and other non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. Foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed under this announcement. These restrictions generally mean the proposed work must be led and conducted within eligible U.S. organizations without overseas components that would meet NIH’s definition of a foreign component.
Key administrative details in the source listing include the posted and created date of June 11, 2014, an original and current closing date of October 24, 2016, and an archive date of November 24, 2016, indicating this particular solicitation is no longer active. The CFDA listing associated with the program is 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), which reflects its placement within NIH’s mental health research funding portfolio. The official announcement and full details were made available through the NIH Grants Guide via the provided link, and technical access issues were routed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
Overall, BRAINS (R01) can be understood as a strategic NIMH investment in unusually promising early-career scientists whose work fits NIMH priority areas and who are positioned to build durable, innovative research programs. It combines the scale and flexibility of an R01 with the intent of jump-starting a trajectory of leadership and discovery in mental health research, particularly work that is aligned with strategic gaps and modern framework thinking such as RDoC.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIMH BRAINS (R01) grant opportunity?
The NIMH Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS) (R01) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). It is designed to help exceptional early-career investigators establish independent, high-impact research programs aligned with the NIMH mission.
What is the main purpose of BRAINS?
The core purpose is to accelerate the transition from early success to sustained research independence by pairing substantial research support with research career development. The program is intended to enable investigators to launch ambitious research programs rather than smaller, incremental projects.
Who is the intended applicant population?
The opportunity targets exceptional early-career investigators who are already demonstrating unusual productivity and promise and who are still in the formative stages of building a long-term independent research trajectory.
What kinds of research does BRAINS support?
BRAINS supports innovative research with the potential to meaningfully change how the field understands, diagnoses, treats, or prevents mental disorders. The scope is intentionally broad and includes clinical, translational, basic, and services research.
Does the program encourage cross-disciplinary or multi-level approaches?
Yes. The program encourages bold, conceptually creative work, including projects that bridge levels of analysis (for example, linking neural systems to behavior, or translating mechanistic findings into clinical or service-delivery improvements).
What does NIMH mean by "transformative" research in this context?
Based on the description, the emphasis is on research that could be transformative (not just additive) and that aligns with NIMH strategic research directions, addressing important gaps in knowledge or capability.
How is BRAINS connected to the NIMH Strategic Plan?
BRAINS is grounded in the NIMH Strategic Plan, meaning proposed projects are expected to fit within NIMH-identified priorities and address recognized gaps in the field.
How is BRAINS connected to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative?
The announcement indicates a connection to RDoC, signaling a preference for approaches that move beyond symptom-only descriptions toward dimensional, mechanism-informed constructs (such as cognition, negative valence systems, arousal/regulatory systems, or social processes), often integrating multiple types of data.
What kinds of data or methods are implied as a good fit under the RDoC framing?
The description highlights integration across multiple data types, which may include behavioral measures, neurobiological signals, genetics, computational models, clinical outcomes, and/or real-world functioning, when relevant to the proposed work.
What grant mechanism does BRAINS use?
BRAINS uses the NIH R01 mechanism (the flagship investigator-initiated research project mechanism), offered here as a targeted solicitation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided is RFA-MH-15-600.
How much total funding was estimated for this program?
The total estimated program funding listed is $3,000,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling listed is $400,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states that no cost sharing or matching is required.
What types of U.S. organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses, certain for-profit organizations, independent school districts, and multiple levels of government entities (city/township, county, state, and special districts).
Are minority-serving or mission-relevant institution types included in the eligibility discussion?
Yes. The listing explicitly recognizes institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), and also references faith-based and community-based organizations and regional organizations where appropriate.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions and other non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply under this announcement.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed in a project under this announcement?
No. Foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed under this announcement.
What do the foreign component restrictions imply for where the work must be conducted?
Based on the description, these restrictions generally mean the proposed work must be led and conducted within eligible U.S. organizations without overseas components that would meet NIH's definition of a foreign component.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The administrative dates indicate it is no longer active: the closing date was October 24, 2016, and the archive date was November 24, 2016.
What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?
The listing includes a posted/created date of June 11, 2014, a closing date of October 24, 2016 (original and current), and an archive date of November 24, 2016.
What CFDA number is associated with this program?
The CFDA listing associated with the program is 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).
Where were the official details made available?
The description states that the official announcement and full details were made available through the NIH Grants Guide via the provided link.
Where were technical access issues directed?
Technical access issues were routed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact, according to the listing.
What is the overall program rationale for NIMH?
Overall, BRAINS (R01) is described as a strategic NIMH investment in unusually promising early-career scientists whose work fits NIMH priority areas and who are positioned to build durable, innovative research programs, combining the scale and flexibility of an R01 with an intent to jump-start long-term leadership and discovery in mental health research.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions
Previous opportunity: Section 533 Housing Preservation Grant
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for RFA MH 15 600
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA MH 15 600) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) Newborn Screening Implementation Program Apply for HRSA 14 139 Funding Number: HRSA 14 139 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education Apply for HRSA 14 145 Funding Number: HRSA 14 145 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Improving Effectiveness of the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Programs in Resource Limited Countries Apply for CDC RFA PS14 1411 Funding Number: CDC RFA PS14 1411 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Health Careers Opportunity Program Skills Training and Health Workforce Development of Paraprofessionals Apply for HRSA 14 144 Funding Number: HRSA 14 144 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Tribal Public Health Capacity Building and Quality Improvement Cooperative Agreement Apply for CDC RFA OT13 130302CONT14 Funding Number: CDC RFA OT13 130302CONT14 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Parkinsons Disease Biomarker Program (PDBP) Discovery Projects (U01) Apply for PAR 14 259 Funding Number: PAR 14 259 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $490,000 |
| Centers for Medical Countermeasures against Radiation Consortium (U19) Apply for RFA AI 14 055 Funding Number: RFA AI 14 055 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| PPHF 2014 Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) financed in part by Prevention and Public Health Funding Apply for CDC RFA DP14 1419PPHF14 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP14 1419PPHF14 Agency: NCCDPHP Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| PPHF 2014 Immunization Capacity Building Assistance for Infrastructure Enhancements to Meet Interoperability Requirements financed in part by 2014 Prevention and Public Health Funds Apply for CDC RFA IP14 1404PPHF14 Funding Number: CDC RFA IP14 1404PPHF14 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Methods Development in Natural Products Chemistry (R43/R44) Apply for RFA AT 15 003 Funding Number: RFA AT 15 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Methods Development in Natural Products Chemistry (STTR) (R41) Apply for RFA AT 15 002 Funding Number: RFA AT 15 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| American Indians into Psychology Apply for HHS 2014 IHS INPSY 0001 Funding Number: HHS 2014 IHS INPSY 0001 Agency: Indian Health Service Category: Health Funding Amount: $238,359 |
| PPHF 2014 Immunization Enhanced Standards Support for the Immunization Information Systems (IIS) Community Financed solely by 2014 Prevention and Public Health Funds Apply for CDC RFA IP14 1409PPHF14 Funding Number: CDC RFA IP14 1409PPHF14 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| PPHF 2014 Immunization Enhance an Immunization Information System (IIS) to Interface with CDCs VTrckS Vaccine Ordering and Management System financed in part by 2014 Prevention and Public Health Funds Apply for CDC RFA IP14 1406PPHF14 Funding Number: CDC RFA IP14 1406PPHF14 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| Administrative Coordination Hub for the Pharmacogenomics Research Network, PGRN (U24) Apply for RFA GM 15 004 Funding Number: RFA GM 15 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| PPHF 2014 Lead Poisoning Prevention Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention financed solely by 2014 Prevention and Public Health Funds Apply for CDC RFA EH14 1408PPHF14 Funding Number: CDC RFA EH14 1408PPHF14 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Grants to Support the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Health Services Research Grant Program Apply for CMS 1I0 14 001 Funding Number: CMS 1I0 14 001 Agency: Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Grants to Support the Hispanic Health Services Research Grant Program Apply for CMS 1H0 14 001 Funding Number: CMS 1H0 14 001 Agency: Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Service Area Competition Apply for HRSA 15 008 Funding Number: HRSA 15 008 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Service Area Competition Apply for HRSA 15 009 Funding Number: HRSA 15 009 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "RFA MH 15 600", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.