Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 14 020
Apply for RFA MH 14 020
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PsychENCODE Identification and Characterization of Non coding Functional Elements in the Brain, and their Role in the Development of Mental Disorders (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 Mar 8, 2013 and posted on Mar 8, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 10, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Small businesses County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal 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 Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Independent school districts State governments.
- 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
PsychENCODE Identification and Characterization of Non-coding Functional Elements in the Brain, and their Role in the Development of Mental Disorders (R01) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity designed to push brain genomics beyond protein-coding genes and into the much larger non-coding portion of the genome. Building on insights from the ENCODE project, which showed that many regions once labeled as "junk DNA" appear to have biochemical activity and regulatory roles, this program focuses specifically on discovering and characterizing non-coding functional genomic elements in the brain. The core idea is that many risk signals for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders land in non-coding regions, so mapping what those regions do in brain cells, and how they influence gene regulation during development, could clarify disease mechanisms and point to new intervention strategies.
The scientific emphasis is on identifying non-coding elements that have functional roles in neural development, brain circuitry, and disease susceptibility, and then figuring out how those elements contribute to the origins (etiology) of mental disorders. In practical terms, supported projects would be expected to locate and annotate regulatory DNA and RNA elements active in brain tissues and cell types, connect these elements to gene expression control (for example, through effects on transcription factor binding, chromatin state, enhancer activity, or higher-order chromatin structure), and link disruptions or variation in these elements to pathways relevant to mental illness. The program sits within the broader PsychENCODE effort, which aims to create a more complete "parts list" and functional map of genomic regulation in the human brain, particularly in contexts that matter for psychiatric disease biology.
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism, meaning it is intended for discrete, hypothesis-driven research projects with clear aims, strong rigor, and a plan to generate meaningful, reusable knowledge about brain regulatory genomics. It was offered as a discretionary grant in the health research area and is associated with CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). The announcement was posted on March 8, 2013, with an application closing date of June 10, 2013, and it was later archived on July 11, 2013. The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity was $4,000,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which is consistent with many NIH research project grants.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of U.S. and non-U.S. institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities), small businesses and other for-profit organizations (with the noted exception categories), and a wide range of government entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The announcement also explicitly included Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations (both federally recognized and other than federally recognized), as well as regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. In addition, it highlighted eligibility for institutions serving specific populations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs). Faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies were also included, and non-domestic entities (foreign organizations) were listed as eligible, reflecting NIH's willingness in certain programs to support internationally based expertise when it strengthens the science.
From an impact perspective, the grant opportunity is aimed at closing a major gap in psychiatric genetics: many associations from genome-wide studies point to non-coding regions, but without a clear map of which regulatory elements are active in particular brain cell types and developmental windows, it is difficult to translate genetic signals into biological mechanisms. By supporting work that identifies functional non-coding elements and tests how they shape gene regulation in the brain, the program seeks to improve the mechanistic understanding of mental disorders, refine models of neurodevelopmental risk, and provide a foundation for future biomarker discovery or therapeutic target development.
Administrative details include the funding opportunity number RFA-MH-14-020 and the title exactly as listed above. The NIH provided an official announcement link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-14-020.html). For access or technical issues related to the online posting, the contact point listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled: PsychENCODE Identification and Characterization of Non-coding Functional Elements in the Brain, and their Role in the Development of Mental Disorders (R01).
What is the funding opportunity number (FOA/RFA number)?
The funding opportunity number listed is RFA-MH-14-020.
Which agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, intended for discrete, hypothesis-driven research projects with clear aims and strong rigor.
What is the main scientific focus of the program?
The program focuses on discovering and characterizing non-coding functional genomic elements in the brain and understanding how those elements influence gene regulation during development and contribute to the etiology of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
What does "non-coding functional elements" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this context, non-coding functional elements are genomic regions outside protein-coding genes that show biochemical activity and can play regulatory roles (for example, affecting transcription factor binding, chromatin state, enhancer activity, or higher-order chromatin structure), particularly in brain tissues and cell types.
Why is the program emphasizing non-coding regions of the genome?
The opportunity highlights that many genetic risk signals for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are located in non-coding regions. Mapping what these regions do in brain cells and developmental windows can help translate genetic associations into biological mechanisms.
How does this relate to ENCODE and PsychENCODE?
The effort builds on insights from ENCODE, which found biochemical activity in many regions once labeled as "junk DNA." This FOA sits within the broader PsychENCODE effort to create a more complete functional map of genomic regulation in the human brain, especially in ways that matter for psychiatric disease biology.
What kinds of activities or outcomes are projects expected to include?
Supported projects are expected to identify and annotate regulatory DNA and RNA elements active in brain tissues and cell types, connect those elements to gene expression control (such as through transcription factor binding, chromatin state, enhancer activity, or higher-order chromatin structure), and link variation or disruption in those elements to pathways relevant to mental illness.
What health or research area is this opportunity associated with?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant in the health research area and is associated with CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).
What is the total estimated funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity is $4,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted on March 8, 2013.
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date listed is June 10, 2013.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The announcement was later archived on July 11, 2013.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many U.S. and non-U.S. institutions and organizations, including higher education institutions, nonprofits, small businesses, for-profit organizations (with noted exception categories), and many government entities.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement lists non-domestic entities (foreign organizations) as eligible.
What types of higher education institutions are eligible?
Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education. The announcement also highlights eligibility for institutions serving specific populations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included nonprofits, including 501(c)(3) organizations and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofit entities.
Are small businesses and for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligibility included small businesses and other for-profit organizations (with noted exception categories).
What government entities are listed as eligible?
The eligible entities listed include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations, including those that are federally recognized and those other than federally recognized.
Are U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?
Yes. Eligibility includes U.S. territories or possessions and also references regional organizations.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The announcement states that faith-based or community-based organizations are included among eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement indicates that eligible federal agencies were included.
Where can applicants find the official NIH announcement?
The official announcement link provided is: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-14-020.html.
Who should be contacted for access or technical issues with the online posting?
For access or technical issues related to the online posting, the listed contact is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What is the program trying to accomplish from an impact perspective?
The program aims to close a key gap in psychiatric genetics by creating a clearer map of which regulatory elements are active in specific brain cell types and developmental windows, and by linking non-coding functional elements to gene regulation and mental disorder mechanisms. This foundation is intended to improve mechanistic understanding and support future work such as biomarker discovery or therapeutic target development.
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