Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 16 350
Apply for RFA MH 16 350
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Partnerships for Going to Scale with Mental Health Interventions in Low and Middle Income Countries (U19)" 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 Apr 16, 2015 and posted on Apr 16, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 15, 2015. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities State governments Small businesses County 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:
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-MH-16-350, titled "Research Partnerships for Going to Scale with Mental Health Interventions in Low and Middle Income Countries (U19)," was designed to support implementation-focused research partnerships that help low- and middle-income countries (as designated by the World Bank) expand access to effective, evidence-based mental health care. The central problem it targets is the mental health treatment gap, meaning the share of children, women, and men who need mental health services but do not receive them. Rather than developing new clinical treatments in controlled settings, the emphasis is on the practical, real-world questions that arise when countries try to deliver proven interventions at scale, maintain quality over time, and make programs sustainable in resource-limited health systems.
Projects funded under this announcement were expected to conduct implementation research and build research capacity within LMICs, with work taking place in one of six broad regions: East Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Central Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East and North Africa; South Asia; or Sub-Saharan Africa. The intent is that each award would not only generate findings about how to scale mental health interventions effectively, but also leave behind stronger local capability to continue this kind of research and evaluation. Capacity building is therefore a core feature of the program, reflecting a focus on strengthening LMIC-based leadership, skills, and infrastructure for ongoing implementation research and program improvement.
A defining feature of the FOA is that the funded projects were meant to function as a coordinated set, forming a network of awardees focused on mental health implementation research in LMICs. Collectively, this network was expected to be able to answer cross-cutting questions about "going to scale," such as how to integrate mental health services into existing platforms (for example, primary care or community-based systems), how to maintain fidelity to evidence-based approaches while adapting them to local contexts, how to ensure service quality when resources and specialist providers are limited, and how to support evidence-informed policy and program decisions as countries expand coverage. In other words, the program prioritizes knowledge that helps governments and systems leaders move from small pilots to durable, population-level impact.
The funding mechanism for this opportunity was a cooperative agreement (U19), which generally indicates substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by the funding agency compared with a standard research grant. The opportunity fell under the NIH activity category of health and was associated with CFDA number 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). The FOA anticipated about five awards, with an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000 and an award ceiling of $500,000. No cost sharing or matching was required, lowering financial barriers for applicants that might not be able to commit non-federal resources.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations and governments. Eligible applicants listed in the announcement included U.S. and non-U.S. entities such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and special district governments. The FOA also explicitly referenced eligibility for various minority-serving and community-focused institutions and entities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, AANAPISIs, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, foreign organizations, and eligible federal agencies. This wide eligibility aligns with the partnership-oriented nature of the program, where effective LMIC implementation research often requires collaboration among universities, ministries, NGOs, and local service delivery systems.
One of the strongest boundary conditions in the announcement is that it was not intended to support research that could be conducted primarily in and/or by institutions in the United States or other high-income countries. That statement signals a clear priority: the research should be rooted in LMIC settings, focused on LMIC implementation challenges, and structured in a way that meaningfully supports LMIC-led or LMIC-centered capacity and outcomes, rather than exporting a research agenda dominated by high-income country institutions.
Administratively, the FOA was posted on April 16, 2015, with an original and current closing date of July 15, 2015, and an archive date of August 15, 2015. The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health. The full announcement was linked through the NIH grants guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-16-350.html, and the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact was provided for access or linking issues (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity and what is its title?
This NIH funding opportunity is RFA-MH-16-350, titled "Research Partnerships for Going to Scale with Mental Health Interventions in Low and Middle Income Countries (U19)."
What main problem is this opportunity trying to address?
It targets the mental health treatment gap: the portion of children, women, and men who need mental health services but do not receive them.
What is the overall purpose of this FOA?
The purpose is to support implementation-focused research partnerships that help low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as designated by the World Bank, expand access to effective, evidence-based mental health care.
Is this opportunity focused on developing new clinical treatments?
No. The emphasis is not on developing new clinical treatments in controlled settings. It prioritizes practical, real-world implementation questions that arise when proven interventions are delivered at scale, quality is maintained over time, and programs are made sustainable in resource-limited health systems.
What kind of research activities were expected under this announcement?
Projects were expected to conduct implementation research and to build research capacity within LMICs, with a focus on questions that emerge when countries attempt to expand effective mental health interventions to population scale.
Where was the work expected to take place?
Work was expected to take place in LMICs within one of six broad regions: East Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Central Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East and North Africa; South Asia; or Sub-Saharan Africa.
How are LMICs defined for this program?
The FOA references LMICs as designated by the World Bank.
What does "going to scale" mean in the context of this program?
In this FOA, "going to scale" refers to moving from small pilots to durable, population-level impact by delivering evidence-based mental health interventions widely, maintaining quality, and supporting sustainability within real-world systems.
What types of cross-cutting "going to scale" questions was the network expected to address?
Examples include how to integrate mental health services into existing platforms (such as primary care or community-based systems), how to maintain fidelity while adapting interventions to local contexts, how to ensure service quality when resources and specialist providers are limited, and how to support evidence-informed policy and program decisions as countries expand coverage.
What is meant by maintaining fidelity while adapting to local contexts?
The FOA highlights the need to preserve essential elements of evidence-based approaches (fidelity) while making appropriate modifications so interventions fit local cultures, settings, and delivery systems.
Why is capacity building emphasized?
Capacity building is described as a core feature of the program. Each award was intended not only to generate findings about scaling mental health interventions, but also to leave behind stronger local capability to continue implementation research and evaluation, strengthening LMIC-based leadership, skills, and infrastructure.
Were awards intended to operate independently or as part of a coordinated group?
A defining feature is that funded projects were meant to function as a coordinated set, forming a network of awardees focused on mental health implementation research in LMICs.
What is the funding mechanism and what does it imply?
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U19). This generally indicates substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by the funding agency compared with a standard research grant.
What NIH activity category is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity fell under the NIH activity category of health.
What CFDA number is associated with this FOA?
The FOA is associated with CFDA number 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).
How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated about five awards.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level was $3,000,000.
What was the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $500,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA specified that no cost sharing or matching was required.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations and governments. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; state and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and special district governments.
Did the FOA include specific categories of minority-serving or community-focused institutions?
Yes. It explicitly referenced eligibility for entities such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, AANAPISIs, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Were foreign organizations and U.S. territories mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA referenced foreign organizations as eligible, and also mentioned U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and eligible federal agencies.
Is research primarily conducted in the United States or other high-income countries responsive to this FOA?
No. A strong boundary condition is that the FOA was not intended to support research that could be conducted primarily in and/or by institutions in the United States or other high-income countries.
What does the FOA signal about where the research should be rooted?
It signals that the research should be rooted in LMIC settings, focused on LMIC implementation challenges, and structured to meaningfully support LMIC-centered capacity and outcomes rather than being dominated by high-income country institutions.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on April 16, 2015. The original and current closing date was July 15, 2015.
When was the FOA archived?
The archive date was August 15, 2015.
Which agency sponsored this funding opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where can the full announcement be found?
The full announcement was linked through the NIH grants guide at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-16-350.html
Who was the contact for access or linking issues?
The NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact was provided for access or linking issues: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV
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