Using the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Approach to Understand Psychosis (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity?

This is a discretionary research grant opportunity from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (NIH), titled "Using the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Approach to Understand Psychosis (R01)." The funding opportunity number is PAR-16-136.

What grant mechanism does it use?

The opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism. It is intended to support hypothesis-driven, investigator-initiated research projects that can generate substantial new knowledge.

What is the main scientific focus of the opportunity?

The focus is on understanding psychosis by studying psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior, and thought disorder.

What is the central expectation for how applicants should frame the research?

Applicants are expected to frame their work using NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework rather than relying only on traditional diagnostic categories.

What is the purpose of using the RDoC approach in this FOA?

The purpose is to move the field toward a clearer, mechanism-based understanding of psychosis by examining neurobehavioral processes that cut across disorders and vary dimensionally across individuals.

Does the FOA emphasize studying symptoms across different disorders?

Yes. The RDoC approach highlighted in this opportunity encourages examining processes that cut across disorders, rather than focusing strictly on broad clinical diagnoses.

What types of underlying systems or functions does the FOA encourage researchers to investigate?

The opportunity encourages investigation of underlying systems and functions such as cognitive control, perception, reward learning, threat processing, or social communication, and linking those functions to psychotic experiences using measurable constructs and validated methods.

What kinds of measures or methods are emphasized?

The RDoC approach emphasizes measurable constructs and validated methods, and integrating multiple levels of analysis, including behavior, self-report, neurocircuit function, physiology, genetics, and computational modeling.

What is meant by "multiple levels of analysis" in this context?

In this FOA, multiple levels of analysis refers to integrating different types of data and methods such as behavioral assessments, self-report measures, neurocircuit function, physiological measures, genetic data, and computational modeling to better explain psychotic symptoms.

What is the overall research aim described in the opportunity?

The overall aim is to better explain why psychotic symptoms emerge, persist, or change over time, and to identify more precise targets for prevention, intervention, and prediction than what is typically possible when studying broad diagnoses alone.

What funding activity category is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity falls under the health funding activity category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.242.

Who was eligible to apply?

A wide range of organizations were eligible, including:

• State governments
• County governments
• Local governments
• Special district governments
• Independent school districts
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• Other Native American tribal organizations
• Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
• Nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories)
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

Does the eligibility include both nonprofit and for-profit organizations?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status) as well as for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses.

Does the eligibility include government and tribal entities?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations.

What does the broad eligibility suggest about the kinds of settings NIMH expected proposals from?

Based on the listed eligibility, NIMH was open to proposals from academic, clinical, community, governmental, and industry-adjacent settings, as long as the proposed research aligned with the RDoC-based objective of clarifying mechanisms relevant to psychotic symptoms.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling was $500,000, indicating an upper bound on the size of an individual award as described in the source data.

When was the opportunity created and posted?

The opportunity was created and posted on March 17, 2016.

What was the closing date for the opportunity in the provided listing?

The original and current closing date shown in the provided listing was March 5, 2017.

Which institute offered this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the key takeaway of what this FOA was inviting?

This FOA invited R01 applications that use the RDoC framework to dissect neurobehavioral mechanisms contributing to core psychotic symptoms, with the broader goal of advancing a more biologically and behaviorally grounded science of psychosis that can inform better assessment and treatment strategies.