Key Dates

Related Announcements

• November 24, 2023 - Competing Revisions to Existing NIH Single Project Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PA-23-317.

Issued by

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to invite competitive revision applications to support the expansion of existing projects and/or programs awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The parent activity code of the existing award must be a NIMH-funded single project research activity code under which recipients can apply (e.g., R01, U01).

Research Objective

This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) informs the research community that NIMH is accepting applications to request support for an expansion of a single project research grant or cooperative agreement project and/or program awarded by NIMH. The NIMH encourages competing revision applications aligned with the NIMH Strategic Plan. For specific research priorities, review the scientific programs areas of high priority on the NIMH website.

Competitive revisions can provide additional funds during a current project period to support new or additional activities which are not identified in the current award. The proposed new or additional activities reflect an expansion of the scope of the current grant-approved activities. Note that competitive revisions require peer review.

Clinical Trial Information

NIMH will not consider the addition of a clinical trial if a clinical trial was not specified in the funded parent award. The total number of clinical trials conducted in the parent award and competitive revision cannot exceed the limits outlined in the NOFO of the parent award.

Application and Submission Information

Eligibility:

• To be eligible, the applicant must have an active parent NIMH award with a minimum of two years remaining within the current project period at the time of application submission.  Further, while supplemental funds can support additional research, their use is bound by the parent award's original end date, meaning the use of supplemental funds cannot extend beyond the parent award’s original end date.
• Eligible active grants that can be revised in response to this NOSI are limited to NIMH-funded single project research activity codes. The following activity codes are ELIGIBLE: R01, R15, R24, R33, R35, R37, R61, RF1, U01, U24, UF1, UH3.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the program officer and the grant management specialist of the parent grant to confirm eligibility.
• Applications for competing revisions are not appropriate when the purpose is to restore awards to the full level recommended during peer review if they were administratively reduced by the funding agency.

Refer to the NIH Competing Revisions web page for more detailed guidance. 

Application Due Dates: January 2, May 1, and September 1 by 5:00 pm local time of applicant organization through September 2, 2025.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in the original funding opportunity.

Submit applications for this initiative using the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of this announcement through the expiration date of this notice.

• PA-23-317 - Competing Revisions to Existing NIH Single Project Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Clinical Trial Optional)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-MH-25-010” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Evaluation Process:

Applications will undergo expedited peer review for scientific and technical merit by appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by NIMH, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures. Applications will be evaluated by using the criteria described in PA-23-317. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

Applications will proceed to the National Advisory Mental Health Council for a second level of review before the final selection for award.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the Scientific/Research, Peer Review, and Financial/Grants Management contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity.

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with the scientific/research contact listed on the parent award prior to submission to ensure responsiveness and facilitate processing of the application.

Peer Review Contact(s)

Nicholas Gaiano, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-827-3420
Email: nick.gaiano@nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Terri Jarosik
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone:301-443-3858
Email: tjarosik@mail.nih.gov