NOT-MH-04-001: NIMH POLICY FOR APPLICANTS PLANNING TO SUBMIT R21 OR R34 APPLICATIONS

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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NIMH POLICY FOR APPLICANTS PLANNING TO SUBMIT R21 OR R34 APPLICATIONS

RELEASE DATE:  January 20, 2004

NOTICE:  NOT-MH-04-001

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
 (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)

The purpose of this notice is to alert the scientific community that effective 
immediately, applicants requesting R21 support through Program Announcements (PAs) 
issued prior to March 18, 2003, by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 
including those PAs in which NIMH is listed among other institutes, must comply 
with the requirements of the current NIH-wide Exploratory/Developmental Research 
Grant Award (PA-03-107), available at: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-107.html).*

Specifically, the NIMH will only accept R21 applications that request a project 
period of up to 2 years with a combined budget for direct costs of up to $275,000 
for the 2-year period.  The request should be tailored to the needs of the project, 
but no more than $200,000 may be requested in any single year, and the research 
plan may not exceed 15 pages.  

Additionally, if you are planning to submit an NIMH-related clinical research 
application that was in response to one of the PAs that listed the R21 mechanism, 
you may instead consider submitting an R34 application as described in PAR-03-078, 
"From Intervention Development to Services: Exploratory Research Grants (R34),"  
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-078.html.  The R34 allows for a 
project period of up to 3 years with a budget of $450,000 across the 3 years, with 
no single year exceeding $225,000, and including a 25-page research plan.

(As described in the notice titled, REVISED NIH POLICY ON SUBMISSION 
OF A REVISED (AMENDED) APPLICATION 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-041.html, 
if you are submitting an R34 for the first time, 
even if it was previously submitted as an R21, it will be assigned as a new 
application.  It should therefore be submitted under the new application 
deadlines and should not contain a three page introductory response or marked 
text, as is required for an amended application.  AIDS applications, whether 
new or amended, are due on the same receipt date, that is, either the Jan 2, 
May 1, or Sept 1 yearly receipt dates.  All NIMH R34 applications undergo 
peer review conducted at the NIMH.)

*  Three program announcements will NOT follow this guidance, that is, the 
PAs below will continue to solicit a distinct R21 as noted in their specific 
guidances: INNOVATIVE EXPLORATORY STUDIES AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN 
NEUROINFORMATICS RESEARCH (R21) at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-036.html; 
BUILDING TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-02-062.html; and 
INNOVATION GRANTS FOR AIDS RESEARCH at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-046.html or its 
subsequent renewal.  For these announcements, carefully read and follow 
their instructions for the R21.

Direct your questions about this notice to:

Jean G. Noronha, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6154, MSC 9609 
Bethesda, MD  20892-9609
Rockville, MD  20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 443-3367
FAX:  (301) 443-4720
Email:  [email protected]
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