NIMH Research Education Programs for Psychiatry Residents (R25- Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 094

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 094

The NIMH Research Education Programs for Psychiatry Residents (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity designed to strengthen the pipeline of psychiatry residents entering research careers. Using the NIH Research Education Program (R25) mechanism, it supports structured educational activities that expose participants to research and build the skills, mentorship, and professional development needed to pursue long-term work in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical science areas that align with the mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The central aim is recruitment and preparation: helping individuals with a specific clinical specialty background (psychiatry residency training) transition toward becoming clinician-researchers who can contribute to mental health research.

This opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and uses the grant funding instrument, with a health-related funding activity classification and CFDA number 93.242. The funding opportunity number is PAR 20 094, and it was created on 2020-01-16, with an original closing date shown as 2022-05-25. The posted award ceiling is $200,000, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the terms of this announcement. The notice emphasizes education-focused programming rather than running new clinical trials as the primary activity, consistent with the label "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants should not propose an independent clinical trial as the main deliverable of the program.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments that can support research education programming. Examples include state, county, and city or township 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and a range of nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under those nonprofit categories). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible, along with an "Others" category that can cover additional entities permitted by NIH policy and the specific announcement.

The announcement also calls out additional categories of eligible applicants, highlighting an intent to include institutions and organizations that serve historically underrepresented populations and a variety of community or regional entities. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal government agencies; regional organizations; Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized; and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals that NIMH is open to a wide range of program hosts, as long as they can credibly deliver psychiatry-resident-focused research education and meet NIH administrative and scientific requirements.

At the same time, the eligibility rules are explicit about what is not allowed with respect to non-U.S. participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply under this opportunity. In addition, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In practical terms, the applicant organization must be U.S.-based and the proposed program activities must not rely on a formal foreign component arrangement under NIH definitions.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as funding for a research education program tailored to psychiatry residents, intended to create a structured, mentored pathway into research careers relevant to mental health. Competitive programs under this kind of R25 announcement typically emphasize a clear educational plan, strong mentorship and research environment, well-defined participant recruitment and selection strategies, and credible evaluation methods to track outcomes such as research skill development, continued research involvement, and progression toward research training or career awards, while staying within the restriction against proposing an independent clinical trial as the main project activity.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMH Research Education Programs for Psychiatry Residents (R25- Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-01-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 20 094

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