NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 23 263

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 263

The NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education opportunity (PAR-23-263) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program (R25) grant focused on building and strengthening mentoring networks that expand education and career development in mental health research. The core purpose is workforce development: supporting structured educational activities that complement and enhance the training pipeline so the United States has a well-prepared biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce aligned with NIH and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission priorities. As an R25, this mechanism is designed for research education and mentoring infrastructure rather than funding traditional hypothesis-driven research projects, and it is explicitly listed as "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supported activities should not include conducting clinical trials.

This program sits within the NIH discretionary grant portfolio under the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA 93.242. The grant is intended to support organized mentoring and research education experiences that can help participants gain exposure to mental health research pathways, develop research skills, and access mentorship and professional networks that are often decisive for retention and advancement in research careers. In practice, applicants typically propose coordinated mentoring structures, curricula, workshops, seminars, skills-based training, and networking or professional development activities that broaden access to high-quality mentorship and research education in mental health-related fields. The overarching expectation is that the proposed activities measurably strengthen the research education environment and help develop a diverse and capable mental health research workforce.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental units. Eligible applicants 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 other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education, where separate categories apply); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizational types as allowed by NIH. The opportunity also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is constrained in a way that is typical for many NIH opportunities. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which generally means a U.S.-based applicant may include certain international elements in the project when they are well-justified and meet NIH policy requirements, but the primary applicant institution must be eligible and domestic.

From an award standpoint, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $200,000. The posting does not provide a specific expected number of awards. The original closing date shown is May 25, 2025. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, with NIMH as the institute associated with this particular mentoring network and mental health research education focus. The opportunity was created on March 3, 2023, and remains positioned as a program to strengthen mentoring and educational capacity rather than to fund clinical trials or conventional research studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education (R25 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 2023-03-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-25. (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 23 263

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