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Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Federal funding opportunity PAR-25-037 from National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services).

Apply on Grants.gov →Application closes September 7, 2026

Posted: November 18, 2024
Closes: September 7, 2026
Cost sharing: No
Instrument: Grant
Assistance listing: 93.242
Category: Health
Archives: October 13, 2026

Program funding history

Awards made under Assistance Listing 93.242 across FY2024–FY2026, from public federal spending records.

FY2024 obligated: $1.8B
FY2025 obligated: $1.8B
FY2026 (to date) obligated: $1.3B
Awards in window: 7,334

Top recipients: Yale Univ, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, University of California, Los Angeles, Washington University, the

Source: USAspending.gov · refreshed August 2026

Synopsis

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages research on the biology of high confidence risk factors associated with complex brain disorders, with a focus on the intracellular, transcellular and circuit substrates of neural function. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term complex can refer to a multifactorial contribution to risk (e.g., polygenic and/or environmental) and/or highly distributed functional features of the brain disorder. Studies may be either hypothesis-generating (unbiased discovery) or hypothesis-testing in design and may utilize in vivo, in situ, or in vitro experimental paradigms, e.g., model organisms or human cell-based assays. While behavioral paradigms and outcome measures can be incorporated into the research design to facilitate the characterization of intracellular, transcellular and circuit mechanisms, these are neither required nor expected. Studies should not attempt to model disorders but instead should aim to elucidate the neurobiological impact of individual or combined risk factor(s), such as the affected molecular and cellular components and their relationships within defined biological process(es). This can include the fundamental biology of these factors, components and processes. The resulting paradigms, component pathways and biological processes should be disseminated with sufficient detail to enrich common and/or federated data resources (e.g., those contributing to the Gene Ontology, Synaptic Gene Ontology, FAIR Data Informatics) in order to bridge the gap between disease risk factors, biological mechanism and therapeutic target identification. The present NOFO (R21 activity code) can be used for applications to develop early stage, high-risk, exploratory approaches or establish proof-of-concept where there is little or no preliminary data. Applicants proposing to develop lines of inquiry where feasibility or proof of concept has been established should apply to the companion R01 NOFO (PAR-xx-xxx).

Who can apply

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
City or township governments
Special district governments
County governments
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Independent school districts
Private institutions of higher education
State governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

How to apply

Applications go through the official government listing. Grants Radar links you straight to the source — applying is free.

View on Grants.gov Full announcement

Agency contact: National Institutes of Health · [email protected] · 301-402-2541

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