Mental Health Research Dissertation Grant to Enhance Workforce Diversity (R36 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 172

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 172

The Mental Health Research Dissertation Grant to Enhance Workforce Diversity (R36 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed), PAR-22-172, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity run through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Its central goal is to strengthen and diversify the mental health research workforce by supporting doctoral students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research. In practical terms, the award is meant to help an eligible student complete a dissertation research project that fits within NIMH strategic priorities, which broadly cover research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating mental illnesses and improving mental health services and outcomes. This announcement is a reissue of PAR-21-325, meaning it continues an existing program with updated administrative details.

This is a discretionary grant program (as opposed to a formula-based entitlement program) and falls under the NIH health research assistance listing associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing number 93.242. The mechanism is an R36 dissertation grant, which is specifically designed to provide targeted support during the dissertation phase rather than funding a full multi-year research program like larger investigator-initiated awards. The FOA explicitly states "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the proposed dissertation work cannot be an independent clinical trial where the applicant would be responsible for the trial’s design and conduct. Depending on NIH policy details, applicants may still be able to work with clinical trial data or be involved in clinical trial-related research under certain conditions, but they cannot propose to run an independent clinical trial as the core of the R36 project.

Eligibility is broad on the institutional side, reflecting the program’s workforce diversity mission. Eligible applicant organizations include many types of U.S.-based entities such as public and private institutions of higher education, including public/state-controlled universities and private universities; state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Tribal eligibility includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, and the FOA also highlights institutions that commonly serve historically underrepresented populations, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). The announcement also allows applications from nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), faith-based or community-based organizations, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, along with certain eligible federal agencies and regional organizations.

At the same time, there are important limits related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the FOA allows "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means portions of the research may be carried out outside the U.S. when scientifically justified and appropriately structured under NIH rules, even though the applicant organization itself must be eligible and not a foreign institution.

The funding opportunity was created on May 25, 2022, and the listed original closing date is May 7, 2025. The public listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which often means applicants need to consult the full FOA text and NIH budget guidance to understand typical funding levels, allowable costs, and project period expectations for the R36 mechanism. Overall, the program is best understood as dissertation-completion support aimed at helping diversify the pipeline of mental health researchers, while keeping the research aligned with NIMH priorities and excluding proposals that would require the student to run an independent clinical trial.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mental Health Research Dissertation Grant to Enhance Workforce Diversity (R36 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 2022-05-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 22 172

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: