Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 27 180
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is soliciting R01 research grant applications under the funding opportunity titled "Advancing Research on Empirically-Supported Interventions for Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-27-180; CFDA 93.242). The central goal is to strengthen the real-world impact of evidence-based mental health interventions for older adults with serious mental illness by generating practical research that improves how these interventions are refined, delivered, maintained over time, and translated into better outcomes.
This opportunity is specifically aimed at research that answers practice-relevant questions in the settings where older adults with SMI are most likely to be recognized as needing care. That includes clinical environments such as primary care practices and geriatric specialty clinics, as well as community and residential contexts where many older adults receive services or support, including assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and community centers. The emphasis is on meeting people where they are and studying interventions in the places that most directly shape access, continuity, and quality of care for this population.
NIMH is encouraging proposals that build on interventions and service approaches that already have evidence behind them, but need additional work to be effective and sustainable for older adults living with SMI. Applicants may focus on adapting existing efficacious treatments or services to better match late-life needs, optimizing intervention components to improve clinical and functional outcomes, and implementing proven approaches in routine care in ways that actually stick. The NOFO also supports research that identifies and targets modifiable (mutable) factors that influence whether care is fair, impartial, accessible, and high quality. In practical terms, this can include studying the drivers of unequal access or inconsistent quality of mental health services for older adults with SMI and testing intervention strategies designed to reduce those barriers.
Another major theme is innovation in treatment and service delivery, especially innovations that address common real-world obstacles to receiving quality mental health care in later life. Projects can develop and test new or improved intervention models that reduce access barriers, improve engagement, enhance outcomes, or make care more feasible in under-resourced settings. Importantly, the NOFO is "clinical trial optional," meaning applicants can propose studies with or without a clinical trial component, depending on what best fits the research questions and stage of intervention development or implementation.
The opportunity also clearly welcomes systems-level research. NIMH highlights interest in studies that examine how health systems, policies, and routine practices shape the reach and effectiveness of evidence-based care for older adults with SMI. Examples include evaluating system policies and operational practices, designing and testing interventions that support smoother transitions and continuity of care across settings (for example, from hospital to community care, or from independent living to long-term care), and improving care linkages and coordination across multiple systems that older adults often navigate. This reflects a recognition that for older adults with SMI, outcomes are frequently determined not only by the treatment itself, but also by whether the system makes it possible to start, continue, and benefit from that treatment over time.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governments, such as state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits that are not small businesses). The NOFO also explicitly allows international participation: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are permitted as defined by NIH policy.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program using the NIH R01 mechanism within the health funding activity category. The original application due date listed is October 15, 2026. NIMH anticipates making about six awards under this announcement. An explicit award ceiling is not provided in the summary information, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO and NIH R01 budget rules and any institute-specific guidance to determine appropriate budget levels and constraints.
Overall, the funding opportunity is centered on moving beyond proof that an intervention can work and toward the practical science of making evidence-based care work better in later life for people with serious mental illness. That includes tailoring interventions for aging-related needs, improving delivery and sustainability in the settings older adults actually use, addressing modifiable drivers of inequity in access and outcomes, and strengthening the systems and transitions that often determine whether evidence-based mental health care is reachable and continuous.Apply for RFA MH 27 180
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Research on Empirically-Supported Interventions for Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" 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 2026-05-28.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-10-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Advancing Research on Empirically-Supported Interventions for Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)."
2) Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
3) What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA listing provided?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-27-180, and the CFDA number provided is 93.242.
4) What type of grant mechanism is being used?
This is a discretionary grant program using the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.
5) What is the central goal of this opportunity?
The central goal is to strengthen the real-world impact of evidence-based mental health interventions for older adults living with serious mental illness by generating practical research that improves how interventions are refined, delivered, sustained over time, and translated into better outcomes.
6) Who is the primary population of interest?
The primary population is older adults living with serious mental illness (SMI), with an emphasis on research tailored to late-life needs and the settings older adults actually use.
7) What kinds of research questions is NIMH prioritizing?
NIMH is prioritizing practice-relevant questions, particularly those that examine how empirically-supported interventions can be improved so they work better in real-world conditions. This includes research on refinement, delivery, maintenance/sustainability, and translation into better clinical, functional, and service outcomes.
8) In what settings should the proposed research take place?
The opportunity emphasizes studying interventions in settings where older adults with SMI are most likely to be identified as needing care. Examples include primary care practices, geriatric specialty clinics, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and community centers.
9) Does the opportunity focus only on creating brand-new interventions?
No. NIMH encourages proposals that build on interventions and service approaches that already have evidence behind them, but need additional work to be effective, feasible, and sustainable for older adults with SMI.
10) What does it mean that the interventions should be "empirically-supported"?
Based on the description provided, the focus is on interventions and service approaches that already have evidence supporting their effectiveness, and the proposed research should help improve how those approaches perform in later life and in real-world service settings.
11) What types of intervention-focused projects fit this NOFO?
Examples described include adapting existing efficacious treatments or services for late-life needs, optimizing intervention components to improve outcomes, and implementing proven approaches in routine care in ways that are maintainable over time.
12) What does "clinical trial optional" mean for applicants?
"Clinical trial optional" means applicants may propose studies with or without a clinical trial component, depending on what best fits the research questions and the stage of intervention development, refinement, or implementation.
13) Are projects addressing access barriers and engagement encouraged?
Yes. The NOFO emphasizes innovation in treatment and service delivery that addresses real-world obstacles to quality mental health care in later life, including reducing access barriers, improving engagement, enhancing outcomes, and making care more feasible in under-resourced settings.
14) Does the opportunity support research on inequities in access or quality of care?
Yes. The NOFO supports research that identifies and targets modifiable (mutable) factors that influence whether care is fair, impartial, accessible, and high quality. This can include studying drivers of unequal access or inconsistent quality and testing strategies designed to reduce those barriers.
15) Is systems-level research within scope?
Yes. NIMH explicitly welcomes systems-level research examining how health systems, policies, and routine practices shape the reach and effectiveness of evidence-based care for older adults with SMI.
16) What are examples of systems-level topics mentioned?
Examples include evaluating system policies and operational practices, designing and testing interventions that support smoother transitions and continuity of care across settings (such as hospital-to-community care or independent living-to-long-term care), and improving linkages and coordination across multiple systems older adults often navigate.
17) Is continuity of care across settings a focus?
Yes. The opportunity highlights the importance of transitions and continuity of care, recognizing that outcomes often depend on whether systems enable people to start, continue, and benefit from evidence-based treatment over time.
18) What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governments, such as state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits that are not small businesses).
19) Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?
Yes. The NOFO explicitly allows international participation: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are permitted as defined by NIH policy.
20) What is the application due date listed in the summary provided?
The original application due date listed is October 15, 2026.
21) How many awards does NIMH expect to make?
NIMH anticipates making about six awards under this announcement.
22) Is there an award ceiling or maximum budget listed?
No explicit award ceiling is provided in the summary information shared. Applicants would need to consult the full NOFO and NIH R01 budget rules, along with any institute-specific guidance, to determine appropriate budget levels and constraints.
23) What funding activity category is identified?
The opportunity is described as a health funding activity category using the NIH R01 mechanism.
24) What is the main emphasis of the opportunity in plain terms?
The emphasis is on moving beyond showing that an intervention can work and focusing on the practical science of making evidence-based care work better for older adults with SMI in real-life settings. This includes tailoring for aging-related needs, improving delivery and sustainability, addressing modifiable drivers of inequity, and strengthening systems and transitions that determine whether care is reachable and continuous.
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