PA-21-235: NIMH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of National Institutes of Health notices from 2021.
National Institutes of Health offered grants of up to $275,000 to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on January 7, 2025.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed April 1, 2024. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$275,000
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeR21
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- Funded byNIMH
- Median yearly award$228,312
- Typical project length3 years
- R21, Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant. Early, exploratory ideas that may not have preliminary data yet, usually for up to two years. Other open R21 notices.
Projects funded under PA-21-235 were run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 181 projects). Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your project before you apply; the notice lists them.
This notice replaced PA-18-350.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read PA-21-235 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Posted | May 10, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | January 7, 2025 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | February 6, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.
All 15 applicant types the notice lists
- 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 (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
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.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Projects NIH funded under this notice had a median yearly award of $228,312; it allows up to $275,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (69% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
Reissue of PA-18-350. The NIMH Exploratory/Developmental Grant program supports exploratory and high-risk research projects that fall within the NIMH mission by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methods, measures, models, or strategies, or to the generation of pilot or feasibility data. The preliminary work from these studies could lead to a major impact on biomedical, behavioral, or clinical mental health research, or on the delivery of mental health care.
Funded under PA-21-235 so far
NIH funded 181 projects under PA-21-235 in fiscal 2022 to 2026, at 102 institutions. The median yearly award was $228,312.
Who has won Mental Health Research Grants grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Mental Health Research Grants (93.242) awarded $8.8 billion across 6,785 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Univ | Connecticut | 185 | $371 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 200 | $297 million |
| University of California, Los Angeles | California | 176 | $234 million |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York | 144 | $212 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 149 | $211 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is PA-21-235 still open?
No. It closed on January 7, 2025.
Who can apply for NIMH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for NIMH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
Closed January 7, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $275,000 each.
Who has been funded under PA-21-235?
NIH RePORTER lists 181 projects funded under PA-21-235 in fiscal 2022 to 2026, at 102 institutions. The most were at Yale University, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, McLean Hospital.
Who has won Mental Health Research Grants grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Yale Univ, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, University of California, Los Angeles. The program made 6,785 awards worth $8.8 billion in that time.
Similar open grants
- Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
- Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
- Developing novel theory and methods for understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- Mechanisms that Impact Cancer Risk with Use of Incretin Mimetics (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
- Early-Stage Dissemination and Implementation Research in Communication Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)