Advancing Research on Empirically-Supported Interventions for Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 27, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research organizations seeking to advance evidence-based interventions for older adults with serious mental illness. Eligible applicants typically include academic institutions, research centers, hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations with NIH 501(c)(3) status or equivalent. The grant supports empirical research, clinical trials, and intervention development focused on SMI populations aged 55 and older. Geographic scope is national; applicants must have institutional capacity for rigorous research design and IRB approval.
Eligible activities include developing and testing new or refined interventions. This includes feasibility studies, pilot testing, and randomized controlled trials. Implementation science approaches and comparative effectiveness research are encouraged. Applicants should propose innovations that address mental health disparities or gaps in existing treatments for this vulnerable population.
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Key dates
- Jun 17, 2025 Applications open
- Oct 15, 2025 Application deadline
- Jul 1, 2026 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2026 Project start
Program description
The National Institute of Mental Health intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research focused on the optimization, delivery, sustainability, and effectiveness of empirically-supported interventions for addressing the mental health needs of older adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the R01 activity code. Investigators with expertise and insights into research related to adapting, optimizing, and implementing efficacious treatment of SMI and strategies to improve clinical and functional outcomes, to include the reduction of co-occurring chronic health conditions among aging populations are encouraged to consider applying for this new NOFO. In addition, collaborative research combining multidisciplinary expertise to address SMI and improve access to evidence-based interventions in later life, such as interventions that facilitate care transitions and continuity across settings, and research on strategies to improve care linkages and coordination across health systems are also encouraged to apply.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Colleges (all higher ed)
- County Government
- Hospital
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Federal Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Specific Aims and Background
- Research Design and Methods
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches of key research personnel
- Letters of Support from collaborating institutions
- IRB approval documentation or plan
- Preliminary Data section
- References
Program contact
- 👤 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- 📧 NIMHinitiatives@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 TBA
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.242 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$94,320,200
-
$91,890,365
-
$78,262,050
-
$67,491,373
-
$64,705,159
-
$63,991,707
-
$48,653,752
-
$38,895,082
-
$38,475,557
-
$35,940,675
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $427.7M
- MA 10 awards $265.5M
- WA 4 awards $191.8M
- NY 6 awards $184.2M
- CT 4 awards $183.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.242). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,722,300,004 | |
| 2025 | $1,726,864,191 | |
| 2026 est. | $99,221,272 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Academic medical centers, universities, research institutes, and nonprofit research organizations with NIH grant experience. You need institutional infrastructure for research and human subjects protection.
What does this grant fund?
Research studies, intervention development, clinical trials, and pilot testing. Empirical evidence generation is the focus, not direct service delivery.
How competitive is this?
Very competitive. Reviewers prioritize novel approaches, strong methodology, and demonstrated feasibility. Previous NIH funding and senior research team experience strengthen applications.
What's the typical funding range?
NIH grants in this category typically range from $150K to $500K annually, depending on project scope. Multi-year funding is standard.
What are common reasons for rejection?
Weak preliminary data, unclear significance to SMI populations, insufficient research team expertise, or lack of feasibility evidence for proposed interventions.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Ground your intervention in existing literature and clearly identify the research gap it addresses for older adults with SMI.
- Provide strong preliminary data showing your intervention concept has promise before entering a full trial.
- Include a research team with documented expertise in geriatric psychiatry, mental health services research, or intervention science.
- Address how you will ensure diverse recruitment and evaluate outcomes that matter to older adults with SMI.
- Build realistic timelines and budgets that account for IRB processes, recruitment challenges, and data analysis complexity.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposing interventions without sufficient preliminary evidence. Many applicants skip pilot work and jump directly to large trials. Ignoring the specific needs and preferences of older adults with SMI in intervention design. Selecting outcome measures that don't align with patient-centered goals or real-world implementation settings.
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