Navigator Emergency Department Diversion Models for Non-Urgent Mental Health Concerns (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research organizations and academic institutions seeking to fund clinical trials testing navigator-led emergency department diversion models for patients with non-urgent mental health concerns. Applicants must be U.S.-based research institutions, universities, medical centers, and nonprofit research organizations with the capacity to conduct NIH-funded clinical research. The grant supports research activities across the United States. Eligible activities include developing and testing navigator intervention programs that redirect patients from emergency departments to appropriate community mental health services, conducting randomized controlled trials or comparative effectiveness studies, and evaluating clinical, economic, and implementation outcomes. Principal investigators must have appropriate research credentials and institutional research infrastructure (IRB, IACUC compliance capacity, etc.).
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Program description
The purpose of this NOFO is to build research about the effectiveness, implementation, and optimization of family navigation ED diversion models for non-urgent mental health problems. Models of interest are designed to (a) utilize triage tools to identify mental health acuity, (b) facilitate engagement in mental health services and needed resources, and (c) provide support, knowledge about the mental health condition, and facilitate linkages/address barriers to help-seeking among families.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Community Health Center
- County Government
- Mental Health Clinic
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 R&R (application cover page and other forms)
- Project narrative (typically 15 pages) describing background, objectives, specific aims, research design, methods, and evaluation plan
- Budget and budget justification (with detailed personnel, equipment, supplies, and other direct costs)
- Biographical sketches (NIH format) for key personnel (PD/PI and senior key staff)
- Institutional support letter and evidence of IRB approval capacity
- Letters of support from participating emergency departments and community mental health partners
- Data management and sharing plan
- Protection of human subjects documentation and IRB approval (or plan for obtaining it)
- Literature cited
- Appendices (study protocols, preliminary data figures, instruments)
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
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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$78,262,050
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$75,056,208
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$74,756,329
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$64,705,159
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$63,991,707
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$54,214,022
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$48,653,752
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$38,895,082
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$38,475,557
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$35,940,675
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $408.1M
- MA 9 awards $230.5M
- NY 6 awards $184.2M
- CT 4 awards $183.5M
- WA 4 awards $174.9M
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
What type of research can be funded under this grant?
This grant funds clinical trials testing navigator-based emergency department diversion models. Studies must include rigorous study designs (RCT, quasi-experimental) evaluating whether navigators can effectively redirect patients with non-urgent mental health concerns away from EDs to community-based mental health services.
Who is eligible to apply?
Research institutions, academic medical centers, universities, and nonprofit research organizations with demonstrated research capacity, IRB approval mechanisms, and access to ED settings for participant recruitment are eligible.
What are the funding ranges and project periods?
Typical NIH R01 grants range from $250,000 to $750,000+ in direct costs annually, with project periods of 3–5 years. Actual amounts vary by review panel assessment.
Is this competitive, and what makes applications successful?
This is a highly competitive NIH program. Strong applications include clear clinical significance, rigorous trial methodology, demonstrated feasibility (pilot data), experienced research team, and dissemination plans.
What is the deadline and when can I apply?
The application deadline is January 7, 2028. Applications are accepted starting November 25, 2024. Plan to submit well before the deadline as pre-submission review by program officers is recommended.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Contact the NIH program officer before finalizing your application. They can clarify scope expectations, suggest methodological approaches, and indicate whether your study design aligns with program priorities.
- Include preliminary data from a pilot study or feasibility phase demonstrating that your navigator model can be implemented in real ED settings and showing promise for reducing unnecessary ED utilization.
- Design a robust clinical trial with clear primary and secondary outcomes, valid measurement tools, adequate sample size justification, and appropriate statistical analysis plans. NIH reviewers scrutinize methodology carefully.
- Address implementation science and sustainability: explain how navigator services will be integrated into existing ED workflows, staffing models, funding mechanisms post-grant, and dissemination pathways to increase adoption.
- Build a multidisciplinary team including clinical leaders (emergency medicine, psychiatry), research methodologists, health economists, and partners from participating ED sites with formal letters of support committing to participant access and follow-up.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail due to lack of preliminary data or unclear feasibility of navigator implementation in busy ED settings. Weak clinical trial methodology—such as inadequate sample size justification, missing control groups, or vague outcome measures—commonly results in low scores. Additionally, applicants sometimes underestimate the complexity of ED recruitment and retention; strong applications include concrete recruitment strategies with documented ED partner commitment.
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