The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is offering the NIMH Short Courses for Mental Health-Related Research (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity. The purpose of this grant is to support educational activities that enhance training for the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce. Specifically, the program funds short courses designed to equip researchers with cutting-edge skills in mental health research. These short courses are intended to incorporate both didactic instruction and hands-on research experiences, and they are open to graduate/medical students, medical residents, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career investigators.

The courses funded under this grant must align with the mission of the NIMH and address its Strategic Research Priorities. Topics may range from basic neuroscience and human genetics/genomics to translational research, interventions, and mental health services research across the lifespan. The courses should be national in scope and not limited to a local or regional audience. Additionally, the short courses should incorporate principles of rigorous and reproducible research, including quantitative reasoning, experimental design, statistics, and analytical techniques.

This funding opportunity has an annual application deadline of May 25, with reviews occurring in November, advisory council reviews in January, and award start dates in April of the following year. The program will expire on May 26, 2025. Applicants must submit their proposals through the NIH ASSIST system, institutional system-to-system solutions, or Grants.gov Workspace. Applications must conform to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and follow all NIH guidelines. Non-compliant applications may be delayed or not accepted for review.

The award provides up to $200,000 per year in direct costs, with a maximum project duration of five years. Funding is contingent on NIH appropriations and the number of high-quality applications received. While participant costs are allowable, programs are not intended to provide full-time salary support. Administrative and clerical costs, as well as salaries for personnel directly involved in program implementation, must be justified and may not exceed 25% of total direct costs. Indirect costs are limited to 8% of modified total direct costs.

Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, local and state governments, special district governments, Native American tribal governments and organizations, independent school districts, and public housing authorities. Foreign institutions and components of non-U.S. organizations are not eligible. Applicants must be registered in SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov before submission. The principal investigator (PI) should be an established investigator with relevant scientific expertise and a strong track record as an educator.

Applications will be evaluated based on criteria including significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, approach, and environment. The review process involves scientific peer review, advisory council evaluation, and NIH funding decisions based on merit, program priorities, and available funds. Applicants will receive a summary statement through eRA Commons following review. Compliance with NIH policies on rigor, reproducibility, diversity, and non-discrimination is required. Contact information for scientific, peer review, and financial management inquiries is available through the NIMH.