The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) invites applications under the Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition funding opportunity. This program seeks to advance mechanistic and translational research on mood and psychotic disorders emerging or worsening during the menopausal transition. The focus is on identifying neurobiological, behavioral, and social mechanisms that underlie these conditions, with the aim of discovering new therapeutic targets. This opportunity employs the R21 grant mechanism for exploratory research and is appropriate for high-risk, high-reward projects, studies lacking preliminary data, or those utilizing existing data. It complements a parallel R01 funding opportunity for more developed projects.

Eligible research must target populations undergoing the menopausal transition, defined as the period from the onset of menstrual changes to early post-menopause. Proposed studies should investigate mood and psychotic disorders through a dimensional lens, integrating multiple levels of analysis such as neuroimaging, genetics, and behavioral science. Projects employing Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) frameworks to explore transdiagnostic phenomena or those using novel technologies to examine neurobehavioral dynamics are strongly encouraged. The program emphasizes methodological rigor, intersectionality, and reproducibility, aligning with the NIMH’s commitment to innovative and impactful research.

Applicants may request up to $275,000 in direct costs for a two-year project period, with a cap of $200,000 in any single year. Eligible organizations include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, state and local governments, and foreign institutions. All submissions must validate that participants are in the menopausal transition and assess the phase scientifically. Studies focusing solely on descriptive data, single-level observations, or non-human models are deemed non-responsive.

Applications are due on standard NIH submission dates, with the earliest submission date being January 16, 2025. The program operates under NIH's clinical trial optional policy, accepting proposals with or without clinical trial components. Required application components include a detailed research strategy, a data management and sharing plan, and budget justifications. Projects must incorporate appropriate human subject protections and adhere to data-sharing policies, including contributing to the NIMH Data Archive.

This funding opportunity reflects NIMH’s priority to improve understanding and treatment of mood and psychotic disorders linked to menopause, leveraging multidisciplinary collaboration and state-of-the-art methodologies. Researchers are encouraged to consult NIMH staff to ensure alignment with program priorities and maximize the impact of their proposals.