Utilizing Invasive Recording and Stimulating Opportunities in Humans to Advance Neural Circuitry Understanding of Mental Health Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 093

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 093

Utilizing Invasive Recording and Stimulating Opportunities in Humans to Advance Neural Circuitry Understanding of Mental Health Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-23-093) is a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant opportunity that supports human research using invasive neural recordings, with stimulation as an optional, complementary tool, to answer questions that matter for mental health. The central idea is to leverage rare but uniquely informative situations where electrodes are already implanted in people (for example, in certain clinical contexts) to study brain circuitry with very high spatial and temporal precision. By capturing neural activity directly from the brain, investigators can examine how neural circuits and fast-changing neural dynamics relate to moods, emotions, cognition, and behavior in ways that noninvasive methods often cannot. When stimulation is feasible through the same implanted electrodes, the FOA also encourages studies that move beyond correlation and test causal relationships by deliberately perturbing network activity and observing downstream effects on neural signals and mental health-relevant functions.

The scientific focus is intentionally narrow: projects should be framed around specific mental health-relevant questions that are particularly well matched to invasive recording and, when appropriate, stimulation. The FOA is positioned as a way to fill key gaps in understanding of neural circuit function as it relates to mental health disorders, with an emphasis on work that has high translational potential, meaning it can realistically inform how the field conceptualizes, measures, or stratifies mental health conditions based on circuit-level mechanisms. At the same time, the announcement draws a clear boundary around scope: it is not intended for the development of new technologies or the development of new therapies. In other words, applicants should generally propose to use existing invasive recording and stimulation capabilities to generate mechanistic knowledge about neural circuitry relevant to mental health, rather than proposing engineering-driven platform development or treatment development programs.

The funding mechanism is an NIH R01, and the opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which signals that applications may include a clinical trial component if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required for eligibility. The activity category is Health, and the CFDA (Assistance Listing) number provided is 93.242. The listing reflects a standard research project grant structure, where applicants propose a defined set of aims, methods, analysis plans, and milestones consistent with an R01-level effort.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, nonprofits, and the private sector. Eligible applicants explicitly include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; U.S. territories or possessions; regional organizations; tribal governments other than federally recognized; and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility language indicates NIH interest in attracting strong multidisciplinary teams and diverse institutional participation, including organizations that may be well positioned to partner with clinical sites where invasive recordings can be obtained ethically and responsibly.

Key logistics included in the source information are that the opportunity was created on 2023-01-06 and lists an original closing date of 2025-01-07. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which typically means applicants should refer to the full FOA and NIH budgeting guidance for R01 applications to shape appropriate budgets and project scopes.

In practical terms, a competitive application under this FOA would be expected to make a compelling case that invasive neural recording (and optional stimulation) is necessary to answer the proposed mental health-relevant questions, that the study is designed to yield interpretable circuit-level insights, and that the outcomes will meaningfully advance understanding of mental health disorders at the level of neural circuitry and dynamics. The emphasis is on rigorous, hypothesis-driven or strongly motivated mechanistic research that takes advantage of the unique strengths of invasive human neurophysiology while staying clearly away from proposals centered on building new devices or advancing a therapy pipeline.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Utilizing Invasive Recording and Stimulating Opportunities in Humans to Advance Neural Circuitry Understanding of Mental Health Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-01-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: 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.

Apply for PAR 23 093

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