Genetic Architecture of Mental Disorders in Ancestrally Diverse Populations II (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 241

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 241

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is offering a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Genetic Architecture of Mental Disorders in Ancestrally Diverse Populations II (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-241 (CFDA 93.242). This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U24), which means awardees should expect substantial involvement and coordination with NIH program staff rather than operating as fully independent grantees. As stated in the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this specific announcement, so projects must be designed around non-trial activities such as data infrastructure, harmonization, collaboration, and network support functions.

The main goal of the NOFO is to build on the existing NIMH-supported Ancestry and Population Network (APN) and expand it into APN2. The emphasis is on scaling up to larger and more comprehensive studies that directly address gaps in the field related to understanding the genetic architecture of mental disorders in ancestrally diverse populations. In practical terms, the initiative is aiming to strengthen the evidence base and improve the quality and breadth of genetic and related data resources for mental health research in populations that have historically been underrepresented in large-scale genomic studies. By expanding the network, NIMH is signaling a priority for broader inclusion, better representation, and improved scientific validity and generalizability of genetic findings across diverse ancestry groups.

A central feature of this initiative is the creation or support of a Coordinating Center (CC). The CC is intended to drive network-wide collaboration and make the overall effort more effective than a set of disconnected projects. This includes facilitating collaborative activities across participating network projects, increasing the value and usability of the data resource generated by those projects, and producing guidance that the wider scientific community can use. The guidance component suggests an expectation that the CC will help establish best practices, standards, and shared approaches (for example, around data harmonization, phenotyping consistency, analytic strategies, governance, and responsible data sharing) so that research outputs are comparable, integratable, and broadly informative.

Another explicit priority is career development and research capacity building, particularly for investigators from low-resource settings globally. The NOFO frames this as a network-level benefit enabled by the CC, implying that training, mentorship, and workforce development activities may be integral to the coordinating function. While the announcement notes a global focus for capacity building, it also includes eligibility constraints about which organizations may apply, so the mechanism appears designed to support international collaboration and inclusion while keeping the primary award structure within eligible applicant organizations.

Eligibility is broad across many U.S.-based organizational types, including state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. Eligible applicants also include public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other unspecified eligible entities. The NOFO explicitly calls out additional categories of organizations that are eligible, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized tribes, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the notice includes important restrictions on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. This distinction typically means that while the prime applicant and its core applying structure must be domestic, portions of the work can be carried out in collaboration with foreign institutions or sites when structured as foreign components under NIH policy and when appropriately justified and approved within the application.

Key administrative details provided include an original closing date of October 11, 2024, and a creation date of July 10, 2024. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source text, which usually means applicants need to consult the full NOFO for budget guidance, project period expectations, and the anticipated scale of funding. Overall, the opportunity is centered on building a strong, collaborative, and standardized infrastructure for advancing psychiatric genetics in ancestrally diverse populations, with the Coordinating Center positioned as the hub that enables data resource development, network coordination, community guidance, and meaningful capacity building.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Genetic Architecture of Mental Disorders in Ancestrally Diverse Populations II (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2024-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-11. (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.

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