Dysregulation and Proximal Risk for Suicide (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 19 210

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 19 210

The Dysregulation and Proximal Risk for Suicide (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-MH-19-210) is a National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) small grant initiative aimed at sharpening what science can say about near-term, time-varying risk for suicide attempts. The central idea is that suicide risk is not just a stable trait or a long-term vulnerability; it can shift quickly, often in response to acute stressors, and the most useful prevention tools are the ones that can tell clinicians and communities not only who is at risk, but when the risk is peaking and why. This program aligns with the Prioritized Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention, especially the goal of understanding who is most at risk, what drives the transition from suicidal thoughts to action, and the best timing for intervention.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on dysregulation as a dynamic mechanism, with a particular push to go beyond the common focus on “emotion dysregulation” alone. NIMH is specifically looking for research that examines constructs in the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domain of Arousal and Regulation (for example, sleep-wake processes, arousal levels, stress responsivity, circadian rhythms, or physiological regulation) and tests how these interact with constructs from other RDoC domains, such as Cognitive Systems and Negative and Positive Valence Systems. The FOA highlights examples of functions that may be shaped by arousal/regulation states, including reward responding, frustrative non-reward, cognitive flexibility and control, and decision-making. In practical terms, the funded studies should help clarify how moment-to-moment or day-to-day changes in arousal and regulatory processes combine with cognitive and emotional processes to create imminent, or proximal, risk conditions for suicide attempts.

The program is explicit about what counts as responsive. Applications must directly investigate how the interaction between at least one Arousal and Regulation construct and one or more constructs in other RDoC domains relates to imminent risk for suicide attempts. Proposals that stay at the level of static characteristics (such as fixed personality traits), that focus mainly on distant or distal predictors, or that rely primarily on past suicidal behavior without addressing near-term risk processes are not a fit. Likewise, studies that operate within only a single RDoC domain, without testing cross-domain interactions, are considered nonresponsive. The overall emphasis is on mechanisms that fluctuate over time and can plausibly become targets for interventions delivered during high-risk windows.

The intended payoff is twofold: better mechanistic understanding and more actionable targets. By mapping how dysregulation in arousal and regulation interacts with cognition and valence processes to produce time-varying risk, the research supported by this FOA is meant to identify modifiable points of intervention, especially those suitable for rapid, timely responses when an individual enters a high-risk period. The “clinical trial optional” label indicates that applicants may propose clinical trials, but they are not required; the key is that the project addresses the mechanistic, proximal-risk focus and fits the R21 exploratory/developmental scope.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health category (CFDA 93.242) using the NIH R21 mechanism, which typically supports early-stage, high-impact exploratory work. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The opportunity was created on 2018-10-03, and the original closing date was 2018-12-05. While the summary information provided does not specify the exact number of expected awards, the FOA is positioned as a targeted effort to build a stronger portfolio of proximal suicide risk research within NIMH.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. governmental units and institutions, as well as nonprofit and for-profit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other organizations. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations. This wide eligibility is consistent with the public health urgency of suicide prevention and the need for research that can apply across settings and populations.

In short, this grant opportunity is designed to move suicide prevention science toward a more precise understanding of short-term risk by funding studies that capture how dysregulation in arousal and regulation, in combination with cognitive and valence-related processes, contributes to imminent suicide attempt risk. The FOA prioritizes dynamic, mechanistic, cross-domain RDoC research that can reveal near-term warning pathways and identify changeable targets for interventions delivered at the moments they are most needed.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dysregulation and Proximal Risk for Suicide (R21 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 2018-10-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA MH 19 210

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