Effectiveness Trials for Post-Acute Interventions and Services to Optimize Longer-term Outcomes (R01) | PAR 17 272

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 272

Effectiveness Trials for Post-Acute Interventions and Services to Optimize Longer-term Outcomes (R01) is a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funding opportunity that supports research projects designed to test what works after the acute phase of mental health treatment. The focus is on the post-acute period, meaning the weeks to months after an initial crisis, episode, or first-line treatment when people may be stabilizing but still face meaningful risks such as relapse, persistent symptoms, functional impairment, poor adherence, or difficulty staying connected to appropriate services. The opportunity is aimed at youth, adults, and older adults, and it emphasizes studies that can produce practical, real-world evidence about how to sustain and extend treatment gains over time.

A central goal of this FOA is to fund clinical effectiveness trials of therapeutic interventions and service delivery approaches that are tailored to the stage of illness and the needs people typically face after acute care ends. Rather than concentrating on symptom reduction during an initial treatment episode, the research supported here is meant to evaluate strategies that consolidate and maintain improvements, manage residual symptoms or ongoing impairment, prevent relapse or recurrence, promote medication and psychotherapy adherence when appropriate, and improve service use patterns so people receive the right level of care at the right time. In practice, this could include step-down models after intensive treatment, continuing care programs, relapse prevention protocols, follow-up and monitoring approaches, care coordination models, technology-supported check-ins, or other post-acute supports, as long as the studies rigorously test whether these approaches improve longer-term outcomes.

NIMH also signals that it is not only interested in whether an intervention works, but why it works and for whom it works. Applications are encouraged to include hypothesis-driven tests of moderators, mediators, and mechanisms of action. Moderators help identify which subgroups benefit most (or least), such as differences by age group, severity, comorbidity, social determinants, or prior treatment response. Mediators and mechanisms address the pathways through which benefits occur, such as improved coping skills, increased engagement with care, better family support, reduced substance use, or changes in service utilization that lead to sustained stability. This emphasis encourages applicants to move beyond simple outcome comparisons and build knowledge that can guide personalization, implementation, and future intervention refinement.

The opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which typically supports substantial, multi-year research projects and is well suited for full-scale effectiveness trials in clinical or community settings. The funding instrument type is a grant, within the health activity category, and it is listed under CFDA number 93.242. The funding opportunity number is PAR 17 272, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary. The original closing date shown in the source information is 2017-12-06, and the creation date is 2017-05-04, which indicates the announcement originated in 2017 (applicants would need to verify current submission dates, renewals, or reissues if pursuing this topic now).

Eligibility is broad, reflecting NIMH interest in research conducted across many real-world systems that deliver post-acute mental health care and related services. 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 governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or 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 entities. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant types, including 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, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Overall, this grant opportunity is about strengthening the evidence base for what helps people remain well after acute mental health treatment by funding rigorous, clinically meaningful trials of post-acute interventions and service models. It prioritizes approaches that match the intensity and burden of care to the post-acute stage and that produce measurable improvements in longer-term outcomes, while also generating insight into the mechanisms and contextual factors that shape real-world effectiveness.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Effectiveness Trials for Post-Acute Interventions and Services to Optimize Longer-term Outcomes (R01)" 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 2017-05-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-06. (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 17 272

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