A Practice-Based Research Network to Transform Mental Health Care: Science, Service Delivery and Sustainability (U19 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA MH 19 225

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 19 225

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "A Practice-Based Research Network to Transform Mental Health Care: Science, Service Delivery and Sustainability (U19 Clinical Trial Required)" (RFA-MH-19-225; CFDA 93.242) supports the creation and operation of a U.S.-based practice-based research network designed to improve how evidence-based mental health services are developed, delivered, and sustained in real-world healthcare. The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U19), meaning NIH expects substantial involvement and coordination with the awardee(s), and the program explicitly requires clinical trials as part of the supported research. The central idea is to build a research consortium that is not separate from care delivery, but instead embedded within large, integrated healthcare delivery systems (public and/or commercial) that serve representative patient populations.

At the heart of the announcement is the goal of building a continuously learning healthcare system, consistent with the Institute of Medicine definition. In practice, that means setting up a durable feedback loop where scientific evidence is rapidly translated into routine clinical workflows, while data generated during routine care (including clinical outcomes and administrative data) are continuously analyzed to refine, test, and improve mental health interventions and service models. Rather than treating research and service delivery as separate worlds, this network is meant to link them so that everyday care becomes a platform for ongoing evaluation and improvement. The emphasis is not only on demonstrating that interventions work under ideal conditions, but on making sure they can be implemented reliably, equitably, and at scale within complex health systems over time.

This opportunity is focused on transformation across three connected domains: science, service delivery, and sustainability. On the science side, the network is expected to generate actionable evidence that answers practical questions faced by healthcare systems, clinicians, and patients, using designs that can operate in real-world settings and support clinical trial activity. On the service delivery side, the network is meant to improve implementation and spread of evidence-based practices across participating systems, including how services are organized, accessed, and coordinated. On the sustainability side, the work is intended to support long-term maintenance of effective practices by aligning them with health system operations, workforce capacity, financing, quality measurement, and data infrastructure, so that improvements persist beyond the life of individual research studies.

Eligibility is broad and spans many types of domestic organizations involved in health and research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities as allowed. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as 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, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a way that often matters for consortium planning. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, which creates a pathway for certain international collaborations under a U.S.-based applicant and overall U.S.-centered network.

Key administrative details from the source listing include an original closing date of February 28, 2019, and an award ceiling listed as $130,000, with the number of expected awards not specified in the provided excerpt. The core programmatic requirement, however, is clear: NIH is seeking a large-scale, embedded, practice-based research network capable of running clinically meaningful studies (including clinical trials) while simultaneously improving routine mental health care delivery through continuous measurement, learning, and implementation within integrated healthcare systems.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "A Practice-Based Research Network to Transform Mental Health Care: Science, Service Delivery and Sustainability (U19 Clinical Trial Required)" 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 2018-11-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-02-28. (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 $130,000.00 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 19 225

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