Pilot Research Opportunities in Crisis Response Services for Suicide Prevention (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 25 136

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 25 136

Pilot Research Opportunities in Crisis Response Services for Suicide Prevention (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity (RFA-MH-25-136; CFDA 93.242) focused on generating practical, real-world evidence about how state and local policy decisions shape crisis response systems for suicide prevention. The core aim is to fund pilot-level research that examines how policies influence the rollout, implementation, and outcomes of crisis response services, including services connected to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline ecosystem. This includes studying how policy affects whether services exist in a community, how people access and use them, what kinds of responses are delivered (for example, call center responses, mobile crisis teams, stabilization services), and what outcomes follow for individuals and systems.

A central emphasis of the NOFO is on research conducted in real-world service settings rather than tightly controlled environments. NIH is looking for studies that reflect the complexity crisis systems face day to day, where people present with varied clinical needs and risk levels, different psychosocial stressors, and diverse cultural and community contexts. The NOFO explicitly highlights the importance of capturing differences across the lifespan (children, youth, adults, and older adults), across geography (including rural and remote settings where service capacity may be limited), and across populations experiencing health disparities. In practical terms, proposals should be designed to observe and measure how policies play out in actual crisis systems, where staffing, infrastructure, local resources, and community trust can all influence outcomes.

The scope is meant to cover the full continuum of crisis services, encouraging projects that look beyond a single entry point and instead examine how different components connect. That can include how individuals move from initial contact (such as 988 calls, texts, or chats) to in-person responses, short-term stabilization, and follow-up care, and how policy supports or disrupts those transitions. The NOFO also signals strong interest in work that directly addresses crisis services for children and for under-resourced populations, reflecting a priority to understand and reduce inequities in access, quality, and outcomes across communities.

This opportunity uses the R34 mechanism, which is typically intended to support pilot studies and early-stage research needed to inform larger, later effectiveness or implementation projects. The “Clinical Trial Optional” label indicates applicants may propose studies that include clinical trial elements if appropriate, but it is not required; policy and systems research designs that do not involve clinical trials can also fit, as long as they align with the stated purpose of examining policy impacts on crisis response services.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental 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 tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The NOFO also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies.

At the same time, the NOFO clearly restricts foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, projects must be fully grounded in eligible U.S. organizations and settings.

Key administrative details include the sponsor (NIH), the funding instrument (grant), and the activity area (health). The original application due date listed is June 2, 2025, and the opportunity was created on June 13, 2024. The notice does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided text, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO for budget limits, project period expectations, and review criteria. Overall, the opportunity is designed to help build an actionable evidence base on how policy choices influence crisis response system performance and suicide prevention outcomes, especially in the context of 988 implementation and the broader crisis care continuum.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pilot Research Opportunities in Crisis Response Services for Suicide Prevention (R34 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 2024-06-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-06-02. (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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