Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET): Practice-Based Research to Improve Treatment Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 19 150

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 19 150

The Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET): Practice-Based Research to Improve Treatment Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-MH-19-150) is an NIH grant program designed to build and support regional scientific hubs that connect multiple early psychosis specialty care clinics into coordinated practice-based research networks. The main purpose is to improve how early psychotic illness is identified and assessed, how well interventions work in real-world care settings, how services are delivered, and ultimately how patient health outcomes change over time. The program is centered on the idea that early psychosis services are most effective when clinics routinely measure clinical status and outcomes, learn from their own data, and continuously refine care based on evidence generated directly from practice.

A key expectation is that each funded EPINET regional scientific hub will link several early psychosis clinical service programs using a common framework for data and evaluation. Hubs are expected to implement standard measures that capture early psychosis clinical features, the types and intensity of services provided, and treatment outcomes. They also need informatics infrastructure capable of collecting de-identified, person-level data across all participating sites, and a consistent method for aggregating and analyzing pooled data so results can be compared within and across programs. By building large, integrated datasets across clinics, the hubs should enable stronger quality improvement and more rigorous program evaluation than any single clinic could do alone, helping networks detect what is working, for whom, and under what conditions.

Beyond data harmonization and infrastructure, the FOA emphasizes learning health care principles: measurement-based treatment, continuous improvement, and rapid-cycle innovation in real clinical settings. Each regional hub is expected to propose mental health services research and/or intervention research that uses the network to answer practical questions about care delivery and outcomes. Because the announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," applicants may propose studies that include clinical trials, but they are not required to do so; the focus is on generating actionable evidence within routine specialty care for early psychosis.

Funded regional hubs are also expected to coordinate closely with the EPINET National Data Coordinating Center, which is supported under a companion announcement (RFA-MH-19-151). In practical terms, this means hubs should align their data structures, measures, governance practices, and analytic approaches with national coordination efforts so that regional datasets can contribute to broader EPINET goals and cross-network learning.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments, such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as faith-based or community-based organizations, 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), among others. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible; however, foreign components as defined by NIH policy are allowed, meaning certain international collaborations may be permissible if they fit NIH definitions and requirements.

Administrative details included in the source information indicate this is a discretionary NIH grant with an R01 mechanism in the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.242). The original closing date listed was November 2, 2018, and the award ceiling shown is $1,000,000. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at creating durable regional infrastructures that make early psychosis specialty programs more data-driven and comparable, while also turning everyday clinical care into a platform for research and continuous improvement that can measurably raise the quality and outcomes of early psychosis treatment.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET): Practice-Based Research to Improve Treatment Outcomes (R01 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 2018-07-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-11-02. (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 $1,000,000.00 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 19 150

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