Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers

The Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers program, issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), represents a strategic federal initiative to accelerate the development and dissemination of effective mental health treatments. As a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIMH plays a central role in supporting high-impact, interdisciplinary research that transforms mental health care delivery in the United States. The ALACRITY Centers are designed as hubs for translational science, bridging the gap between clinical discovery and widespread clinical implementation to improve outcomes for individuals with or at risk for mental illness. This opportunity aims to fund research centers that can serve as platforms for integrated and practice-based mental health research. ALACRITY Centers must pursue studies that rapidly develop, test, and refine novel approaches to optimize therapeutic or preventive interventions for mental disorders. These interventions may target patient-level, provider-level, or system-level improvements, and the ultimate goal is to enhance access, engagement, quality, and efficiency of mental health care services. Furthermore, centers are expected to generate knowledge that contributes to durable improvements in health outcomes for people living with serious mental illnesses or those at risk. The scope of allowable research is broad but highly focused on impact. Centers must work across various elements of the mental health ecosystem, leveraging innovations from clinical research, health information technologies, systems engineering, and policy advancements. Proposals should reflect interdisciplinary collaborations, integrating fields such as behavioral science, data science, implementation science, and decision science. An important aspect of the program is its emphasis on real-world, practice-based research that can yield scalable solutions with measurable outcomes in clinical practice. In addition to the scientific aims, ALACRITY Research Centers must include provisions for data and method sharing, facilitating a collaborative research environment and promoting transparency and reproducibility. The centers must also provide training and mentorship opportunities for emerging scholars, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career investigators. This builds a pipeline of interdisciplinary researchers who can sustain and expand the impact of the program's initiatives. The funding mechanism is expected to be a P50 grant, a center grant supporting multiple related research projects under a single unified theme. While the award ceiling and floor amounts are not specified, the estimated total program funding is $1.5 million, and two awards are anticipated. There are no matching or cost-sharing requirements. The estimated application due date is May 27, 2027, with awards issued by April 1, 2028. The performance period begins on the same date. As this is a forecasted notice, the estimated post date for the full funding announcement is January 27, 2027, and the funding is tied to fiscal year 2028. Eligible applicants span a wide range of organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, tribal entities (both federally recognized and not), for-profit organizations including small businesses, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, and U.S. territories and federal agencies. This broad eligibility reinforces the funder’s goal to encourage diverse participation and innovation. The designated contact for inquiries is the Division of Services and Intervention Research at NIMH, reachable via [email protected]. Applicants are encouraged to begin forming interdisciplinary partnerships early to maximize responsiveness when the full NOFO is released.