Research on System Support and Tools for Provider Training and Quality Monitoring for Suicide Preventive Care

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an institute under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has issued a forecasted Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Research on System Support and Tools for Provider Training and Quality Monitoring for Suicide Preventive Care" (Opportunity Number: FOR-MH-26-145). NIMH is a leading federal agency focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through research, aiming to transform the prevention and treatment landscape of mental health disorders. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to solicit research applications that target the development, optimization, and evaluation of provider-level interventions and tools. These tools are intended to enhance provider competence and ensure sustained implementation fidelity in delivering evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. The research funded under this NOFO should yield implementation-ready strategies and validated, scalable tools that support the monitoring of care quality and outcomes across a range of suicide prevention services, including risk assessments, referral processes, engagement strategies, and therapeutic interventions. The anticipated funding will support projects that demonstrate expertise in clinical trials methodology, psychometric evaluation, and implementation science. Applicants are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary collaborations, including experts in health services research, data science, comparative effectiveness, and practice-based research. The overall aim is to ensure the practical applicability of developed tools across diverse therapeutic service settings. The funding instrument for this opportunity is a grant, with an expected total program funding of $5,000,000. NIMH anticipates issuing approximately five awards under this NOFO. There is no matching or cost-sharing requirement. The activity code associated with this opportunity is R01, indicating that it is designed for health-related research and development projects. Eligible applicants include a broad range of organizations such as state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, public housing authorities, Native American tribal entities (both recognized and unrecognized), small businesses, and other for-profit organizations. This opportunity is forecasted to be open nationwide and does not limit eligibility to specific geographies. The estimated key dates include a post date of August 17, 2025, an application due date of October 17, 2025, and a project start date of July 1, 2026. This forecast allows ample time for potential applicants to establish partnerships and prepare competitive applications. While application forms are not yet available, applicants are encouraged to prepare in advance. Contact for this opportunity is Dr. Stephen O’Connor of the National Institute of Mental Health, who can be reached at stephen.oconnor@nih.gov or by phone at 301-480-8366.