Biological Basis for how Environmental Exposures Impact Risk for Psychiatric Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The objective of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications that propose to better understand the biological basis by which environmental exposures alter brain and behavioral functioning to increase risk for psychiatric disorders with onset in late-childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. The R21 grant mechanism is intended to encourage exploratory and developmental research projects that are high-risk and/or use novel approaches with potential for significant impact. Investigations that further advance our understanding of psychiatric conditions where there is less evidence of an environmental exposure link are of particular interest. Since basic and pre-clinical research is critical for the study of neurobiological mechanisms that drive complex behaviors including mental illness, the focus of this FOA is to encourage a range of mechanistic approaches, from in vitro systems to whole organism models, to examine the link between environmental chemicals and possible contribution to the pathogenesis of psychiatric abnormalities. Investigations that further advance our understanding of the joint contribution of genes and environment in the risk for psychiatric disorders are also welcomed. It is anticipated that knowledge gained from the research supported by this FOA will inform the development of improved intervention, prevention and/or therapeutic strategies. This FOA will use the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) award mechanism and runs in parallel with another FOA, RFA-ES-22-008, which encourages applications under the R01 mechanism.
Categories: Health, Environment.