Schizophrenia and related disorders during mid- to late-life (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 24 026

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 026

This grant opportunity, titled "Schizophrenia and related disorders during mid- to late-life (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-026), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant focused on schizophrenia-spectrum conditions in people who are in midlife through older age. While schizophrenia is often discussed in the context of early adulthood, this program highlights a major reality: most people living with schizophrenia and related disorders are over age 35, including individuals who were diagnosed earlier and are aging with the illness as well as those who may first present or be diagnosed later. The opportunity is built around the idea that the biological and clinical mechanisms shaping how these disorders emerge, progress, and change across mid- to late-life are still not well understood, and that this knowledge gap limits progress in prevention, early identification, and treatment strategies tailored to older adults.

The core purpose of the initiative is to support translational research that clarifies both the emergence and the trajectory of schizophrenia and related disorders during midlife and later life. In practical terms, translational research here means projects that help bridge basic science and clinical understanding, for example by linking behavioral changes, cognitive aging, brain and body biology, or risk and resilience factors to real-world clinical outcomes. The program is explicitly intended to help researchers identify promising targets for future prevention and treatment development. Those targets could be biological (such as neural circuits, inflammatory pathways, or other measurable markers), psychological (such as cognitive mechanisms), or social and environmental (such as stressors, supports, or service-related factors), as long as the work advances understanding of why the illness develops or changes the way it does in later stages of life and how that knowledge can feed into better interventions.

The funding mechanism is the NIH R21, which is commonly used for exploratory and developmental research. R21 grants are typically designed to support early-stage ideas, proof-of-concept work, novel approaches, or studies that generate critical preliminary data that can justify larger future projects. This particular announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required. That flexibility allows teams to pursue a range of designs, including observational human studies, mechanistic investigations, secondary analyses, pilot interventions, or feasibility studies, depending on what best addresses the scientific question about mid- to late-life schizophrenia trajectories.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. 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 Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that classification); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities or foreign organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide net signals an interest in reaching diverse research settings and populations, including communities that may be disproportionately affected or historically underrepresented in research.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under Health and is associated with CFDA number 93.242. The opportunity was created on 2023-06-29, and the original closing date listed is 2026-09-07. The funding instrument type is a grant. Specific details such as an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided in the source data you shared, which often means those values may vary by year, institute budgets, or the specific pool of applications received.

Overall, PAR-24-026 is aimed at moving the field beyond an early-life framing of schizophrenia by encouraging studies that explain what drives illness onset, persistence, and change for the large population of adults who are living with these disorders through midlife and into older age. The intended payoff is not just improved description of later-life schizophrenia, but a clearer set of actionable targets that can inform better prevention approaches and more effective, age-appropriate treatments in the future.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Schizophrenia and related disorders during mid- to late-life (R21 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 2023-06-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-07. (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.

Apply for PAR 24 026

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