The Recovery Act

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Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Learn more on Recovery.govExternal Link: Please review our disclaimer.

For Information on the Department of Health and Human Services' Implementation of the Recovery Act, go to:

Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009External Link: Please review our disclaimer.


NIMH and the Recovery Act

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) received $10.4 billion from the Recovery Act for use over 2009 and 2010. A portion of these funds applied directly to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

NIMH is using these funds to implement its Strategic Plan.  Specifically, Recovery Act funds are being used to (a) support select basic and clinical research project applications with outstanding scores, (b) supplement currently funded projects in specific areas of need, (c) award NIH Challenge Grants as part of a new 2-year R01 program, and (d) jumpstart progress with new requests for applications. Funding decisions related to HIV/AIDS were based on the Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research, and funding decisions related to training were based on the 2008 National Advisory Mental Health Council report on research training (“Investing in the Future”).

These funds are not "business as usual." The Recovery Act stipulates that all stimulus funds must be obligated by Sept 30, 2010. NIH has issued guidance (NOT-OD-09-054) outlining the review, scoring, and appeals process for stimulus applications. In addition, there are extensive reporting requirements for these funds so that the outcomes of this investment can be monitored.


Challenge Grants in Health and Science Program

The first Recovery Act initiative, the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research Program (RFA-OD-09-003), supported research on 15 broad Challenge Areas that address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that would benefit from an influx of significant 2-year funds to quickly advance the area.

Within these 15 NIH Challenge Areas, NIMH identified 35 topics that we are were particularly interested in funding to advance our mission and the objectives outlined in our Strategic Plan, the Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research, and the National Advisory Mental Health Council report on research training. These topics can be found at NIMH's Challenge Grant web page.

Applicants were able to request up to $500,000 in total costs per year for up to 2 years.

The application due date for NIH Challenge Grants has expired. It was April 27, 2009.

For the NIMH Challenge Grant Areas, go to:

For all National Institutes of Health Challenge Grants Funding go to:

Please note that new investigators who received an R01 through the Challenge Grants program were not eligible to receive preferential “new investigator” status for future NIMH awards.

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Supplements to Currently Funded Projects

NIH supported the opportunity for investigators and U.S. institutions with active research grants to request up to 1 year of supplemental funding for the purpose of promoting job creation, economic development, and accelerating the pace and achievement of scientific research. These initiatives were offered by NIH to help fulfill the goals of the Recovery ActExternal Link: Please review our disclaimer. to help stimulate the economy through support of biomedical and behavioral research.

Previous Recovery Act supplement programs supported by NIMH, which have now expired, included the following:

Complete information on NIMH’s supplement initiatives can be found on our Supplements Homepage.

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Recovery Act Funding for Research to Address the Heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorders

NIH released a series of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), supported by funds from the Recovery Act, soliciting applications for 2-year research projects to address the heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Topic areas of interest included: measurement development, biomarkers/biological signatures, immune and central nervous systems interactions, genetics/genomics, environmental risk factors, model development, treatment and intervention, and services research.

NIH intended to commit approximately $60 million to these FOAs in order to fund between 40 and 50 grants, contingent on the number and quality of applications and the availability of funds.

The announcements request applications through the following grant mechanisms:

The application due date for all mechanisms has expired. It was May 12, 2009.

Note: ASD research is also supported through other NIMH Recovery Act funding initiatives.

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Research and Research Infrastructure Grand Opportunities Grants

NIH established the Research and Research Infrastructure “Grand Opportunities” grants program (”GO” grants) with funding from the Recovery Act. This program supports projects that address large, specific biomedical and biobehavioral research endeavors that will benefit from significant 2-year funds.

NIMH research supported by the GO grants program had high short-term impact, a high likelihood of accelerating the goals outlined in NIMH’s Strategic Plan, and addressed one or more of the topics outlined on NIMH’s GO grants homepage.

NIMH obligated approximately $50 million a year to support this initiative, contingent on the number of scientifically meritorious applications. Only applications with budgets greater than $500,000 in total costs per year for a project period of two years were expected to be considered, and the total annual cost for individual awards was expected to vary. The GO grants program uses the RC2 mechanism.

Applications for GO grants were due by May 29, 2009.

For more information about the GO grants initiative, go to the NIMH’s GO grants homepage.

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NIH Core Centers to Support New Faculty Recruitment

NIH established a Recovery Act initiative to establish Research Core Centers at U.S. academic institutions. These Core Center Grants provided funding to promising investigators through the P30 mechanism to establish centers conducting innovative scientific research.

NIMH funds Core Centers through this program to enhance U.S. institutions’ capacity to conduct research in fields that contribute to the priorities of NIMH’s Strategic Plan, the Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research, and the National Advisory Mental Health Council report on research training. Applications were encouraged from institutions that sought to hire early-stage investigators in tenure-track (or equivalent) research positions at the assistant professor level.

NIMH expected to make between 3 and 6 awards during FY 2009, with total funding of approximately $5 million for this initiative over two years.

Applications were permitted to request budgets with direct costs of up to $500,000 per year and project duration of up to two years, for a maximum of $1 million direct costs over a two-year project period.

Applications were due by May 29, 2009.

For additional information on the Recovery Act Core Centers initiative, go to:

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Recovery Act Academic Research Enhancement Awards

NIH released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for an Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program supported by funds from the Recovery Act. The purpose of the AREA program was to stimulate research at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. AREA grants support small-scale health-related research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH’s biomedical and behavioral research effort. This program uses the R15 grant mechanism.

NIH estimated that up to 50 AREA grants would be awarded in Fiscal Year 2010. The total amount allocated and number of awards depended upon the quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

Applications for the Recovery Act AREA program were due by September 24, 2009.

Complete information about this initiative may be found in the NIH Guide Notice (RFA-OD-09-007).

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NIH Director's Opportunity for Research in Five Thematic Areas (RC4)

This Recovery Act initiative, the NIH Directors Opportunity for Research in Five Thematic Areas (RFA-OD-10-005), supported high impact ideas in five broad thematic areas that lended themselves to short-term funding, and may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation.

The Five Broad Thematic Areas were:

  1. Applying Genomics and Other High Throughput Technologies
  2. Translating Basic Science Discoveries into New and Better Treatments
  3. Using Science to Enable Health Care Reform
  4. Focusing on Global Health
  5. Reinvigorating the Biomedical Research Community

Applicants proposed to address either a specific disease- or technology-related research question relevant to one or more of the participating Institutes and Centers, or proposed the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future. This initiative was designed to provide investigators and institutions with the opportunity to address these unique challenges by engaging in new avenues of research where progress would produce a significant impact on growth and investment on biomedical or behavioral science and/or health research.

Note: Applicants to the Program were to clearly specify the thematic area that their research addresses in the Project Summary/Abstract Component of the application. Applicants also had to clearly articulate how the proposed studies would significantly extend our understanding of biomedical or behavioral science and/or health as it related to the thematic area.

Only applications with budgets greater than $500,000 total costs per year for a project period of three years were expected to be considered. The total annual cost for individual awards was expected to vary, depending on the scope of the project.

The application due date for NIH Directors Opportunity Grants was March 15, 2010.

Complete information about this initiative may be found in the NIH Guide Notice (RFA-OD-10-005).

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Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OPPNET) Funding

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Funding Opportunities in Comparative Effectiveness Research

Expired Comparative Effectiveness Research Initiatives:

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Funding Opportunities in Global Health Research