Neuromodulation/Neurostimulation Device Development for Mental Health Applications (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Grant from the National Institutes of Health, open to small businesses. Closes Jan 7, 2028, 444 days left.

Opportunity number	PAR-25-286
Agency	National Institutes of Health
Funding type	Grant
Field	Health
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	93.242
Posted	Nov 21, 2024
Closes	Jan 7, 2028 (444 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

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 and Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others (see the eligibility notes)

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

Description

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to encourage applications seeking to develop the next generation of brain stimulation devices for treating mental health disorders. Applications are sought that will either

develop novel brain stimulation devices or
significantly enhance, by means of hardware/software improvements, the effectiveness of brain stimulation devices that are currently U.S.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or cleared. Novel devices should move beyond existing electrical/magnetic stimulation and develop new stimulation techniques capable of increased spatiotemporal precision as well as multi-focal, closed-loop approaches. Applications seeking to develop new capabilities should focus on significant enhancement of the spatial resolution, depth of delivery, and/or precision of the device.

Incremental changes to existing devices (e.g., software updates)are not within the scope of this announcement. Applications should be submitted by multi-disciplinary teams with a variety of expertise including systems neuroscience, engineering, clinical, and regulatory affairs.

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Health grants right now

There are 350 open federal grants in health that small businesses may apply for; 33 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $500,000. The agencies offering the most are National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA and Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD. Grants in this field stay open a median of 1031 days; this one is open for 1142 days.

Who has won this program before

University Of North Carolina AT Chapel Hill $977.0 million · from Jun 29, 2006
The Johns Hopkins University $282.0 million · from Jun 29, 2006
Rutgers, The State University $179.7 million · from Jul 1, 2003
Salk Institute For Biological Studies, SAN Diego, California, The $92.4 million · from Sep 1, 2022
Allen Institute $91.9 million · from Aug 22, 2022

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 93.242 with payments since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.