National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) : Multiple Funding Opportunities

1. Feasibility Clinical Trials of Mind and Body Interventions for NCCIH High Priority Research Topics (R34 Clinical Trial Required)

Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-25-274

Who: Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, government entities, and other eligible research organizations. The opportunity is intended for investigators conducting clinical research on complementary and integrative mind-and-body interventions in NCCIH-designated high-priority research areas.

What: Supports early-stage feasibility clinical trials of mind-and-body interventions that generate information needed to plan a future full-scale efficacy, effectiveness, pragmatic, or dissemination and implementation trial. Relevant projects may test the feasibility, acceptability, delivery, dosage, recruitment, retention, or data-collection procedures associated with an intervention. NCCIH explicitly includes music and other art-based therapies among relevant mind-and-body approaches, making this opportunity highly applicable to NeuroArts research.

When: Currently open. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization.

Where: Research must fall within the mission and high-priority research areas of NCCIH. Applications are submitted through the standard NIH grant application process.

Timeline / Deadlines: The opportunity opened for submissions on January 20, 2025. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026. Scientific merit review is expected in March 2027, Advisory Council review in May 2027, and the earliest anticipated project start date is July 2027. The opportunity expires November 18, 2026.

Funding Amount: Up to $450,000 in direct costs over the entire project period, with no more than $225,000 in direct costs in any single year. The maximum project period is three years.

2. NCCIH Multi-Site Feasibility Clinical Trials of Mind and Body Interventions (R01 Clinical Trial Required)

Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-25-267

Who: Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, government entities, and other eligible research organizations. This opportunity is particularly intended for experienced research teams prepared to conduct a multi-site clinical trial and build on prior single-site feasibility or acceptability research.

What: Supports investigator-initiated, multi-site feasibility clinical trials of complementary and integrative mind-and-body interventions. Studies should generate information necessary to prepare for a future fully powered, multi-site clinical trial. Projects may examine whether an intervention can be delivered consistently across multiple sites; assess recruitment, randomization, retention, adherence, and data collection across sites; or refine multi-component interventions. Music and other art-based therapies may fall within the eligible mind-and-body intervention framework, making the opportunity relevant to larger-scale NeuroArts research.

When: Currently open. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization.

Where: Research must be conducted across multiple study sites and fall within NCCIH-designated high-priority research areas. Applications are submitted through the standard NIH grant application process.

Timeline / Deadlines: The opportunity opened for submissions on January 20, 2025. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026. Scientific merit review is expected in March 2027, Advisory Council review in May 2027, and the earliest anticipated project start date is July 2027. The opportunity expires November 18, 2026.

Funding Amount: Application budgets are not subject to a fixed dollar limit but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The maximum project period is five years.

3. Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials of Complementary and Integrative Interventions Delivered Remotely or via mHealth (R01 Clinical Trial Required)

Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-25-268

Who: Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, government entities, and other eligible research organizations. Applicants should have sufficient preliminary evidence demonstrating the feasibility, safety, and potential clinical benefit of the proposed intervention.

What: Supports fully powered clinical trials evaluating the efficacy or effectiveness of complementary and integrative health interventions that are delivered and conducted entirely remotely, with no in-person contact between research staff and participants. Studies may use mobile health (mHealth) tools or other digital technologies. The opportunity is particularly relevant to NeuroArts projects involving remotely delivered music interventions, digital art-based therapies, virtual creative arts programs, or other technology-enabled arts-and-health interventions.

When: Currently open. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization.

Where: The clinical trial must be fully remotely delivered and conducted, with no in-person contact between research staff and participants. Applications are submitted through the standard NIH grant application process.

Timeline / Deadlines: The opportunity opened for submissions on January 20, 2025. The next and final application deadline is October 20, 2026. Scientific merit review is expected in March 2027, Advisory Council review in May 2027, and the earliest anticipated project start date is July 2027. The opportunity expires November 18, 2026.

Funding Amount: Application budgets are not subject to a fixed dollar limit but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The maximum project period is five years.