Behavioral Tasks Targeting Brain Systems Relevant to Anhedonia (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PAR 20 235

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NIH funding opportunity PAR-20-235 about?

PAR-20-235, titled "Behavioral Tasks Targeting Brain Systems Relevant to Anhedonia," is an NIH R01 research grant opportunity focused on developing and validating behavioral tasks that reliably engage brain circuits implicated in anhedonia. The emphasis is on creating strong, quantitative, task-based measurement tools that can be used in future research on the functional components of anhedonia and to support later treatment-development efforts.

What is the main goal of projects under this FOA?

The central goal is to build and validate behavioral tasks as measurement tools. The intent is not to test a treatment, demonstrate clinical benefit, or show that an intervention improves health outcomes. Instead, projects should produce dependable experimental tasks that probe mechanisms of brain function relevant to anhedonia.

What is anhedonia in the context of this opportunity?

In this FOA, anhedonia generally refers to reduced interest in, anticipation of, or pleasure from rewarding experiences. It is described as a key feature across multiple mental health conditions, and the opportunity targets the brain systems and functional constructs related to reward processing and motivation.

Are applicants expected to connect behavioral tasks to specific brain systems?

Yes. A defining feature of responsive projects is that the behavioral tasks must be linked to brain system engagement. Applicants are expected to show that the task recruits neural circuitry relevant to anhedonia, not just that it produces a measurable behavioral effect.

What kinds of brain measurement methods are expected or preferred?

The FOA calls for neuroimaging methods or other brain measures with comparable spatial resolution. While the announcement does not require a single modality, it emphasizes spatial resolution and the ability to localize and characterize relevant brain systems. Approaches like fMRI are described as well aligned with this intent if they convincingly demonstrate engagement of the targeted circuitry.

Is this funding opportunity intended to test treatments or clinical interventions?

No. NIH frames this FOA as foundational measurement and mechanism work. Projects should not be framed as intervention trials designed to improve patient outcomes, establish clinical efficacy, or clarify the mechanism of action of a treatment for the purpose of changing health status.

Does this FOA involve human participants?

Yes. Projects must involve human participants and fall within the NIH category "Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH)."

Does the project have to meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial?

Yes. The studies must qualify as a clinical trial under the NIH definition, while still being basic research in purpose. This typically involves prospectively assigning participants to different conditions as part of the experimental design.

What does "prospectively assign participants to different conditions" mean here?

It means the study design includes experimental manipulation of independent variables by assigning participants to different task conditions. Examples given in the FOA description include changing reward probabilities, altering effort requirements, varying reinforcement schedules, manipulating expectation, or modifying task parameters that probe reward learning and motivation.

What types of outcomes can be measured in these studies?

The FOA indicates outcomes can be behavioral and/or biomedical. However, the driving purpose must be understanding fundamental mechanisms of brain function related to anhedonia (in healthy individuals or in people with disorders), rather than demonstrating improvements in health.

Can studies include healthy participants and/or participants with disorders?

Yes. The FOA explicitly notes that the goal is to understand mechanisms of brain function related to anhedonia in healthy individuals or in people with disorders.

How does NIH describe the scope under the BESH framework?

NIH signals that the funded projects are mechanistic studies responsive to the BESH policy and guidance (referenced as NOT-MH-19-006). The emphasis is on basic science that develops and validates tasks capable of probing underlying functional constructs relevant to anhedonia.

What is the expected deliverable from projects funded under this FOA?

The expected deliverable is a set of experimentally manipulable, neurobiologically grounded behavioral task measures that serve as dependable quantitative tools for future research on anhedonia-related constructs and for downstream treatment-development efforts.

What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-20-235.

What is the funding instrument and funding type?

The opportunity uses the grant funding instrument and is categorized as discretionary funding.

What is the funding activity category and CFDA number?

The funding activity category is health, and the CFDA number is 93.242.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. The FOA includes many U.S.-based organizations such as state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and additional entities categorized as "Others."

Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights eligibility for institution types and groups including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others.

Are regional organizations and federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA mentions regional organizations and eligible federal agencies as part of the highlighted eligible applicant groups and institution types.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly included among the highlighted eligible applicants.

Can non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) apply?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicants.

When was this FOA created?

The FOA was created on June 15, 2020.

What is the closing date listed in the provided information?

The original closing date listed in the provided information is September 7, 2023.

Does the provided information include an award ceiling or expected number of awards?

No. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

How should applicants think about budgeting and award expectations given the missing ceiling and award count?

Because the provided information does not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, applicants are expected to rely on the FOA and NIH Institute/Center guidance for budgeting expectations and likelihood of funding, and to propose budgets that are well-justified and realistic for an R01 mechanism.

What makes a project non-responsive to the intent described?

Based on the description provided, projects are not intended to be framed as intervention trials to improve patient outcomes, establish clinical efficacy, or demonstrate clinical benefit. Proposals that primarily aim to prove a treatment works, rather than develop and validate neurobiologically grounded tasks, would not match the stated purpose.

What kinds of task manipulations does NIH mention as examples?

The description provides examples of experimental manipulations such as changing reward probabilities, altering effort requirements, varying reinforcement schedules, manipulating expectation, and modifying task parameters that probe reward learning and motivation.

Why is spatial resolution emphasized for the brain measures?

The emphasis on spatial resolution is tied to the FOA's requirement that tasks be linked to engagement of relevant brain systems. Methods should be able to convincingly localize and characterize the neural circuitry recruited by the task, not just show overall brain activation or purely behavioral effects.

How does this FOA fit into broader NIH priorities related to anhedonia research?

As described, this FOA is an NIH push to strengthen measurement science around anhedonia by creating behavioral tasks that are tightly anchored to brain circuitry. The goal is to enable more precise mechanistic research now and provide tools that can be carried forward into later translational and clinical work.