Mind and Body Interventions to Restore Whole Person Health via Emotional Well-Being Mechanisms

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is preparing to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Mind and Body Interventions to Restore Whole Person Health via Emotional Well-Being Mechanisms." This upcoming opportunity reflects the federal government's ongoing interest in understanding how holistic and integrative practices contribute to health improvement. The NCCIH is spearheading this initiative to align with NIH’s broader priority of addressing the nation's health needs and enhancing overall well-being. The grant will support mechanistic research that examines how mind and body interventions—such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and massage—affect whole person health (WPH) through mechanisms of emotional well-being (EWB). These interventions have demonstrated benefits for various mental and physical health conditions, but the underlying biological mechanisms, especially as they relate to emotional well-being and the broader concept of health restoration, are not well understood. The research will use the Whole Person Health Index Patient Reported Measure developed by NCCIH in collaboration with the CDC. This measure includes nine domains: overall health, quality of life, social and family connections, physical activity, diet, stress management, sleep, sense of meaning and purpose, and health management. The grant opportunity encourages rigorous studies that provide a detailed understanding of how interventions influence EWB (as the primary outcome) and WPH (as the secondary outcome). The funding mechanism will be a two-phase grant structure using the R61/R33 model. The first phase (R61) focuses on feasibility studies and establishing benchmarks for mechanistic clinical trials. Only after successful completion of the R61 phase, applicants can proceed to the second phase (R33) to conduct full-scale trials. Proposals must be supported by robust preliminary data equivalent to that required for an R01 application, and collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches are highly encouraged. Eligible applicants include a broad spectrum of institutions and organizations such as private and public institutions of higher education, small and for-profit businesses, county and state governments, public housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, independent school districts, and tribal organizations. There are no matching fund requirements. The estimated post date for the NOFO is October 14, 2025, with applications due by December 15, 2025. Awards are expected to be announced on July 1, 2026, which will also serve as the start date for funded projects. For more information, interested parties can contact Erin Burke Quinlan, Ph.D., at the NCCIH via phone at 301-480-9483 or email at erin.quinlan@nih.gov.