BRAIN Initiative: Integrative Team-Research BRAIN Circuits Program - iBCP (RM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Open Posted

Opportunity number
RFA-NS-27-002
Agency
Applications due
Award size
Up to $8,000,000

Opportunity facts

Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Health
Eligible applicants
  • County Governments
  • City/Township Governments
  • Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
  • Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Public or Indian Housing Auth.
  • Small Businesses
  • Other
  • 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
  • State Governments
  • Higher Education Inst. (Private)
  • Special District Governments
  • Independent School Districts
  • Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
  • Higher Education Inst. (Public)
  • For Profit Organizations
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in partnership with the National Eye Institute, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, seeks applications from transdisciplinary research teams to develop mechanistic explanations of how neural circuits and their cellular components give rise to central nervous system function, with applications due by June 23, 2028 (application deadlines also occurring October 7, 2026, November 11, 2026, and February 9, 2027). Clinical trials are explicitly not allowed under this RM1 activity code.

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions (public and private), nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments and organizations, and independent school districts. Non-domestic entities and independent foreign organizations are ineligible; foreign components of U.S. organizations and unfunded international collaborations are permitted, but foreign subawards and subcontracts are prohibited.

Teams must integrate distinct expertise of 3 to 6 PDs/PIs and explicitly connect three required levels of analysis: characterization of circuit components (cell types and connectivity); measurement of dynamic circuit activity through in vivo CNS recordings at cellular and sub-second temporal resolution; and analyses of tractable behavior or functional output. Projects may include development of tools and approaches addressing research roadblocks. Recipients must participate in BRAIN consortia activities and allocate budget to team coordination, BRAIN conference travel, data sharing, institutional resource allocation, and professional data science staff.

NIH intends to commit up to $8 million per fiscal year to fund up to 5 awards, with direct costs not exceeding $1 million per award per year. The maximum project period is 5 years. Awards are limited to new applications only; no clinical trials, renewals, or competing continuations are supported. The earliest start date is June 23, 2027.

Applications receive scientific peer review followed by secondary review by the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council. Review criteria emphasize Significance, Investigator qualifications, Innovation, and Approach, with specific weighting toward explicit integration across all three analytical levels and feasibility of delivering mechanistic insights achievable only through the team-based, multi-level approach.

Research Strategy (consisting of Scientific Plan, Benchmarks for Success and Timeline, and Multi-Level Integration and Team Management Plan) is limited to 15 pages with a single Specific Aim. All PDs/PIs must hold eRA Commons accounts and ORCID registration. A dedicated Program Manager at minimum 50% FTE is required. Data Management and Sharing Plans are mandatory. Applicants must complete System for Award Management (SAM) registration, obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and register with Grants.gov and eRA Commons prior to submission.

Synopsis

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports transdisciplinary research teams seeking to develop mechanistic, biologically grounded explanations of how neural circuits and their cellular building blocks give rise to central nervous system (CNS) function. Teams must integrate expertise spanning molecular and cellular through systems neuroscience, with strong collaboration between experimental and computational investigators, to bridge cells, circuits, and behavior in a unified framework that yields mechanistic insight.Applications must explicitly connect three core elements: (1) characterization of circuit components (e.g., cell types and/or connectivity); (2) measurement of dynamic circuit activity, incorporating in vivo CNS recordings at cellular and sub-second temporal resolution; and (3) analyses of a tractable behavior or functional output.To address this significant challenge in neuroscience, proposed studies are expected to leverage innovative conceptual or theoretical frameworks, predictive models, and/or cutting-edge approaches that unify these three levels of analysis and bridge experimental and computational components.Recipients are expected to participate in BRAIN consortia activities to identify standards of practice towards multi-level integration.

Eligibility

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/Foreign CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Files

File Type Posted
PKG00294092.pdf PDF
RFA-NS-27-002-Full-Announcement.html HTML file

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