Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 17 235
Apply for RFA MH 17 235
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Functional Human Brain Imaging and Recording - Bridging Scales and Modalities (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 15, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 23, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $700,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: 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/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Functional Human Brain Imaging and Recording - Bridging Scales and Modalities (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-17-235) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant announcement under the broader NIH BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies). Its core purpose is to push the field beyond incremental advances and instead support genuinely transformative work that can change how scientists interpret and extract meaning from non-invasive measurements of human brain function. The emphasis is not simply on collecting more brain imaging data, but on making major conceptual and methodological progress in understanding what that data actually represents biologically, and how its informational content can be decoded and linked to real neural activity.
A central theme of the FOA is "bridging scales and modalities." In practical terms, this means developing foundations that connect what today’s non-invasive functional techniques measure (for example, signals captured with contemporary imaging or recording approaches) to the underlying biological processes that generate those signals, across different spatial and temporal scales. The opportunity is guided by the BRAIN 2025 long-term scientific plan, which prioritizes new neurotechnologies and analytical approaches capable of revealing dynamic brain activity. The FOA is aimed at efforts that help translate non-invasive signals into clearer, mechanistic insight, so that researchers can more reliably interpret functional patterns in the human brain rather than treating them as indirect proxies whose biological meaning is only loosely understood.
From an impact perspective, NIH is positioning this program as foundational: the expected payoff is a step-change in the ability to understand the dynamic activity of the human brain. By improving the mapping between measured non-invasive data and the biological activity underneath it, the program is meant to unlock breakthroughs across cognitive neuroscience and clinical research. That can include better theoretical models of how functional signals arise, improved computational or bioinformatic methods to interpret complex datasets, and stronger links between different measurement types so that findings are more robust and comparable across studies and technologies.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant mechanism using the NIH R01 research project grant format. The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health. The FOA was created on August 15, 2016, with an original closing date of November 23, 2016. NIH anticipated making around 10 awards under this announcement, with an award ceiling listed at $700,000 (as provided in the source summary). The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers, reflecting participation or relevance across several NIH components and research areas, including: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that commonly apply for NIH research grants. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicants as described in the FOA’s additional eligibility information. This wide eligibility range signals that NIH is primarily focused on the scientific and technical merit and the potential for transformative advances, rather than restricting the applicant pool to a narrow set of institution types.
In plain terms, the opportunity is aimed at research that makes non-invasive functional brain imaging and recording more biologically grounded and more interpretable. Rather than treating non-invasive readouts as black-box measurements, the FOA encourages work that clarifies what those signals mean, how they relate to neural activity at different levels, and how researchers can extract richer and more reliable information from them. The long-term goal is to make non-invasive methods substantially more powerful for understanding how the human brain works in real time and in real biological terms.
FAQs: BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Functional Human Brain Imaging and Recording - Bridging Scales and Modalities (R01)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Functional Human Brain Imaging and Recording - Bridging Scales and Modalities (R01)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-17-235.
Which agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
What larger program does this opportunity fall under?
This announcement is part of the broader NIH BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies).
What type of grant mechanism is used?
The mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant (a discretionary grant mechanism using the NIH R01 format).
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The main purpose is to support transformative (not incremental) research that changes how scientists interpret and extract meaning from non-invasive measurements of human brain function.
What does NIH mean by "transformative" in this context?
Based on the announcement summary, NIH is looking for work that pushes the field beyond small stepwise improvements and instead delivers major conceptual and methodological advances in how non-invasive functional brain signals are understood and decoded.
Is this FOA mainly about collecting more brain imaging data?
No. The emphasis is not on collecting more data, but on making major progress in understanding what non-invasive data represents biologically and how its informational content can be linked to real neural activity.
What does "non-invasive functional human brain imaging and recording" refer to here?
It refers broadly to non-invasive functional techniques that measure signals related to human brain function using contemporary imaging or recording approaches, with the FOA focusing on strengthening the biological interpretation of those signals.
What is meant by "bridging scales and modalities"?
"Bridging scales and modalities" means developing foundations that connect what current non-invasive techniques measure to the underlying biological processes that generate those signals, across different spatial and temporal scales, and across different types of measurement approaches.
What kinds of advances is NIH expecting from supported projects?
The expected advances include improved theoretical or mechanistic models for how functional signals arise, improved computational or bioinformatic methods to interpret complex datasets, and stronger connections across measurement types so results are more robust and comparable.
What is the intended long-term impact of this program?
The program is positioned as foundational, aiming for a step-change in the ability to understand dynamic activity of the human brain by improving the mapping between non-invasive measurements and the biology generating those measurements.
How does this FOA relate to the BRAIN 2025 long-term scientific plan?
The FOA is guided by the BRAIN 2025 long-term scientific plan, which prioritizes new neurotechnologies and analytical approaches capable of revealing dynamic brain activity.
What is the practical research focus encouraged by the FOA?
Research that makes non-invasive functional brain imaging and recording more biologically grounded and interpretable, including work that clarifies what the signals mean, how they relate to neural activity at different levels, and how to extract richer and more reliable information from them.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicants as described in the FOA's additional eligibility information.
Does the FOA restrict eligibility to only universities or medical centers?
No. The eligibility list includes many organization types beyond higher education institutions, signaling that NIH is focused on scientific and technical merit and the potential for transformative advances rather than limiting applicants to a narrow set of institutions.
How many awards did NIH anticipate making?
NIH anticipated making around 10 awards under this announcement.
What is the listed award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed at $700,000 (as provided in the source summary).
When was this FOA created and when did it close?
The FOA was created on August 15, 2016, with an original closing date of November 23, 2016.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867.
Why are multiple CFDA numbers listed?
The multiple CFDA numbers reflect participation or relevance across several NIH components and research areas, as described in the opportunity summary.
What problem is this FOA trying to solve in the field?
It targets the gap between what non-invasive functional methods measure and what those measurements mean biologically. The goal is to reduce "black-box" interpretation by building clearer links from measured signals to underlying neural activity.
How might this FOA benefit cognitive neuroscience and clinical research?
By improving how non-invasive signals are mapped to real biology and neural activity, the FOA is intended to unlock breakthroughs across cognitive neuroscience and clinical research through more reliable interpretation of functional patterns in the human brain.
Is the program focused on human brain function specifically?
Yes. The title and summary emphasize non-invasive functional human brain imaging and recording, with the goal of interpreting human brain functional measurements in more mechanistic, biologically grounded terms.
What is the "plain terms" summary of what NIH wants to fund?
Foundational research that makes non-invasive functional brain readouts more interpretable by clarifying what the signals mean biologically, how they relate to neural activity across levels, and how to decode more reliable information from them.
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