Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA EY 16 001
Apply for RFA EY 16 001
- The HHS-NIH11 in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Concepts and Early - Stage Research for Large - Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R21)" 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 Dec 11, 2015 and posted on Dec 11, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 15, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 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:
This funding opportunity, titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Concepts and Early-Stage Research for Large-Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R21)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant solicitation under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the goal of accelerating very early, high-impact ideas that could transform how scientists measure and influence brain activity at scale. It sits within the broader BRAIN Initiative, which is focused on understanding how patterns of electrical and chemical signaling in neural circuits produce perception, cognition, emotion, and behavior. The core motivation is that existing neuroscience tools, while useful, are not sufficient to fully decode brain function across large networks: non-invasive approaches often have limited spatial or temporal resolution and may rely on indirect signals like blood flow, while invasive techniques can capture the detailed biophysical activity of single neurons but typically only from tens to hundreds of cells, a tiny fraction of the roughly 85 billion neurons in the human brain. This grant is therefore aimed at seeding novel concepts that could bridge that gap by enabling much larger-scale recording and/or modulation of neural activity.
The mechanism is an R21, which is NIH's exploratory and developmental research grant format. R21s are commonly used to support early-stage, higher-risk projects where the emphasis is on innovation and proof-of-concept rather than extensive preliminary data. In this case, the solicitation emphasizes new concepts and early-stage research specifically tied to technologies or approaches that could dramatically expand the ability to record from or modulate neural circuits at large scale. The activity categories listed for the opportunity span education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the broad NIH mission areas touched by brain research and neurotechnology, and it is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), indicating participation across several NIH institutes and programs.
In practical terms, the opportunity provides support for exploratory projects that propose fundamentally new ways to observe or influence neural circuit activity beyond current constraints. The underlying problem statement is that to understand how the brain computes, researchers need tools that can capture neural dynamics across many more neurons and connections than is currently possible, ideally with high precision, minimal invasiveness, and meaningful interpretability. The description highlights two key limitations in the field that proposals are expected to address: first, non-invasive methods can be too low-resolution or too indirect to accurately capture the fast, localized electrical and chemical events that carry information in neural circuits; second, invasive methods can achieve neuron-level detail but do not scale to the massive numbers of neurons involved in real brain computations. The solicitation is essentially an invitation to propose technology concepts that could leap beyond those tradeoffs, even if they are still at an early, developmental stage.
The award parameters indicate an award ceiling of $200,000, with an expected number of 15 awards. The funding opportunity number is RFA-EY-16-001, and the agency is listed as HHS-NIH11. The posting and creation dates are December 11, 2015, and the closing date for applications is March 15, 2016 (both original and current closing dates match), which signals that this was a time-limited call with a defined submission window. The instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity category is discretionary, consistent with NIH's competitive research funding model.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can contribute to neurotechnology innovation. 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; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education institutions); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional entities as clarified in the full announcement. This wide eligibility range is designed to attract proposals from universities, medical centers, research institutes, startups, established companies, and public-sector research organizations, reflecting the reality that breakthroughs in large-scale neural recording and modulation often come from interdisciplinary teams spanning neuroscience, engineering, materials science, data science, and clinical research.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as seed funding for bold, early-stage efforts that could redefine the technical limits of how researchers interact with the nervous system. Rather than supporting incremental improvements to established methods, it is positioned to catalyze new concepts that, if successful, would enable scientists to monitor and control neural activity across much larger populations of cells and circuits, helping the BRAIN Initiative move closer to a mechanistic understanding of how brain activity gives rise to complex human functions and behaviors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is titled "BRAIN Initiative: New Concepts and Early-Stage Research for Large-Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R21)." It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant solicitation under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that supports exploratory, early-stage projects aimed at transforming how scientists measure and influence brain activity at large scale.
Which program is this associated with?
The solicitation sits within the broader BRAIN Initiative, which focuses on understanding how patterns of electrical and chemical signaling in neural circuits produce perception, cognition, emotion, and behavior.
What is the main goal of the solicitation?
The main goal is to accelerate very early, high-impact ideas that could dramatically expand the ability to record from and/or modulate neural circuits at scale, beyond what current neuroscience tools can do.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The grant is motivated by a gap between existing approaches: non-invasive methods often have limited spatial or temporal resolution and may rely on indirect signals (such as blood flow), while invasive methods can measure detailed biophysical activity at the single-neuron level but typically only across tens to hundreds of neurons, which is tiny compared to the roughly 85 billion neurons in the human brain.
What types of projects does this opportunity support?
It supports exploratory projects proposing fundamentally new concepts or approaches for large-scale recording and/or modulation of neural activity. The emphasis is on novel technology concepts that could leap beyond current tradeoffs, even if they are still in early development.
Is this intended for incremental improvements to existing tools?
No. The opportunity is positioned as seed funding for bold, early-stage efforts rather than incremental improvements to established methods.
What does "R21" mean in this context?
R21 is NIH's exploratory and developmental research grant mechanism. R21s commonly support early-stage, higher-risk projects where the focus is on innovation and proof-of-concept rather than extensive preliminary data.
What scientific capabilities are proposals expected to advance?
Proposals are expected to advance the ability to observe and/or influence neural circuit activity at much larger scale than current methods allow, ideally with high precision, minimal invasiveness, and meaningful interpretability.
What limitations in current methods does the solicitation highlight?
Two key limitations are highlighted: (1) non-invasive approaches can be too low-resolution or too indirect to capture fast, localized electrical and chemical events; and (2) invasive approaches can capture neuron-level detail but typically do not scale to the large numbers of neurons involved in real brain computations.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling is $200,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expected number of 15 awards.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-EY-16-001.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The agency is listed as HHS-NIH11, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The instrument type is a grant.
What is the opportunity category?
The opportunity category is discretionary, consistent with NIH's competitive research funding model.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting and creation dates are December 11, 2015.
What is the application deadline?
The closing date for applications is March 15, 2016 (the original and current closing dates match).
Is this a time-limited solicitation?
Yes. The listed posting and closing dates indicate a defined submission window rather than an open-ended opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. 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; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional entities as clarified in the full announcement.
Does the solicitation encourage participation from different sectors?
Yes. The broad eligibility is designed to attract proposals from universities, medical centers, research institutes, startups, established companies, and public-sector research organizations.
What kinds of teams or disciplines are a good fit?
The description reflects that breakthroughs in large-scale neural recording and modulation often come from interdisciplinary teams spanning neuroscience, engineering, materials science, data science, and clinical research.
What are the activity categories associated with this opportunity?
The activity categories listed span education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the broad NIH mission areas touched by brain research and neurotechnology.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, indicating participation across several NIH institutes and programs.
What is the overall purpose of this grant in the larger context of neuroscience?
It is intended as seed funding to catalyze new concepts that could redefine the technical limits of how researchers interact with the nervous system, helping the BRAIN Initiative move toward a mechanistic understanding of how brain activity gives rise to complex human functions and behaviors.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BRAIN Initiative: Optimization of Transformative Technologies for Large Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01) Apply for RFA NS 16 007 Funding Number: RFA NS 16 007 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Non-Invasive Neuromodulation - New Tools and Techniques for Spatiotemporal Precision(R01) Apply for RFA MH 16 810 Funding Number: RFA MH 16 810 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: New Technologies and Novel Approaches for Large-Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01) Apply for RFA NS 16 006 Funding Number: RFA NS 16 006 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Non-Invasive Neuromodulation - Mechanisms and Dose/Response Relationships for Targeted CNS Effects (R01) Apply for RFA MH 16 815 Funding Number: RFA MH 16 815 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Analyze Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (R01) Apply for RFA MH 16 775 Funding Number: RFA MH 16 775 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: Next-Generation Invasive Devices for Recording and Modulation in the Human Central Nervous System (U44) Apply for RFA NS 16 011 Funding Number: RFA NS 16 011 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative: SBIR Direct to Phase II Next-Generation Invasive Devices for Recording and Modulation in the Human Central Nervous System (U44) Apply for RFA NS 16 018 Funding Number: RFA NS 16 018 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Education and Health: New Frontiers (R01) Apply for PAR 16 080 Funding Number: PAR 16 080 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Education and Health: New Frontiers (R03) Apply for PAR 16 079 Funding Number: PAR 16 079 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Education and Health: New Frontiers (R21) Apply for PAR 16 078 Funding Number: PAR 16 078 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Basic Biopsychosocial Mechanisms and Processes in the Management of Chronic Conditions (R21) Apply for PAR 16 095 Funding Number: PAR 16 095 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Obesity Policy Evaluation Research (R01) Apply for PA 16 165 Funding Number: PA 16 165 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Administrative Supplements for Research on Sleep Disturbances and Impact on Chronic Pain (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 16 164 Funding Number: PA 16 164 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01) Apply for PA 16 190 Funding Number: PA 16 190 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revision Applications for U.S-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research (U01) Apply for RFA AI 16 040 Funding Number: RFA AI 16 040 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revision Applications for U.S-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research (R01) Apply for RFA AI 16 039 Funding Number: RFA AI 16 039 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (K12) Apply for RFA OD 16 013 Funding Number: RFA OD 16 013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Foundations of Non-Invasive Functional Human Brain Imaging and Recording - Bridging Scales and Modalities (R01) Apply for RFA MH 17 235 Funding Number: RFA MH 17 235 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: New Concepts and Early-Stage Research for Large-Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (R21) Apply for RFA EY 17 001 Funding Number: RFA EY 17 001 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative: Exploratory Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects - eTargetedBCP (R21) Apply for RFA NS 17 015 Funding Number: RFA NS 17 015 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health, Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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