Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 15 004
Apply for RFA NS 15 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Optimization of Transformative Technologies for Large Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173 Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research 93.867 Vision Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 5, 2014 and posted on Nov 5, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,800,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Private institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Independent school districts Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-NS-15-004, titled "BRAIN Initiative Optimization of Transformative Technologies for Large Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01)," supports projects focused on improving and scaling up neuroscience tools that already have early proof-of-concept evidence. The central idea is that invention alone is not enough for broad scientific impact. Technologies that look transformative in initial demonstrations often need iterative refinement, practical engineering, and real feedback from end users before they become reliable, accessible, and routine methods for everyday neuroscience experiments. This program is positioned specifically at that optimization stage, aiming to move promising approaches from impressive prototypes into robust, user-friendly platforms that can be disseminated widely and used by typical labs without extraordinary customization.
The FOA targets major, persistent barriers in the field: recording and manipulating neural activity at or near cellular resolution, across multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any brain region, and through the full depth of the brain. It emphasizes large-scale capabilities rather than single-site measurements, and it supports both recording and modulation, meaning tools that can read out neural activity as well as tools that can perturb or control circuits to test causal hypotheses. A key expectation is that the technologies will be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, reflecting the need to study neural activity and circuit function during real behavior rather than only in simplified or immobilized preparations.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its focus on iterative development with an eye toward real experimental use. Applicants are expected to refine hardware and software, improve performance and reliability, reduce practical burdens, and remove obstacles that prevent hypothesis-driven experiments. This can include improvements in usability, stability, scalability, manufacturability, and integration into standard workflows. The FOA also highlights the importance of scaling manufacturing techniques toward sustainable distribution, meaning the work should move beyond one-off custom builds and toward methods that can be produced, supported, and adopted broadly by the community.
The program is intentionally broad about what "neural recording and modulation" can mean. While neuronal electrical activity is a major focus in many tools, the FOA explicitly allows technologies that measure or manipulate other kinds of biological signals relevant to nervous system function, as long as they enable large-scale analysis. It is also open to many modalities, including optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic, and genetic approaches. Projects that integrate multiple approaches are encouraged, which could include combinations such as hybrid optical-electrical systems, multimodal sensors, or integrated pipelines that tie together data acquisition, control, and analysis.
Because these challenges span many disciplines, the FOA expects teams to bring together the appropriate mix of expertise. It calls out integration across domains such as biological, chemical, and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling, and statistical analysis. The cooperative agreement mechanism (U01) also signals that this is a milestone-driven, collaboration-oriented development program where there is typically substantial scientific and programmatic involvement from the funding institute compared with more investigator-directed mechanisms.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on November 5, 2014, with an application due date of February 10, 2015, and it was archived on March 13, 2015. The estimated total funding listed is $3.8 million, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The activity sits within NIH and is associated with multiple CFDA program areas spanning neuroscience and neurological disorders, mental health, aging, child health and development, vision, addiction, alcohol research, complementary and integrative health, and technology innovation related to improving human health, reflecting the cross-cutting relevance of advanced neural recording and modulation tools.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including but not limited to 501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and a wide range of government entities. The FOA also allows applications from non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions, as well as foreign components of U.S. organizations, consistent with NIH policy. It explicitly notes eligibility for organizations such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions, along with faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.
In practical terms, this FOA is best read as an invitation to take a neural technology that has already proven it can work in principle and make it work reliably at scale in real experimental settings. The NIH is looking for proposals that can accelerate the transition from early demonstrations to broadly usable tools that lower barriers for neuroscience researchers, enable more rigorous and ambitious hypothesis testing in behaving animals, and ultimately expand what kinds of questions can be asked about brain function.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity being described?
This is the NIH funding opportunity announcement (FOA) RFA-NS-15-004, titled "BRAIN Initiative Optimization of Transformative Technologies for Large Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System (U01)."
What is the main goal of RFA-NS-15-004?
The goal is to optimize and scale up neuroscience technologies that already have early proof-of-concept evidence, moving them from impressive prototypes into robust, reliable, user-friendly platforms that can be disseminated widely and used by typical labs without extraordinary customization.
Is this FOA focused on inventing brand-new technologies?
No. The central idea is that invention alone is not enough for broad scientific impact. This program is positioned at the optimization stage, supporting iterative refinement and practical engineering of tools that have already shown they can work in principle.
What kinds of problems or barriers is NIH trying to address through this FOA?
The FOA targets major, persistent barriers in neuroscience, especially the difficulty of recording and manipulating neural activity at or near cellular resolution across multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any brain region, and through the full depth of the brain. It emphasizes large-scale capabilities rather than single-site measurements.
Does the FOA support both neural recording and neural modulation?
Yes. It supports tools that can record (read out) neural activity and tools that can modulate (perturb or control) circuits to test causal hypotheses.
Is large-scale capability a core requirement?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes large-scale recording and modulation rather than single-site or limited measurements, with the intent of enabling broad, scalable analysis of nervous system activity and function.
Do proposed technologies need to work in behaving animals?
Compatibility with experiments in behaving animals is a key expectation. The FOA reflects the need to study neural activity and circuit function during real behavior rather than only in simplified or immobilized preparations.
What does "optimization" mean in the context of this FOA?
Optimization refers to iterative development aimed at real experimental use. This includes refining hardware and software, improving performance and reliability, reducing practical burdens, and removing obstacles that prevent hypothesis-driven experiments.
What kinds of improvements are explicitly within scope?
The FOA highlights improvements in usability, stability, scalability, manufacturability, and integration into standard workflows. It also emphasizes scaling manufacturing techniques toward sustainable distribution, moving beyond one-off custom builds.
Does the FOA require that technologies be manufacturable and distributable?
It strongly emphasizes moving toward sustainable distribution and adoption by the broader community. This includes scaling manufacturing techniques and reducing dependence on bespoke, lab-specific fabrication and support.
What does "neural recording and modulation" include under this FOA?
The FOA is intentionally broad. While neuronal electrical activity is a major focus for many tools, the FOA explicitly allows technologies that measure or manipulate other kinds of biological signals relevant to nervous system function, as long as they enable large-scale analysis.
Which technology modalities are considered responsive to this FOA?
The FOA is open to many modalities, including optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic, and genetic approaches.
Are multimodal or hybrid systems encouraged?
Yes. Projects that integrate multiple approaches are encouraged, such as hybrid optical-electrical systems, multimodal sensors, or integrated pipelines that tie together data acquisition, control, and analysis.
What type of award mechanism is used?
The FOA uses the cooperative agreement mechanism U01.
What does a U01 cooperative agreement imply for how the project is run?
A U01 is described here as milestone-driven and collaboration-oriented, typically involving substantial scientific and programmatic involvement from the funding institute compared with more investigator-directed mechanisms.
What kinds of teams or expertise does NIH expect for this program?
Because the challenges span many disciplines, the FOA expects teams to bring an appropriate mix of expertise and to integrate across domains such as biological, chemical, and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling, and statistical analysis.
When was this FOA posted, and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on November 5, 2014. The application due date was February 10, 2015. It was archived on March 13, 2015.
How much total funding was estimated for this FOA?
The estimated total funding listed is $3.8 million.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity sits within NIH (the National Institutes of Health).
Is this FOA tied to specific program areas or CFDA listings?
Yes. It is associated with multiple CFDA program areas spanning neuroscience and neurological disorders, mental health, aging, child health and development, vision, addiction, alcohol research, complementary and integrative health, and technology innovation related to improving human health.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including but not limited to 501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and a wide range of government entities.
Are non-U.S. organizations or foreign institutions eligible?
Yes. The FOA allows applications from non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions, as well as foreign components of U.S. organizations, consistent with NIH policy.
Are minority-serving institutions explicitly included?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes eligibility for organizations such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes faith-based and community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA notes eligible federal agencies among the organizations that may apply.
What kind of project is the FOA trying to attract, in practical terms?
In practical terms, it invites applicants to take a neural technology that has already proven it can work in principle and make it work reliably at scale in real experimental settings, accelerating the transition from early demonstrations to broadly usable tools that lower barriers for neuroscience researchers and enable more rigorous hypothesis testing in behaving animals.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA NS 15 004) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BRAIN Initiative Integrated Approaches to Understanding Circuit Function in the Nervous System (U01) Apply for RFA NS 15 005 Funding Number: RFA NS 15 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Planning for Next Generation Human Brain Imaging (R24) Apply for RFA MH 15 200 Funding Number: RFA MH 15 200 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Analyze Cell Specific and Circuit Specific Processes in the Brain (U01) Apply for RFA MH 15 225 Funding Number: RFA MH 15 225 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Empirical Research on Ethical Issues Related to Central IRBs and Consent for Research Using Clinical Records and Data (R01) Apply for RFA OD 15 002 Funding Number: RFA OD 15 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Short Courses in Computational Neuroscience (R25) Apply for RFA MH 15 215 Funding Number: RFA MH 15 215 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| BRAIN Initiative Short Courses in Research Tools and Methods (R25) Apply for RFA MH 15 220 Funding Number: RFA MH 15 220 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Predictive Multiscale Models for Biomedical, Biological, Behavioral, Environmental and Clinical Research (U01) Apply for PAR 15 085 Funding Number: PAR 15 085 Agency: National Institutes of Health 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 (UH2/UH3) Apply for RFA NS 15 006 Funding Number: RFA NS 15 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BRAIN Initiative Clinical Studies to Advance Next Generation Invasive Devices for Recording and Modulation in the Human Central Nervous System (UH3) Apply for RFA NS 15 008 Funding Number: RFA NS 15 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Research Project Sites (U01) Apply for RFA DA 15 015 Funding Number: RFA DA 15 015 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Coordinating Center (U24) Apply for RFA DA 15 014 Funding Number: RFA DA 15 014 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Data Analysis and Informatics Center (U24) Apply for RFA DA 15 016 Funding Number: RFA DA 15 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Advancing Biomedical Science Using Crowdsourcing and Interactive Digital Media (UH2) Apply for RFA CA 15 006 Funding Number: RFA CA 15 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Advancing Translational and Clinical Probiotic/Prebiotic and Human Microbiome Research (R01) Apply for PA 15 127 Funding Number: PA 15 127 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Jointly Sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (T32) Apply for PAR 15 178 Funding Number: PAR 15 178 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Limited Competition International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) (U01) Apply for RFA AI 15 017 Funding Number: RFA AI 15 017 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH PEPFAR Collaboration on Implementation Science for HIV Towards an AIDS free Generation (R01) Apply for RFA AI 15 020 Funding Number: RFA AI 15 020 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| NIH PEPFAR Collaboration on Implementation Science for HIV Towards an AIDS free Generation (R21) Apply for RFA AI 15 021 Funding Number: RFA AI 15 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Developing the Therapeutic Potential of the Endocannabinoid System for Pain Treatment (R01) Apply for PA 15 188 Funding Number: PA 15 188 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| The Health of Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations (R21) Apply for PA 15 263 Funding Number: PA 15 263 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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