BRAIN Initiative Transformative Approaches for Cell Type Classification in the Brain (U01) | Apply Online

FAQs: BRAIN Initiative "Transformative Approaches for Cell Type Classification in the Brain (U01)" (RFA-MH-14-215)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative funding opportunity titled "Transformative Approaches for Cell Type Classification in the Brain (U01)" (RFA-MH-14-215). It uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U01) to support pilot projects aimed at rigorously classifying and counting brain cell types.

2) What is the main goal of the program?

The core goal is to jump-start and test strategies that move the field toward a systematic, reproducible "cell census" of the brain, meaning an organized inventory of distinct cell types and their defining features.

3) What does "cell census" mean in the context of this FOA?

In this FOA, a "cell census" refers to a structured, reproducible inventory of brain cell types along with their defining characteristics, intended to be systematic rather than an ad hoc or purely descriptive catalog.

4) What kinds of nervous systems or species are the immediate focus?

The immediate focus is on vertebrate nervous systems. The longer-term vision is to develop approaches that can scale over time to support an eventual comprehensive census of cell types in the human brain.

5) Do projects have to study the whole brain?

No. Projects may target the whole brain, a specific brain region, or a major functional circuit, as long as the approaches are designed with scalability and extensibility in mind.

6) What scientific theme is emphasized for defining cell types?

A central theme is integrating multiple dimensions of cell identity rather than relying on a single measurement. The FOA emphasizes linking molecular signatures to connectivity, morphology, and anatomical location.

7) What types of data are projects expected to connect?

Projects are expected to link molecular signatures (such as gene expression or other molecular markers) to:

• Connectivity (who connects to whom)
• Morphology (cell shape and structural features)
• Anatomical location (placement within a region, layer, nucleus, or circuit)

8) Is molecular identity alone sufficient for a proposed classification approach?

The FOA stresses integration across multiple dimensions and specifically highlights linking molecular identity with connectivity, morphology, and anatomical location. The intent is to produce approaches that reflect organization and function, not just a single experimental view.

9) What does the FOA require regarding rigor and taxonomy building?

Applicants are asked to apply statistical approaches that can define cell types and organize them into a coherent taxonomy, explicitly using molecular identity and connectivity as key axes. The outcome is expected to be a defensible framework for classification, not just descriptive labels.

10) What does it mean to provide a "defensible and analyzable framework" for cell types?

It means the project should include methods that support clear, justifiable decisions about when two cells belong to the same type, when they are meaningfully different, and how identified types relate to one another within a taxonomy.

11) Are applicants expected to estimate how complete their cell type definitions are?

Yes. The FOA calls for realistic estimates of the number or percentage of defined cell types within the studied region(s) or circuit(s). This pushes applicants to address sampling, completeness, and uncertainty rather than producing open-ended lists.

12) How should pilot projects support broader brain mapping efforts?

Pilots should lay groundwork for interoperability with broader brain mapping resources by providing a basis for mapping identified cell types (defined by molecular identity and connectivity) onto a reference brain atlas.

13) Why is mapping to a reference brain atlas emphasized?

Atlas mapping implies outputs that can be spatially registered, compared across studies, and integrated into shared reference frameworks, rather than remaining isolated datasets that cannot be aligned to common anatomical coordinates.

14) Does the FOA require that approaches be scalable?

Yes. Scalable design is emphasized throughout. Even if a pilot focuses on a single region or circuit, the approach is expected to be demonstrably extensible to larger coverage and increasing complexity, consistent with long-term BRAIN Initiative goals.

15) What funding mechanism is used, and what does that imply?

The FOA uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U01). This typically indicates substantial NIH scientific or programmatic involvement during the project period compared to a standard research grant.

16) How much total funding was estimated for the program?

The estimated total funding listed for the program was $10,000,000.

17) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

18) When was the opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?

The opportunity was posted and created on December 17, 2013. The original and current closing date was March 13, 2014. The archive date was April 13, 2014.

19) Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the provided dates (closing date March 13, 2014 and archive date April 13, 2014), this specific opportunity is closed and archived.

20) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included domestic and non-domestic applicants. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit entities), small businesses and other for-profit organizations, independent school districts, and multiple levels of government.

21) Were tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly included tribal governments and tribal organizations.

22) Were public housing authorities included as eligible applicants?

Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities were explicitly listed as eligible.

23) Were minority-serving institutions included?

Yes. The FOA explicitly included institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other minority-serving institutions including AANAPISIS.

24) Could foreign organizations apply?

Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply. Foreign components of U.S. organizations were also allowed, consistent with the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

25) What NIH missions or research areas did this FOA connect to?

The opportunity was associated with multiple CFDA numbers spanning areas such as neuroscience, mental health, aging, child health, translational sciences, substance use, sensory disorders, and related biomedical research areas, reflecting broad cross-cutting relevance of cell-type classification.

26) Who was the primary agency for this opportunity?

The primary agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the BRAIN Initiative umbrella.

27) Where was the official announcement hosted?

The official announcement link was provided through the NIH grants website.

28) Who was listed as the contact for access or technical issues?

For access or technical issues, the contact point listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster email.

29) What does the FOA emphasize about how cell types should be defined?

It emphasizes that classification should reflect how brain cells are organized and function by integrating molecular identity with wiring (connectivity), structure (morphology), and spatial position (anatomical location), along with statistical methods that support a coherent taxonomy.

30) What is the long-term vision beyond the pilot projects?

While pilots may focus on vertebrate systems and selected regions or circuits, the broader vision is to build methods that can scale up over time to support an eventual comprehensive census of cell types in the human brain.