Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 15 066
Apply for PAR 15 066
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building on High Impact Basic Neurobiology Through Assay Development Advancing Tools for Therapeutic Discovery (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 10, 2014 and posted on Dec 10, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled 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:
Building on High Impact Basic Neurobiology Through Assay Development Advancing Tools for Therapeutic Discovery (R01) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant opportunity designed to push neurobiology tool development toward assays that are genuinely useful for therapeutic discovery. The central focus is on creating new, reliable, and scalable assays that can detect meaningful changes in neuronal and/or glial function. Rather than funding broad descriptive biology, this FOA is aimed at turning cutting-edge knowledge of nervous system biology into practical experimental readouts that can be used to probe mechanisms, identify targets, and ultimately support drug discovery pipelines.
The scientific intent is to adapt state-of-the-art measurements of basic cellular processes or molecular events that are essential for nervous system function and convert them into robust assays. The FOA emphasizes assays that can capture neurobiological endpoints in a way that is efficient and relatively unbiased, meaning the assay should be able to detect perturbations or functional changes without being overly constrained by preconceived mechanisms. In practice, this points toward assay platforms that can serve as dependable tools for screening, comparing conditions, and finding mechanistic signals across many samples, which is a common bottleneck when trying to translate basic neurobiology into therapeutic leads.
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, indicating support for substantial, hypothesis-driven or technology-enabling research projects typically led by an established investigative team and housed within an institution capable of sustaining a multi-year research effort. The announcement is categorized as discretionary funding and is associated with NIH program areas spanning mental health research, alcohol research, and drug abuse and addiction research (CFDA 93.242, 93.273, 93.279). Cost sharing is not required, which is consistent with most NIH research project grants.
Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive. Applicants may include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including small businesses, though this is not an SBIR/STTR mechanism), and multiple levels of government entities such as state, county, city/township, special district governments, public housing authorities, and independent school districts. The FOA also explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and a wide range of mission-serving institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities. Importantly, non-U.S. entities are eligible as well: foreign organizations and foreign institutions may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are allowed as defined by NIH policy. Faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies are also included, reflecting NIH's interest in maximizing participation from diverse organizational types when the proposed assay development is strong.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number is PAR-15-066, and it was posted on December 10, 2014. The original and current closing date listed is January 7, 2018, with an archive date of February 7, 2018, meaning this particular FOA is no longer active for new submissions under those dates, but remains useful as a reference for the kind of projects NIH has sought in this area. The sponsoring agency is NIH, and the full archived announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide at the link provided in the source text.
In short, this FOA is about building better neurobiology assays that make functional changes in neurons and glia measurable in a way that supports downstream therapeutic discovery. The expected deliverable is not just a one-off experiment but an assay approach robust enough to become part of a broader discovery pipeline, enabling more efficient target identification and helping bridge the gap between fundamental nervous system biology and practical drug discovery workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Building on High Impact Basic Neurobiology Through Assay Development Advancing Tools for Therapeutic Discovery (R01)."
What type of grant mechanism does it use?
It uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which typically supports substantial multi-year research projects that are hypothesis-driven and/or technology-enabling and are generally carried out by an established investigative team within an institution capable of sustaining the effort.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The central purpose is to push neurobiology tool development toward assays that are genuinely useful for therapeutic discovery by creating new, reliable, scalable assay methods that can detect meaningful changes in neuronal and/or glial function.
What kinds of projects is NIH trying to encourage through this FOA?
This FOA encourages projects that adapt state-of-the-art measurements of basic cellular processes or molecular events essential for nervous system function and convert them into robust assay readouts that can be used for probing mechanisms, identifying targets, and supporting drug discovery pipelines.
What does the FOA mean by an assay being "useful for therapeutic discovery"?
Based on the description, an assay is considered useful for therapeutic discovery when it can serve as a dependable experimental readout for screening and comparing many samples and conditions, helping detect functional changes and mechanistic signals that can support downstream target identification and drug discovery workflows.
What neurobiological systems or cell types are specifically mentioned?
The FOA explicitly references neuronal and/or glial function as key endpoints for assay development.
Is this FOA focused on descriptive/basic biology studies?
No. The FOA is described as not funding broad descriptive biology. Instead, it aims to translate cutting-edge knowledge of nervous system biology into practical, assay-based experimental readouts.
What are the key characteristics NIH emphasizes for the assays?
The FOA emphasizes assays that are new, reliable, and scalable, and that can capture neurobiological endpoints efficiently and in a relatively unbiased manner. The assays should be able to detect perturbations or functional changes without being overly constrained by preconceived mechanisms.
What does "relatively unbiased" mean in this context?
In the FOA's framing, "relatively unbiased" points to assay approaches that can detect perturbations or functional changes without being overly limited by prior assumptions about the mechanism, enabling broader detection of meaningful signals across conditions and samples.
What is the expected end product or deliverable from funded work?
The expected deliverable is an assay approach that is robust enough to become part of a broader discovery pipeline, not simply a one-off experiment. The emphasis is on tools that enable more efficient screening and target identification and help bridge basic neurobiology to practical therapeutic discovery.
Which NIH program areas are associated with this opportunity?
The announcement is associated with NIH program areas spanning mental health research, alcohol research, and drug abuse and addiction research.
What CFDA numbers are listed for this FOA?
The CFDA numbers listed are 93.242, 93.273, and 93.279.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The opportunity states that cost sharing is not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad and inclusive. Applicants may include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including small businesses, although it is not an SBIR/STTR mechanism), and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, special district governments, public housing authorities, and independent school districts).
Are tribal entities eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations, as well as tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly included as eligible.
Are specific mission-serving institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Can foreign organizations apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that foreign organizations and foreign institutions may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are allowed as defined by NIH policy.
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 includes eligible federal agencies.
Is this an SBIR or STTR funding opportunity?
No. While small businesses are included among eligible applicants, the FOA is not an SBIR/STTR mechanism; it is an NIH R01 opportunity.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is PAR-15-066.
When was this FOA posted?
It was posted on December 10, 2014.
What were the listed closing and archive dates?
The listed closing date is January 7, 2018, and the archive date is February 7, 2018.
Is this FOA currently active for new applications?
No. Because the closing date and archive date have passed, this particular FOA is described as no longer active for new submissions under those dates, though it may still be useful as a reference for the types of projects NIH has sought.
Which agency sponsors this funding opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full archived announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide at the link provided in the source text.
What problem or bottleneck is this FOA trying to address?
It targets a common translational bottleneck: turning cutting-edge basic neurobiology into practical, scalable assay readouts that can be used across many samples to support screening, mechanistic investigation, and therapeutic discovery.
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| Reductions in Illicit Drug Use and Functional Outcomes (R21/R33) Apply for PA 15 099 Funding Number: PA 15 099 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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