BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects- TargetedBCP (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA NS 18 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 18 009

The National Institutes of Health funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects (TargetedBCP) (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-NS-18-009) is a discretionary grant solicitation under the NIH BRAIN Initiative aimed at accelerating rigorous, circuit-level neuroscience. The central purpose of the program is to fund research projects that explain how patterns of neural circuit activity generate mental experience and observable behavior. In practical terms, NIH is looking for proposals that go beyond describing neural activity and instead connect circuit dynamics to perception, cognition, emotion, and action in a way that can be tested, predicted, and generalized.

A key emphasis of this opportunity is methodological integration and innovation. Competitive applications are expected to combine multiple approaches rather than relying on a single technique in isolation. The FOA highlights the value of research designs that tightly link theory, computational or statistical data analysis, and experimental strategy, so that modeling and hypothesis generation are not afterthoughts but are built into the project from the start. A major required deliverable is the development of predictive models, meaning applicants should plan to produce formal models that can forecast circuit responses or behavioral outcomes and can be evaluated against empirical data. The goal is to create an iterative loop where models guide experiments, experiments refine models, and the combined outcome yields mechanistic insight into circuit function.

The science scope is explicitly focused on circuit function within well-defined neural systems and behavioral domains. Examples listed in the FOA include sensation, perception, attention, reasoning, intention, decision-making, emotion, navigation, communication, and homeostasis. Projects should be framed around specific circuits and specific functions rather than broad exploratory surveys. Another strong programmatic priority is experimental control: applicants are expected to systematically control stimuli and/or behavior while actively recording from and/or manipulating dynamic neural activity patterns. In other words, the FOA favors studies that can causally probe circuits, not just correlate neural signals with behavior. While the announcement does not prescribe particular technologies, its language aligns with modern circuit neuroscience toolkits such as large-scale neural recordings, targeted perturbations, closed-loop paradigms, and computational approaches capable of handling high-dimensional neural and behavioral data.

The mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant, and the FOA states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work should not involve clinical trial designs as defined by NIH. The program is also time-bounded in its expectations: projects should be designed to achieve a meaningful, interpretable outcome within a 5-year period. This implies reviewers will likely weigh feasibility, milestones, and the likelihood that the project will produce a clear advance in understanding within the grant timeline, rather than open-ended infrastructure building or purely descriptive data generation.

Regarding model systems, the FOA allows the use of non-human animal species and asks applicants to justify the species choice in terms of why it provides ideal conditions to uncover general principles of the circuit basis of a particular behavior. This encourages thoughtful selection of organism and preparation, including cases where specialized species or experimental access offers unique leverage for circuit mapping, manipulation, or behavior. The underlying expectation is that the work will reveal broadly informative circuit principles, not just species-specific observations, and that the animal model is selected because it maximizes experimental traction on the targeted question.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations, such as state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)). For-profit organizations other than small businesses and small businesses are also eligible, as are other applicant types specified by NIH policy. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects an intent to draw strong circuit neuroscience proposals from a diverse range of institutions and organizational settings.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered by NIH, with an original closing date of March 15, 2018, and a creation date of October 4, 2017, indicating it was a specific-time solicitation rather than an always-open parent announcement. The listed CFDA numbers span multiple NIH institutes and BRAIN-related program areas, reflecting cross-institute participation in the initiative. An award ceiling and expected awards count are not specified in the provided source data, but the FOA’s structure and emphasis suggest NIH was prioritizing well-scoped, high-impact circuit projects that integrate experimental control, recording and manipulation of neural dynamics, and predictive modeling to produce tangible insights within five years.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative: Targeted BRAIN Circuits Projects- TargetedBCP (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-10-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-03-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA NS 18 009

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